Snickerdoodle Blondies

Snickerdoodle. Isn't that a fun word to say? Snickerdoodle. Snickerdoodle. Snickerdoodle. !!!!

Ok. I'm done. I made these for my friend, Kali, who is now a professional dancer and getting paid to do what she loves! How incredible! She is going to Shanghai in September to dance in a musical theater show, and I made these for her this weekend as a congratulations of sorts. Her favorite cookies are snickerdoodles, and I have been so into bars lately, that when I found snickerdoodle blondies, I knew I had to nose dive straight into the recipe!

These were, without a doubt, utterly amazing. I kid you not. I made these on Saturday evening. They were gone before I got home Sunday evening. Wowza. I'm serious, though. Make these and people with really love you.

Snickerdoodle Blondies
From Crepes of Wrath

2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking dish.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

Beat together the brown sugar and the butter. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle over dough. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cool completely before cutting.

Rice Krispies Cookies

I had some leftover Rice Krispies in my pantry from this debacle. I also got a new cookie measure scoop that needed some dire attention. Operation: Cookies. Duh.

I found a recipe for Rice Krispies Cookies on Amber's Delectable Delights. What a bombastic idea to use Rice Krispies in cookies! I have to say I was a bit skeptical...

Never fear! These cookies have such a unique crunch! Utterly delish. I really enjoyed the texture of these. I used chocolate chips because it was all I had, but next time I am definitely making them with either toffee bits or butterscotch chips. Or perhaps both?

I also have to say that I love my new measuring scoop! It was quite miraculous to find all my cookies the same size and shape (Well, relatively. No one is perfect).

Rice Krispies Cookies
From Amber's Delectable Delights

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup chips of your deciding, although for now and ever more I will use butterscotch and toffee =)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well, followed by the hot water and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in the Rice Krispies followed by the chips.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

Drop by tablespoon size balls on to a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

I found this recipe for Raspberry Buttermilk Cake the other day from Gourmet.com. I got home that night just craving a little baking action. Don't ask why. I'm weird like that.

Anyways, this cake was calling my name and I just hunkered down and made him. It turned out really well! Very delicious. The only thing I didn't like was that my raspberries ended up turning slightly blue. But, oh-well! It tasted good and with some help from the roomies, was half gone when I woke up in the morning!

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
from Gourmet.com

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar together. Add the vanilla and mix well, followed by the egg. Add the flour mixture, alternating between it and the buttermilk until combined.

Spoon the batter into the cake pan and smooth evenly. Top with raspberries followed by the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes a la Martha

Happy Birthday to Lisa! Well, not quite yet, actually. But we did celebrate it last night since Lisa will be in Seattle for the actual day. One of Lisa's friends works at Martha Stewart and is a great cook. So, she took care of all the rest of the food which left dessert for me! Per usual.

Lisa is not a sweets person. She hates chocolate and really never craves anything sugary. She does, however, like red velvet cake. Don't tell her there is cocoa powder in it! Anyways, I used a Martha recipe for these red velvet cupcakes, that turned out great! I think the ones I made first were a bit better, but who doesn't love a red velvet cupcake of one kind or another, especially one with a butt-ton of frosting on it?!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Martha Stewart

2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by the food coloring and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture in slow batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk.

Stir the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl and add to batter, mixing well.

Divide batter among muffin cups and bake about 20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Martha Stewart

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add sugar and then vanilla, mixing until smooth. Spread over cupcakes and finish with red sprinkles if you so desire =)

Pucker Up!

I am performing in a fund raising Gala this weekend...which means another cast par-tay! Whoot Whoot! I brainstormed with my friend (who just got offered a job dancing in Shanghai! Congrats to Kali!) and she wanted lemon bars. I LOVE lemon bars, but I don't make them that often, for some strange reason. It's probably because chocolate seems to call to me from the beyond. =)

I found a recipe for lemon bars on a new blog I found called My Baking Addiction. The bars use Ina Garten's filling recipe and another shortbread recipe. These turned out really well. I tend to enjoy more filling than shortbread and these definitely fit that bill. There is also a nice balance between the tang of the lemon and the sweetness of the sugar. They also held up nicely after cutting and are patiently waiting in the fridge for me to bring them to the theater to be devoured! YUM!

Lemon Bars
from My Baking Addicion

The Crust:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar, plus more to decorate
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

The Filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease/spray a 9 by 13 baking pan.

Pulse flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch and salt in a food processor. Add butter and blend about 8 to 10 seconds. Sprinkle into baking pan and press down to create crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, combine the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour in a bowl. Pour over the warm crust and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely (I stuck mine in the refrigerator) before dusting with confectioner's sugar and cutting.