Soft Sugar Cookies!!!

Soft Sugar Cookies!

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 4 1/2 dozen

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Doughnuts and Ice cream! Eternal soul mates! ;P

Doughnuts!!!

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 12 doughnuts

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

sorry a glitch happened ill update this post Tommorow! sorry :(

Ice Cream

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 4 cups

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and half-and-half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the heavy cream. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside to cool.
2. Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Spanish Foods Part #2!!! Quesito's, Sopapilla's, and Beignets!!!

Quesito!!!

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 Tbsp sugar (substitute with Splenda for a sugar-free version)
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed according to package directions
• 1 egg white

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Add sugar and vanilla extract to cream cheese in a medium or large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix on low until cream cheese has a soft, whipped texture.
3. Cut pastry sheet into 9 4×4 squares.
4. Add about 1 tsp of cream cheese mixture to middle of each square, at an angle.
5. Fold pastry sheet by bringing one side to the middle, then the other side. Pinch in the middle to seal. (Alternatively, you can add cream cheese mixture along the side of a square and roll pastry sheet closed, pinching each side to seal.)
6. Place quesitos on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush each quesito with egg white, then sprinkle with sugar on top.
7. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Let quesitos cool before indulging!

Sopapillas!!!

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Sopaipillas:
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 8 -to-10-inch flour tortillas, cut into wedges or strips
Granulated sugar, for coating

Directions

Make the sauce: Bring 1/4 cup water, the brown sugar and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. (You can refrigerate the sauce, covered, up to 3 days; reheat before serving.)

Make the sopaipillas: Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large deep skillet until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the tortillas, turning once, until bubbly and golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. (Return the oil to 350 degrees F between batches.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle both sides generously with granulated sugar. Drizzle with the chocolate sauce.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sopaipillas-with-chocolate-sauce-recipe.html?oc=linkback 

Beignets

Ingredients

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 (.25-ounce) packet active dry yeast

1/2 cup, plus 1 teaspoon sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup evaporated milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 to 6 cups peanut or other neutrally-flavored oil, for frying

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

In a measuring cup combine the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit until the yeast gets frothy and smells yeasty.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and pinch salt.

In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, evaporated milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the yeast mixture and whisk to combine well.

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and place on the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Once the ingredients are well combined, knead 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover, and place in a warm area for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

In a wide, deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

Remove the dough from the bowl and lightly knead on a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares.

Set up a paper towel-lined sheet tray to land the beignets when they come out of the oil.

Working in batches so as to not crowd the oil, fry the dough squares until they are puffy and golden brown. Remove from the oil, make a pit stop on the paper towels and immediately dust with powdered sugar.

Serve hot!!!!!

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/beignets-recipe.html?oc=linkback

A Fast Way to Make Fondant With Ingredients From Home!

FONDANT!!!

P.S. thought i would just add this video in because I've used fondant in my last couple blogs. Here's to the people who want to make fondant at home!

Candy! Candy! And More Candy!!!

Rock Candy!

• 2 cups water
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2-1 tsp flavoring extract or oil (optional)
• food coloring (optional)
• glass jar
• skewer or thread (see below)

PREPARATION

1. Prepare your materials: wash a glass jar thoroughly with hot water to clean it. Cut a length of thick cotton thread a few inches longer than the height of the jar, and tape it to a pencil. Place the pencil across the lip of the jar, and wind it until the thread is hanging about 1 inch from the bottom of the jar. Attach a paper clip to the bottom of the thread to weight it and ensure it hangs straight down. Alternately, you can use a wooden skewer as the base of your rock candy, and use clothespins balanced across the top of the jar to clip it into place.

2. Wet your thread or wooden skewer, and roll it in granulated sugar. This base layer will give the sugar crystals something to “grab” when they start forming. Set the thread or skewer aside to dry while you prepare your sugar syrup.

3. Place the water in a medium-sized pan and bring it to a boil. Begin adding the sugar, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. You will notice that it takes longer for the sugar to dissolve after each addition. Continue to stir and boil the syrup until all of the sugar has been added and it is all dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. If you are using colors or flavorings, add them at this point. If you are using an extract, add 1 tsp of extract, but if you are using flavoring oils, only add ½ tsp, and make sure you don’t stand right in front of the pan—the scent can be very strong as it rises in the steam. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring and stir to ensure even, smooth color.

5. Allow the sugar syrup to cool for approximately 10 minutes, then pour it into the prepared jar. Lower the sugared string or skewer until it hangs about 1 inch from the bottom.

6. Carefully place your jar in a cool place, away from harsh lights, where it can sit undisturbed. Cover the top loosely with plastic wrap or paper towel.

7. You should start to see sugar crystals forming within 2-4 hours. If you have seen no change to your skewer or thread after 24 hours, try boiling the sugar syrup again and dissolve another cup of sugar into it, then pour it back into the jar and insert the string or skewer again.

8. Allow the rock candy to grow until it is the size you want. Don’t let it grow too large, otherwise it might start growing into the sides of your jar! Once it has reached the size you want, remove it and allow it to dry for a few minutes, then enjoy or wrap in plastic wrap to save it for later.

Hard Candy/ Lollipops!!!

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 1 pound

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

• 2 cups white sugar

• 1 cup water

• 2/3 cup light corn syrup

• 1 teaspoon peppermint oil, or other flavored oil

• 1 teaspoon any color food coloring

• PREP

• 5 mins

• COOK

• 40 mins

• READY IN

• 45 mins

Directions

1. Generously coat a cookie sheet with confectioners' sugar, and set aside.

2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, stir together the white sugar, water and corn syrup until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high and cook to a temperature of 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 154 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Remove from heat, and stir in the flavored oil and food coloring.

3. Immediately pour the sugar mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet in a thin stream (this helps it cool). When the candy is cool enough for the outer edge to hold its shape, cut into bite size pieces with scissors. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Cookies 'N' Cream Fudge!

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 2 - 1/2 pounds

• 3 (6 ounce) packages white chocolate baking squares
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups coarsely crushed chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies

Directions

1. In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate squares, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in crushed cookies.
2. Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
3. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Hope You Enjoyed!

Big Birthday Bash!

      
        So todays blog is a shout out to my friend Brandon Wiley! His birthday is this weekend and I was wondering what kind of sweets I could make him. So here are a few sweet treats I thought about!
p.s. my website for information is http://www.food.com/recipe/cake-pops-460680 click for link!

Big Birthday Bash!!!

Cake Pops!

  

Pin It

Prep Time 20 minutes

Baking Time 10 minutes in freezer / 30min in refrigerator

Difficulty Medium

Servings  25

For the Birthday Cake – Cake Pops:

Ready made Cake Pops – if you need a recipe and a visual tutorial, click here.

• microwave safe bowl
• Candy Melts of your choice
• Paperstraws for a cuter look or regular lollipop sticks
• round cookie cutter
• pink sanding sugar
• red sugar pearls a little bigger than nonpareils (those imitate the cherries on the cake)
• styrofoam block for cake pops to dry
• tooth picks & tweezers
Additional Items you may want to get:

• Mini Birthday Candles (cut if necessary, use candy melts as glue to attach the candles)
• Lollipop plastic covers
• ribbon for tying
Note:
If problems occur while making cake pops, please read my Cake Pops 101 Troubleshooting Guide – maybe you’ll find the answer to your problem!
 

• Prepare yourself before you actually start. Get everything out on the counter you need, so you do not stress yourself in the middle of the decorating process.

• 1. After preparing your cake pop mix (get a recipe here), form a rather big ball of the mix and press it down a little. Now use your round cookie cutter to cut out the cake’s shapes. Repeat this step with the rest of the cake pop mix you’ve prepared. Now all of your cake shapes have to chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, in the freezer for 10 minutes.


• 2. Now melt your candy wafers in your microwave in 30 seconds intervals.
Note: If the candy melts are not smooth enough, please add a tiny bit of vegetable oil until you reach your desired consistency. For further questions, visit my Troubleshooting Guide
• 3. Dip a little bit of the lollipop stick in the melted candy, then stick the lollipop stick in the Cake Pop (half way and put the pops back in the refrigerator to firm up so the chocolate can set inside the cake pops. (Especially in summer!) Note: You can make two- or three tiered cakes as well, but if you are a beginner, I would suggest to start with just one cake layer.

4. Now take your chilled cake pop and dip it in the melted candy. Gently shake off any excess chocolate.

5. Now you have the base for your cake!

When dry, heat up your pink candy melts and place a small amount of it (with a teaspoon) on top of the cake pop to make a cool drip.

To arrange your pink candy melts so it looks like a drip, I use a teaspoon. All you have to do now to make it look all even, is to shake the cake pop a little, just until the candy melts run down a little and look all smooth.

Have a look at my Instagram Video, then you’ll know exactly how to do it.

Or read this blogpost where I will show you photos on how to make drips on cake pops.

6. When the pink candy melts are all dry, you can attach another drip on top of the pink drip (but make sure the drips are totally dry!), with dark chocolate or black candy melts; this will imitate the ganache :) Please use the same technique like I have explained in step 5.

7. Now run a thin line of candy melts (with a toothpick) on the bottom of the cake pop. Right after that, sprinkle pink sanding sugar all over the line of candy melts. Do that quick because the candy melts will dry quickly.

8. Last but not least:

Use a toothpick and attach 6 dots of white candy melts on the top of the cake. While still wet, place 6 red sprinkles (use tweezers for that) on top of each white dot of candy melts, these will be your cherries :) You can also leave out the pink candy melts and decorate a rather classic design with just white and black candy melts, this is all up to you.

 

 

Marshmallow Pops!

Ingredients

• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 4-1/2 teaspoons canola oil
• 40 large marshmallows
• 20 Popsicle sticks
• Toppings: assorted sprinkles, flaked coconut and ground walnuts
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 4-1/2 teaspoons canola oil
• 40 large marshmallows
• 20 Popsicle sticks
• Toppings: assorted sprinkles, flaked coconut and ground walnuts                        

 

Nutritional Facts

 

1 marshmallow pop (calculated without toppings) equals 131 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 8 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein.

 

 Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.

Directions

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and oil. Stir until smooth.

Thread two marshmallows onto each wooden pop stick. Roll marshmallows in melted chocolate, turning to coat. Allow excess to drip off. Roll in toppings of your choice. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm. Yield: 20 servings.

How-To: As your chocolate starts to cool, it may be easier to spoon it over the marshmallows. Spooning chocolate»

Coordinate these treats for any holiday party or get-together by changing the color of your sprinkles. Adding sprinkles»