How Did You Cook That

How Did You Cook That

Mardi Gras King Cake

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Mardi Gras King Cake

King Cake – A Very Brief History

If you’ve never had a bite of King Cake, today is your lucky day. Mardi Gras King Cake is a multi-colored, sugar-sprinkled giant cinnamon roll treat traditional in New Orleans. Mardi Gras or Carnival is celebrated throughout the American South and around the world but King Cake is traditionally a part of the festivities in New Orleans. You can only get your hands on this delicious purple (justice), green (faith) and gold (power) pastry during the Mardi Gras season. The dates of Mardi Gras are specific, with the first day to buy a King Cake in New Orleans beginning with the feast of Epiphany. Usually in early January. The last day to buy a King Cake in New Orleans is Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, which signals the first day of Lent.

During my days in New Orleans Gambino’s, Randazzo’s and Haydel’s were the go-to bakeries for Mardi Gras King Cake. In those days it never crossed my mind to bake my own sticky-gooey roll of delicious sweet bread at home. Let alone bake a tiny plastic baby into the center of it. Yes, there really is a baby baked into a King Cake.

Make It Yourself

Then I moved to California. That first February when I ordered a King Cake from the local French Bakery I almost cried. It was basically just a bundt cake with purple, green and gold frosting!  I ended up ordering from Haydel’s in New Orleans out of desperation. At nearly $100 for the cake, plus shipping, I totally blew my monthly food budget. So, I determined the next year to have a much better solution.

I scoured Southern Living, Cooking Light, Food & Wine and every southern cookbook I could find. This recipe is a compilation of the very best traditional recipes from that search. It is also a result of my effort to recreate my favorite King Cakes from the bakeries in New Orleans. 

Most recently I added a spin on the gooey white icing after falling in love with Alison Roman’s Brown Butter-Buttermilk Cake. The brown butter icing on top of her cake is to die for. Literally! The icing gets a nice shell on it and has an incredible buttery flavor that makes it a perfect icing for King Cake. Just be sure to get your sprinkles onto it while the frosting is still wet so they stick to the cake.

I hope you’ll find this King Cake as close to the NOLA OG as you can get when baking one from scratch. Let me know if you try the recipe. I’d love to hear about your results.

Mardi Gras King Cake
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Mardi Gras King Cake

Brightly colored, sugar-sprinkled giant sticky-sweet cinnamon roll treat unique to New Orleans and all of Louisiana during Mardi Gras season.
The instructions for this cake are long, but don't let that deter you. This is a pretty easy recipe to master and the instructions are intended as tips to keep you from making many of the mistakes that I made when learning to make it. Seriously, this cake is definitely worth making. Your family and friends will lose their minds when you share this cake with them. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Creole, French
Keyword Baking, Bread, Cake, Dessert
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rise 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 4 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 envelope active dry yeast equivalent to 2¼ tsp
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 3 cups bread flour if you only have all-purpose flour that's OK. Your cake will be a bit denser and more cake-like using all-purpose.
  • 5 Tbsp butter softened
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Butter Icing

  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-3 Tbsp buttermilk

Decorations

  • colored sprinkles (purple, yellow, green)
  • plastic baby You can find plastic babies on the baby shower aisle of your local craft store or party store. I bake mine right into the cake and they NEVER melt. The cake is only in the oven for 15-20 minutes so the temperature doesn't get hot enough to melt your baby. 😀
  • Mardi Gras beads and dubloons (colored coins)

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan heat sour cream, 4 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp salt. Stir till melted and combined. Turn off heat and let cool to 110° or below.
  • In a small bowl or glass measuring cup mix yeast with ¼ cup warm water plus 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir until dissolved and let sit, for about 5 minutes, until foamy.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cooled sour cream mixture with the yeast mixture. Add egg and 1 cup flour mixing to incorporate. Reduce speed to low and gradually add remaining 2 cups of flour. The dough should start to become soft and form a ball, still slightly sticky and not too dry or dense. If it is too sticky add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  • Butter the sides of a large glass bowl and place the dough inside, turning to cover dough in butter. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until dough doubles in size.
  • After dough has risen for an hour punch it down. Then roll out into a 22" x 12" rectangle. Spread the 5 Tbsp softened butter evenly over the dough leaving about 1" un-buttered around the edge. Stir together ¼ cup brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.
  • Here's the OPTION part: I braid my dough, but you don's need to do that. You can just roll it up and bake in the oven as a single roll. I will give you both methods.

Braided King Cake

  • Cut the dough length-wise into 3 equal strips. Place the baby on top of one of the strips, press it right down into the buttery dough. Then begin rolling each strip of dough up, enclosing the butter and sugar. (and the baby in one!) Pinch the seams together. Lay each rope seam side down.
    King Cake Baby
  • Place 3 ends of the dough together on top of each other and press them all together so that they become sealed at the end. braid the 3 ropes together, end-over-end until you get the the bottom. This is a sturdy dough so you can stretch and twist it to get the braid the way you want it. Be sure to keep the seams toward the middle of the cake, hidden inside.
  • When you get the end of the braid, pinch the 3 ends together and place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. (Parchment or foil will catch all the melted butter that may seep out of your cake while baking)
  • Bring the ends of the roll together to form an oval ring, pinching edges together to seal. Just get in there and stretch and squeeze it together really well. You won't hurt this dough.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
  • Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cake on the pan on a wire rack.
  • While the cake is baking and cooling make the brown buttermilk icing.

Jelly Roll King Cake

  • Place your plastic baby anywhere in the rectangle of dough. Starting at one long end, roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, enclosing the butter, sugar and baby inside. Pinch seam together.
  • Place roll, seam side down, on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. (Parchment or foil will catch all the melted butter that may seep out of your cake while baking) Bring the ends of the roll together to form an oval ring, pinching edges together to seal. Just get in there and stretch and squeeze it together really well. You won't hurt this dough.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
  • Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cake on the pan on a wire rack.
  • While the cake is baking and cooling make the brown buttermilk icing.

Brown Buttermilk Icing

  • In a small saucepan heat 3 Tbsp unsalted butter on medium, swirling and watching constantly. As soon as it gets foamy and starts to brown, turn off heat. It should have a nutty buttery aroma. Let it cool slightly.
  • Whisk the powdered sugar, buttermilk and browned butter together, scraping out all of the browned butter bits into the mixture.
  • Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake. Sprinkle immediately with the colored sugars, alternating colors to form bands.
    Mardi Gras King Cake
  • Allow to cool completely before slicing. Tradition says that the person who gets the slice of King Cake with the baby inside buys or bakes the next King Cake for the group. Be sure to pay it forward and have fun with this festive cake and tradition.

Notes

 
 

Garlic Baked Potato Wedges

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Garlic Baked Potato Wedges

Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, Garlic Baked Potato Wedges are a prefect side for all things BBQ.  I bake these wedges so they turn out crispy and garlicky with no trace of oily paper towels or fingers. So, the only thing sticking to your fingers will be the sauces you bring to the table for dipping.

Goodbye frozen, store-bought potato wedges. These easy garlic baked potato wedges can be tossed together using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Then pile on the garlic for an added spicy kick.  Plus Parmesan cheese for…well…because everything should have a sprinkle of Parmesan on it, right?

Get creative and throw in your favorite condiments to wow everybody at your next barbeque. Or just make em for dinner tonight. What the heck.

Garlic Baked Potato Wedges
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Garlic Baked Potato Wedges

Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, Garlic Baked Potato Wedges are the prefect side to any dish.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Keyword Homemade, Potatoes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 large Russet potatoes Use Russet or Yukon Gold. They are drier inside and will result in a crispier potato.
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp fresh black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ⅔ cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese divide in half
  • 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Cut each potato in half along the length, then cut each half in half along the length again, and cut each quarter in half along the length once more. You should have 8 equal sized wedges.
  • In a small bowl, combine the oil, garlic, onion powder, salt, rosemary, pepper and paprika. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and toss with your hands to coat evenly.
  • Arrange potato wedges in a single layer on a large baking sheet, skin-sides-down. Sprinkle with half of the Parmesan cheese and extra salt and pepper if you're feeling like it.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, then turn wedges with a spatula so all the sides get golden and crisp. Bake for another 15 minutes then test with a fork to see if they are soft indide.
  • Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Pigs in a Brioche Blanket

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Yeah. I know they look like little caterpillar cocoons. Don’t judge. They’re seriously delicious! And for my first attempt at brioche Pigs in a Blanket, let me tell you, they were a huge hit. Make sure to plan for making the dough up to 24 hours before serving these. This recipe uses a yeast dough that requires rising before baking.

I watched a video of Claire Saffitz making these and the craving hit me. Watch her assemble it on Vice. You’ll be entertained and get an idea of how to stretch and wrap the brioche dough.

Swap out Vienna sausages for hotdogs or bratwurst then wrap em up in a buttery brioche dough and baked till golden. Easy to make and impossible to stop eating. Super scrumptious, crowd-pleasing and perfect for game day snacks. Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce or your favorite condiments.

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Pigs in a Brioche Blanket

Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Bread, Hotdogs
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rise 18 hours

Ingredients

Brioche Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 8 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 full stick) cold and cut into 8-10 cubes
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

For wrapping the pigs

  • chilled and risen brioche dough
  • 8 kosher hot dogs or bratwurst
  • all-purpose flour for dusting and rolling dough
  • 1 large egg beaten with a fork or whisk
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds or coarse crunchy salt

Honey Mustard Sauce

  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup spicy brown mustard
  • ⅛ cup yellow mustard
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

  • Do your mise en place. Measure and set out all of your ingredients. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature and butter is cut and cold.
  • In a tiny saucepan or in the microwave heat the milk until just lukewarm. 105°-110° on a food thermometer. If it's too hot it will kill your yeast.
  • Pour warm milk into a small bowl. Add yeast and whisk until dissolved. Set aside until foamy - about 5 minutes.
  • Remove the bowl of a stand mixer and add dry ingredients, flour, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine then make a well in the center. Pour in the milk/yeast mixture. Then add the 3 room temperature eggs. Mix by hand until just combined.
  • Put bowl back on stand mixer and attach the dough hook. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms - about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix until dough starts to wrap around the hook. Keep mixing until the dough is soft and supple. Scrape dough off the hook every so often. Mix until dough comes cleanly off the bottom and sides. Add a pinch of flour if the dough is sticking. Knead dough in mixer for about 10 minutes.
  • Keeping the mixer on medium, add the butter one piece at a time. Allow each piece of butter to fully incorporate into the dough before adding the next. This is a long process. It may take about 15 minutes before all the butter is fully mixed in.
  • Gather the dough from the bowl and gently shape into a ball. Dust lightly with flour and set into a lightly buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Pierce the skin of each hot dog several times to prevent from bursting while baking. Lightly dust each hot dog or bratwurst with flour.
  • Take the risen dough out of the bowl and place on a clean work surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces.
  • Take 1 piece of dough at a time and roll out with your hands. Making long snake-like rolls out of each piece. About 12 inches long each.
  • Working from the middle of each hotdog and rolling outward to the ends, lay the brioche across the middle of the hot dog. Wind one end of dough around the hotdog until you reach one end. Then roll the other end of the dough outward toward the other end of the hotdog. Pinch each end of the hotdog to completely seal.
  • Repeat for all 8 pigs in a blanket.
  • Whisk the remaining egg in a bowl. Brush egg over each roll making sure to get the egg wash into all the little folds and seams. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or coarse salt.
  • Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove pigs in a blanket from oven and slice them into serving-size or bite-sized rounds. Enjoy with honey mustard dipping sauce or your choice of condiments.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

  • Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl until fully incorporated. Spoon over pigs in a blanket and enjoy.

Crunchy Fried Dill Pickles

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We’ve been experimenting with homemade dill pickle recipes since the summer of COVID 19. When we finally landed on the perfect dill pickles EVER, it just made sense to follow our hearts to batter and fry em. Enter Crunchy Fried Dill Pickles.

Oh yeah! These crunchy little rounds of fried dill pickle goodness are the perfect dinner companions for burgers or barbeque. No meat? No problem. Crunchy Fried Dill Pickles go hand in hand with vegan burgers and vegan “pulled-pork” sandwiches.

I use this very same recipe for battering fresh shrimp to make my favorite shrimp poboy sandwiches.

I hope you’ll try these fried pickles out. If you do, let me know what you think about them.

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Crunchy Fried Dill Pickles

Easy Crunchy Deep Fried Pickles made with bread and butter dill pickles. From pan to plate in less than 30 minutes.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Pickles, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 40 Bread & Butter dill pickles
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk or buttermilk
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more for seasoning
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper or more, for spicy pickles
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • canola oil for frying

Instructions

  • Place 40 or so dill pickle coins on a paper towel and pat dry.
  • Pour panko bread crumbs into a shallow pan or pie pan. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  • In a separate shallow pan or pie pan add flour, baking soda, salt, onion powder, cayenne, smoky paprika, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  • Add milk or buttermilk and egg to flour mixture. Stir until combined and there are no lumps.
  • Drop dill pickle coins into the batter and completely coat each one. Remove to panko plate and toss to coat each one in bread crumbs. Leave the pickles in the panko for a few minutes to allow bread crumbs to stick really well.
  • While the pickles are breading up, heat canola oil in a skillet. Add enough oil to completely cover the bottom and up the sides about ½". Heat oil to about 350° or until shimmering. (Don't forget to turn on your exhaust fan!)
  • Carefully drop battered and crumbed pickle coins into the hot oil. They should brown on one side in about 60 seconds. Carefully turn with tongs or a slotted spoon and brown another 30 seconds on the other side.
  • Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
  • Serve hot with honey mustard, ranch dressing or any sauce that floats your boat.

The Only Pizza Dough You’ll Ever Need

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Best Pizza Dough Ever

Homemade pizza dough has always kind of eluded me. Hard crust outside, soggy inside. Too much flour on the bottom of the crust or cornmeal that leaves it strangely crunchy. Dough that’s hard to work with and ends up with holes or sticking to the pizza pan. I’ve tried and moved on more times than I care to admit.

Through trial and error and repeating mistakes, I finally landed on pizza dough that I can live a long happy life with. This is an adapted version of Roberta’s pizza dough from the famed Italian pizzeria in Brooklyn, NY.  The last time I ate Roberta’s pizza was 8 years ago during a trip to NYC. Seriously, that’s how long I’ve been on a quest to make the perfect dough. When all I had to do was use the recipe from the place. Stubborn, yeah, I already said that to myself.

Well, if you’re still searching, let me save you a little time. Just make this dough and enjoy brighter days filling your pizza with fresh pizza sauce and ingredients that will shine atop this chewy, crispy pizza crust. A little yeast, flour and olive oil is all it takes to make the best homemade pizza dough you’ll ever need. Let’s get to baking!

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The Only Pizza Dough You'll Ever Need

A little yeast, flour and olive oil is all it takes to make the best homemade pizza dough you'll ever need.
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Baking, Pizza
Prep Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Kitchen scale - Important for this recipe to turn out perfect every time
  • "00" Flour - worth the extra effort to keep "00" flour on hand in your pantry
  • Pizza stone

Ingredients

  • 153 grams "00" Flour If you absolutely do not have "00" in your pantry you can make this with all-purpose flour. Just be sure to order some before your next go of it. It makes a noticeable difference in texture and taste.
  • 153 grams all-purpose flour
  • 8 grams sea salt
  • 2 grams active dry yeast
  • 4 grams extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Begin making this dough 3-4 hours before you want to eat a pizza.
  • Combine flours and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, stir together 200 grams of lukewarm (110° - 114°) tap water, the yeast and the olive oil. The water temperature does matter here. Too hot and you will kill the yeast. Too cold and you will not get the yeast to react. Then pour the yeast mixture into flour mixture. Knead, in the bowl, with your hands until well combined, approximately 3 minutes. It'll be a slightly sticky.
    (Tip: I use a deep 12 qt Cambro serving container for this job because it's easy to get my hand around the dough. But any large mixing bowl will do the trick.) The kneaded dough will be a bit sticky.
    Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
  • After the 15 minute rest, knead the dough for another 3 minutes. It should look smooth and be strong. Cut (not ripping or tearing) dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball with your hands. Place on a heavily floured surface and cover with dampened cloth. A dampened cloth should help prevent or lessen a crust that wants to form on the rising dough.
    Let dough rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)
  • When you're ready to make pizza, put a pizza stone or large cast iron skillet in the oven and pre-heat to 500°. About 30 minutes to be sure that your stone or skillet are blazing hot.
    Place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface or pizza peel and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds.
  • Top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings.
  • Slide pizza into the oven and onto the hot pizza stone. Reduce oven temperature to 450° and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce

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Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce

I used to pick up a jar of ready-made pizza sauce from the market to keep in the pantry. You know, for the day you’re craving a slice, or two, and delivery just seems like too much. Then roll out some store bought dough, spoon on the jar of sauce and sprinkle the mozzarella. Easy. And just about as meh as that delivery idea you had.

Enter an easy alternative that, once you try, you’ll never go back from. This pizzeria style pizza sauce is so good! It’s slightly sweet, smells heavenly and is seasoned with only 5 fresh ingredients. Oregano, basil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes and you’re all done. You can use fresh tomatoes if you’re craving in the summertime or canned tomatoes the other nine months of the year.

Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce
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Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce

A slightly sweet pizza sauce seasoned with only 5 fresh ingredients. Oregano, basil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes and you're all done.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Homemade, Pizza, sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8 pizzas

Ingredients

  • 28 ounce canned whole, peeled tomatoes I have tried all kinds of tomatoes for this sauce. Whole are the VERY best here but if you have diced or fresh, go ahead and try them. No need to make a mad dash to the store...you might as well order the meh take-out at that point.
  • 1 medium whole yellow or brown onion peeled and quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh basil on stems do not remove leaves or chop
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Pour the can of tomatoes and juice into a food processor with blade attachment. Pulse until pureed but still just a teeny bit chunky. Add oregano and garlic and pulse another couple of times.
  • Pour tomato mixture into a medium saucepan. Add quartered onion. Do not chop. Just leave it in big chunks. The onion adds flavor to your sauce and you will discard it at the end. Do the same with the basil stems. Do not chop. They will simmer with the sauce and you will discard them at the end. Toss in red pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium low and bring sauce to a simmer.
  • Once it begins to simmer turn to low and place a lid slightly ajar over the top to keep splatters to a minimum. Simmer for about an hour or until sauce is reduced by about ⅓.
  • Remove from heat. Discard onion pieces and basil sprigs. Cool. Use immediately or save in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. You can also freeze any extra. It will keep for 3 months in the freezer.

Holiday Sugar Cookies

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Christmas Sugar Cookies are simply tradition. This Holiday Sugar Cookie recipe turns out cookies as tasty as they are pretty.

I’ve been baking and decorating cookies at Christmas time since I was a little girl. My mom would buy rolls of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough and my brother and I would press out shapes with her antique metal cookie cutters. We’d pop em in the oven and start mixing up powdered sugar and milk for the frosting. Drop, drop, drop of Schilling food coloring and then pile on the sprinkles. Crunching the nonpareils and laughing with green and red stained teeth. Oh, the memories!

And the many years of tradition continued. I threw holiday sugar cookie baking parties with friends and roommates as I got older and continued the festive activity with my children, year after year. The kids are adults now and we still decorate together on FaceTime or when they come to visit. I’m back to throwing holiday cookie parties with friends, laughing, sharing stories and toasting each tasty-cute creation.

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Holiday Sugar Cookies

A Holiday Sugar Cookie recipe that turns out cookies as tasty as they are pretty.
Course Cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Baking, Cookies
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Decorating Time 2 hours
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ⅛ tsp almond extract optional but it will take your cookies to a whole new level of yummy.
  • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp sea salt

For the Icing

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar sifted to remove clumps
  • 2 Tbsp milk, cream or lemon juice you can use water in a pinch
  • food coloring as many drops as necessary to achieve your desired color

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
  • Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract.
  • Add flour, baking soda and salt mixture to the creamed butter. Mix until dough starts to roll around in mixer bowl.
  • Divide dough in half and, with your hands, form into two balls. Set each piece on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten down into a ½ inch disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Dough will keep in the freezer for 2 weeks.
  • When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°.
  • On a piece of parchment paper, roll out 1 disc to about ⅛ inch thick. Thinner cookies will be more crisp. (Leave the other dough ball in the fridge until you are ready to press out the next cookies.) Cut out cookies with desired shapes using excess dough pieces to re-roll and cut out more cookies until dough is all used up.
    Place cookies on cookie sheets and put in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes rotating them about half way through to get evenly browned.
    Take the other ball of dough out of the fridge and press out more cookies. Repeat.
  • Remove cookies from oven and cool completely on a rack.
  • While cookies are cooling, make the icing.
    Put 1 cup powdered sugar in a bowl and slowly drizzle the milk, mixing in a bit at a time until the icing is about the consistency of peanut butter. If it's too thin add more pwdered sugar. Too thick, add more milk.
    Separate into small individual bowls and add food coloring of choice.
  • Decorate cooled cookies your own special way.
    Add friends.
    Eat as you go.

Oreo Chocolate Chunk Brownies

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Oreo Chocolate Chunk Brownies

Oreo Chocolate Chunk Brownies are a chocolate lovers dream come true. Chewy gooey and chocolatey inside and out. These yummy squares are pure heaven. Consider making two pans if, you know, you’re planning on sharing.

I grew up taking apart my Oreos and scraping out the filling with my teeth. Always chased with an icy cold glass of milk. No dunking for me, just a chaser. Oreos are also the cookie of choice to leave on the table for Santa on Christmas Eve.

These brownies require a cold glass of milk too. It’s up to you whether to dunk or chase. No matter how you nosh, these will be the dessert that you add to the top of your list.

Crushed Oreos
Oreo Chocolate Chunk Brownies
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Oreo Chocolate Chunk Brownies

Ooey gooey delicious brownies. Fudgy heavenly brownies with a rich chocolatey taste and chunks of chocolate and Oreos in every bite.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, British
Keyword Brownies, Chocolate, Cookies
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 Sticks)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks
  • 2 cups chopped Oreos
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and extend it past the edges, on at least two sides. Grease paper with butter.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Set a heatproof, medium-sized bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat butter, and chocolate chunks until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, espresso powder, vanilla and sugar. Stir the egg mixture into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Cool to room temperature.
  • Add flour mixture to the batter. Stir most of the broken Oreos into the chocolate mixture (save a few for sprinkling on top). Then pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle reserved Oreo pieces on top.
  • Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. Do not over bake as you want them to be fudgy! Let cool completely, then cover and chill for several hours. Chilling the brownies makes them easier to cut. Invert the chilled brownie pan onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment paper and cut into squares.

Loaded Trail Mix Cookies

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Loaded Trail Mix Cookies

Two of my favorite snacks, trail mix and chocolate chip cookies, come together in the ultimate healthy treat. I take these loaded trail mix cookies with me on hikes for a delicious energy boost. And they make a yummy fun snack for the kids on a day at the beach. Chewy nutty trail mix and cookie all in one.

This loaded healthy snack is sweet, savory, crunchy, and chewy. Trail mix cookies satisfy any craving.  And if you ask me, a cookie is much easier to grab than a handful of trail mix. You can toss any dried fruit, nuts chocolate or seeds into the mix you have satisfying mix. Overloading these cookies with crunchy goodness is encouraged. 

They store easily in the freezer to grab out whenever you need quick energy and crave-worthy satisfaction.

Loaded Trail Mix Cookies
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Loaded Trail Mix Cookies

Chewy nutty trail mix and healthy oatmeal cookie all in one.
Course Dessert, Snack
Keyword Baking, Cookies
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw nuts, assorted
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate (or carob chips)
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pine nuts
  • ¾ cup dried fruit, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  • ¼ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp Bob's Red Mill GF Egg Replacer, equal to one large egg
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 4 Tbsp coconut oil, (or butter) melted
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Mix Dough

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Toast nuts, seeds and oats on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Toasting can also be done on the stove top in a skillet. Transfer nuts and seeds to a medium bowl; let cool.
  • Mix egg replacer, melted coconut oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Let sit while nuts cool (this will make for a chewier cookie).
  • Add dried fruit, shredded coconut and chocolate to cooled nut mixture. Toss to combine.
    Give egg mixture another stir, then mix in flour.
    Mix in nut mixture, smashing it against the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until combined and trail mix-ins are evenly coated in dough.
    It will look like you have way too much trail mix. That's great. Dough will come together while it chills.
    Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
    Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days. You can pop em in the oven whenever you feel like having a quick wholesome snack.

Bake Cookies

  • When dough is chilled and you're ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350°.
    Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicon baking sheets.
    Use a ¼ - ⅓-cup measure to scoop out dough into 12 even balls. Place 6 balls on each baking sheet and press each ball down into ¾ inch disks. Sprinkle with coarse salt or coconut flakes if desired.
  • Rotate baking sheets top to bottom and front to back one time during baking. Bake until golden brown and no longer gooey-looking, about 12–15 minutes.
    Allow to cool on baking sheets. They fall apart easily when they are too hot and you use a spatula on them. Try to be patient. 🙂
  • Pack your knapsack and hit the trails!
    Toasted Trail Mix Cookies

Toasted Candied Pecans

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Candied Pecans

Many candied pecans recipes call for baking in the oven. Toasted candied pecans are far quicker with just a few easy steps. And you can make them any time of year without heating up the kitchen.

I’ve been making candied pecans on the stove since I learned to make them in New Orleans. Toasted candied pecans have a crackle candy coating rather than a chewy caramel or sugary praline coating. They are perfect sprinkled over ice cream or as a sweet crunchy topping for salads.

You can make these in large or small batches so easily on the stove top. It’s a great recipe when cooking for one or two. To be honest, if you keep too many of these around, you’ll never be able to keep your hands off of them. They are that good.

Toasted Candied Pecans
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Toasted Candied Pecans

Candied pecans with a crunch; a hard candy coating rather than a chewy caramel or sugared praline coating. Perfect sprinkled over ice cream or as a sweet crunchy topping for salads.
Course Dessert, Snack
Keyword Pecans, Snack, Sweet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole pecans
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp water

Instructions

  • Toast pecans in a skillet, tossing with a spatula or wooden spoon, until fragrant and just toasted but not too brown or blackened. Set aside.
  • In a medium or large saucepan, combine sugar, salt, cinnamon and water.  Cook over medium heat for a minute or two, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is really bubbling.
    Check the temperature of sugar mixture with a candy thermometer. It should read 300° in order to achieve a crackle coating on the pecans. If the temperature is too low you will have chewy, sticky pecans. (See notes below.)
  • Add the toasted pecans and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring to coat the pecans in the glaze.
  • Remove from the heat, and spread the pecans out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the pecans cool completely.
  • Break apart, and enjoy.
  • Try adding a dash of cayenne to the sugar mixture or combine different spices, like cardamom, nutmeg or cloves. It's a very adaptable recipe and can easily be doubled to make larger batches.
  • Toasted candied pecans can be stored in an airtight jar for about one week. A quick and easy foodie gift to take to a host or give for the holidays.

Notes

Hard Crack:
The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Syrup dropped into ice water will separate into hard, brittle threads that break when bent.
Hard-Crack Stage
300° F–310° F
/148° C–154° C
sugar concentration: 99%
https://www.craftybaking.com/howto/candy-sugar-syrup-temperature-chart