Gingerbread Skeletons

Happy (almost) Halloween!!

To me, it's Halloween because we're having a party tonight! Woot!

I went a little decorating crazy this week....you will see what I mean the next time I post. But these boys were a last minute addition. Aren't they cute? And such a great idea!

My gingerbread man cookie cutter is on the small side, so it took me awhile to perfect the skeleton on the cookies, especially since I didn't have a tip any smaller than #4! I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out, though! And the cookie isn't bad either! Soft and chewy but still firm enough for decorations!

Gingerbread Skeletons
Epicurious

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
Royal icing

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter together. Add molasses and water.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, ginger and allspice. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet and blend until the dough holds together.

Cover and chill for 2-3 hours (I chilled it overnight).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.

Cut shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Decorate with white royal icing.

Chocolate m&m Cookies

Oh yeah. I have a blog.

Its been too long since I've last posted! And it's almost Halloween! Eeek!

In my defense, Candide closed! So there had to be appropriate celebrations. And I've been getting ready for our Halloween party we're throwing on Friday! Woot! So get yourself ready, seat belt on, for a bunch of spooky recipes for the next week or so!

To start, may I offer some Chocolate M&M Cookies?

Funny story: So M&M, or the Mars company I believe, thought it would be brilliant to package their "Halloween M&Ms" with black (duh), orange (obviously), green (get out of town) and purple (are you nuts?!). So, brainchild that I am, I got 3 packages of M&Ms for this recipe and proceeded to pick out all the purple and green M&Ms. Why, might you ask, did I not just walk over to the M&M store across the street and pick out the colors I wanted? Because, I say, I would have paid around $20, whereas at Duane Reade I paid a good $5. Brilliant.

These cookies were first to be finished for the festivities this weekend. They turned out great! One trick I learned from the original blogger was to save some of the M&M's and press three into the top of the cookie after you roll it into a ball and press it down a bit. These little buggers are very chocolaty and look great with orange and black M&Ms. Mwahahahaha!

In other news, my camera is on a downward spiral. He (yeah, he's a male) doesn't want to focus on anything when I take pictures. Poor little guy. He had a good run of it though, I've had him since freshman year in college.

Chocolate M&M Cookies
Beantown Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cup M&M candies

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture in two or three additions. Stir in M&Ms with a wooden spoon.

(I refrigerated my dough here for about 24 hours.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pick up a large tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten slighty with your hand and place three M&Ms on the top. Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with all dough. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes and then transfer to wire cooling rack.

Spider Web Cookies

AWWWW! Look at these little wittle cutie patootie guys! I just wanna musha wusha their cheekie weekies!

Ok. I'm done. In case you were worried, that is how I usually talk to puppy dogs I meet on the street. NEVER to children or babies. Just setting the record straight.

ANYWAYS...I am so excited about these cookies! Aren't they just adorable! I finally got some meringue powder so I could make good royal icing and it turned out just swimmingly. I was able to use the same consistency for both outlining and filling, which was nice. I should have let them dry a full 24 hours but I couldn't resist showing them around today!
I already posted the cookie recipe, but below is the royal icing recipe, from Sweetopia who has an excellent tutorial on decorating cookies here. If you are having trouble finding meringue powder, you can buy it on amazon.com or specialty baking sites.
Royal Icing
Sweetopia.net

3/4 cup warm water
5 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2.25 lbs. powdered sugar

*If your meringue powder has no flavoring, add one teaspoon of clear vanilla.

In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and meringue powder. Mix with whisk by hand until frothy and thickened, about 30 seconds.

Add the cream of tartar and mix 30 more seconds.

Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.

Using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed, mix slowly for 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

Tint with desired food coloring.

Chocolate Cut Out Cookies

I have plans for these cookies. Yes, the plans involve decorating. But for now, they are just delicious cookies chillin' in the freezer. I am sure they are anticipating the gorgeousness that is sure to befall them!

These cookies lived up to their name on Allrecipes.com: Best Ever Chocolate Cutout Cookies. They rolled out really well, didn't expand too much in the oven. And best of all, they have a great non-overpowering chocolate flavor. I will definitely keep you posted on the decorating. But for now, have an excellent chocolate cookie that stands well on its own!

Chocolate Cutout Cookies
Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Gradually stir int he sifted ingredients to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Dough is sticky so be sure to add more flour to the surface as needed. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

Weekend two of Candide down...one more to go! Whoopie!

What better way to get myself through another weekend at the theater than Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones?! I really can't think of one (obviously, or else I would have made it)!

Confession: I went to the grocery store last week and, upon seeing a fully stocked shelf of pumpkin puree, I bought 4 cans of the stuff! What?! They are just hanging out in my pantry just waiting to be made into deliciousness! Obsessed? Never.

These scones were brilliant. Great pumpkin flavor without being overwhelming. I added mini chocolate chips, which were a great choice because they didn't detract from the pumpkin, but added that bit of sweetness!


Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones
Adashofsass.com

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fat free milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, grated
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non stick cooking spray.

Stir together the pumpkin, milk, vanilla and one egg until combined. Place bowl in refrigerator until ready to be used.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Stir in the spices.

Using your fingers (or a pastry cutter if you have one), work the grated butter into the dry ingredients until it becomes a crumbly, sandy mixture.

Add the cold, wet ingredients to the mixture and stir until combined.

Add the mini chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Gather the dough into a round ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Lightly press down on dough to make a disc. Using a knife, cut into 8 triangles (like a pizza). Place on baking sheet.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Brush onto each scone and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 17 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

So my friend Kali is in China. I am both sad and happy about this situation. I am happy because she is dancing professionally in a show called "Hollywood to Broadway"! And of course I am sad that my friend is gone until February. Those are enough emotions for now.

I got to Skype with Kali on Monday night, which was a blessing to see her face and hear her voice. I also got together a package to send her in China. I was shocked to hear that she hasn't recieved any packages yet! When I got to FedEx on Wednesday morning, I immediately figured out why people haven't been sending her goodies left and right. Gosh darn it, its so expensive!

When Spice's boyfriend was in India, she mailed him a package via the USPS and it had been opened and things were stolen by the time he got it. So, of course, I went the FedEx route. Needless to say, unfortunately Kali wont be getting many more packages from moi cause my wallet just can't do it! Boo.

Kali's favorite cookies are snickerdoodles, so of course I had to make her some! I have always heard about this recipe from AllRecipes.com and how great it is. They did taste good, but they didn't have the snickerdoodle appearance I was going for. I like my snickerdoodles flat and dense. These were more round, but still tasted very good! They might've had an odd shape because the dough stayed in the refrigerator overnight...ooops!

Snickerdoodle Cookies
Allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt together. Add to the butter mixture and mix until combined.

Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls. Mix the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until set. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Blackberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

You know those days when its kinda cloudy outside, its pretty darn cold and the wind is gusting and all you want to do is stay home, drink coffee and bake? Well, that's what I want to do most days, but Spice had one of those days on Monday. We both had off from work and when I came home, the kitchen had sprouted wings and was in the process of baking both a ginormous shepherd's pie with a homemade pie crust and these cookies.

Spice got some blackberry jam from a roadside stand when she went on a road trip upstate and has been talking about making something with it. She also got apple butter, but has yet to work her magic on that front.

These cookies are uber yummy in the tummy. The cookie dough has a great lemon tang to it and it goes perfectly with the blackberry jam. Spice got slightly overzealous on the first batch and filled them a little too full of the jam, so maybe be sparse with it until you figure out how much will make the cookies overflow.

In Spice's words:

Blackberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Adapted form Emeril Lagasse

1/4 cup blackberry preserves
1 1/2 teaspoons limoncello
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two large baking sheets.

In a small bowl, combine the preserves and limoncello. Stir to combine. Don't eat it all! It is so good you might be tempted to put it on your ice cream/fro yo...but there will be time for that later.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, or if you're fancy like Sugar and I your KitchenAid stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together in a ball. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Make sure you have nice high sides on the depression. You don't want the yummy filling to escape! Fill each indentation with the blackberry mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Red Velvet Cupcakes a la Bobby Flay

Yes, red velvet cupcakes yet again. Why is everyone's favorite cake red velvet? I mean it's good, but there are so many other possibilities out there! What about coconut cake? or lemon? or snickerdoodle cupcakes?

I made these for a friend who's birthday was Sunday. He is in Candide with me, the King of Eldorado if you will. Everyone at the theater liked the cupcakes and they turned out very pretty! I really enjoyed the Bobby Flay recipe as well. It was originally for cake, but I turned it into cupcakes and they were darn tootin' delicious! And then top it off with the Sprinkles cream cheese frosting and you best believe you have a pretty rockin' cupcake!

I have to say I really liked this cream cheese frosting recipe. For one thing it was the perfect amount for the cupcakes I had. I usually have a bunch of frosting left over but I hardly had any! Also, it was very cream cheesy and not too sweet, which was PERFECT for me! Ah, gotta love Sprinkles!

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Bobby Flay

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cupcakes liners or tins and set aside.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

Cream the butter, sugar and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy mcflufferson. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and beat until incorporated. Beat in vanilla, vinegar and food coloring.

Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake in the oven about 15 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.


Sprinkles Cream Cheese Frosting
Alice Q. Foodie

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. butter
3 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream butter, cheese and salt in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar until incorporated, then add the vanilla.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

It's opening night of Candide! Finally. It has definitely been a grueling rehearsal process. If you know the show at all, you are probably wondering what a dancer is doing in the show. I am here to tell you that our show should be re-titled "Allison Acts Like an Idiot". I don't do much dancing in the show, but I do run around on stage with a toy boat, dress in a pirate outfit and hold a gondola and don a boa, feather mask and 80's prom dress. Yes, every time I come offstage, I say "there was 'Allison Acts Like an Idiot, Part 533' for the night."

I still don't really understand Candide. Apparently it began as an opera. One of the other dancers turns to me in every scene and says "What's this show about again?!" We can't help but get the giggles every time. Very professional.

So, what am I most excited for about this show? The cast party! Duh!

We have been in rehearsals every night this week and I have been getting home between midnight and 1 am. And then getting up for Nutcracker rehearsals pretty darn early. In pure Sugar fashion, however, I got home around 12:30 am and immediately started work on some peanut butter cup brownies for the party tonight. Now, that is dedication! Plus I made it to ballet this morning, too! *Pat on the back for me.

These brownies were great! Very fudgy and peanut buttery. Good thing they are not staying in the apartment, or I would definitely eat them all up!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
My Baking Addiction

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 bag mini peanut butter cups, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 baking pan with cooking spray.

Microwave chocolate chips and butter in microwave for about 45 seconds. If not mostly melted, microwave for 20 more seconds. Stir until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, peanut butter and salt until combined.

Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in the flour until just combined. Fold chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups into batter.

Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread evenly and level the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

How awesome is Nutella? Can we discuss how delicious it is? And the fact that I always seem to forget about it...

You know those things that you forget how delicious they are and then someone mentions them and you are like, "Woah!" That's how I am with Nutella. And Chicken Tikki Masala. And those Nestle ice cream cones in the freezer section with the caramel in the middle...yum...

Anyways, Nutella is delicious! So hazelnutty (totally not a word, but whatever) and smooth! And it works so well in baking! It has that same peanut butter consistency, which is also in these cookies. They were kind of a mix between a peanut butter cookie and a snickerdoodle, with some Nutella in there as well!

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies
Une Gamine dans la Cuisine

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, sift the flours and baking soda together. Whisk in the sea salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the almond extract and peanut butter. Add the flour mixture a little at a time. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the peanut butter, Nutella, salt, cocoa powder, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar. Mix well. Set aside.

Make the topping: Mix sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

Measure about 2 tablespoons of the chilled cookie dough. Roll into a ball and flatten on parchment paper. Roll some of the Nutella dough into a smaller ball and place on top of the cookie dough, press in slightly. Gently fold the cookie dough over the Nutella so it is completely covered. Carefully roll into a ball and roll into the topping. Place ball back on parchment paper and lightly press down with your palm. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Hmmm...what did I do on Saturday? Pretty much nothing. Plus, I made some Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes. Therefore I was about .01 percent productive! Yes! Victory!

Just kidding. I had planned to take it easy Saturday because I am in tech for a show this week and will be getting home really late. I needed my beauty rest.

So Spice and I pretty much rocked out on the couch all day long and watched some excellent television. Might I interest you in some True Blood or My So Called Life on DVD? Anyone? Well, it was awesome.

While I was baking, Spice decided to do a little home improvement. I was impressed with her productivity. Unfortunately it was an epic fail and a trip to Home Depot may be in our future. Bummer...

These little guys were an excellent addition to the day of Sugar does nothing. They are pretty much cinnamon rolls in a cupcake liner, but how cute is that idea?! They were perfectly proportioned and very portable. I was able to take them to the theater on Sunday to share with my cast mates. They now love me....or so I hope!

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
BeanTown Baker

1 packet dry active yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon alt
4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

Dissolve the yeast and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar in the warm milk in a large bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.

Mix in the eggs, butter, salt and other 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add flour and mix until well blended and the dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5-10 times. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners and lightly spray over the top of them with cooking spray.

Roll dough into a 12 by 22 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 24 rolls. You may have to unroll and re-roll in order for the dough to fit in the cupcake tin.

Place each roll in a cupcake liner. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let rolls cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, mix cream cheese and butter using the whisk attachment of a mixer. Slowly add the powdered sugar until desired consistency had been reached.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Chip Cookies

In my current fall mood and with my cravings for pumpkin, I wanted to make some pumpkin cookies. Luckily, I wasn't called into rehearsal Monday night, so I was able to go home and make some!

These. Guys. Were. So. Darn. Good. I. Almost. Died.

And so did everyone at work who I brought them to. Was that dramatic enough for you to make these? Well, it should be. Spice brought these into work and I was getting text messages and compliments all day about how good they were!

They are a very soft and cake-like cookie, but also dense. And they definitely pack a pumpkin punch! That's probably because I ignored the part of the recipe that called for 1 cup pumpkin puree and I added the entire can.

These definitely have secured a spot on my favorite cookie list and will be made again.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
2 cups butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Refrigerate dough for two to three hours (or overnight).

Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest about 5 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.