Butter-Cream Frosting

Store-bought frosting is quick and easy if you don't have time to make your own, but if you do, you won't regret it, this frosting is delicious, I've used it on cakes, cupcakes, cut out cookies... you name it... if it is something to be frosted, this one will not disappoint. 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soft butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Food coloring of choice

Directions:

• Blend butter and sugar
• Stir in vanilla and milk
• Beat until frosting is smooth and spreadable

Trade Secrets:

Brown or Black Icing?

For brown icing melt unsweetened chocolate and mix into white icing

For black icing, add black gel coloring to brown icing, you’ll use less black coloring and the frosting will taste like chocolate

Dark Red Icing?

Make the icing a day ahead of time, the dark pink will darken over time and turn red if you give it 24 hours, also can use maraschino cherry juice as a liquid, will turn the icing pink and you can use less red food coloring.

Martha Stewart's Chewy Cherry Chunk Cookies

a few years back my mom found this recipe on www.marthastewart.com and they've been a hit ever since, I logged onto her site today and saw that the recipe has slightly changed from the one I'm about to post.  I'm sure the new version is delicious but this is the one I made.







Makes between 10 large or 36 small cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup dried cherries (I cut them in half)
1 stick unsalted softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional... I chose not to use them)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with one rack in top third and bottom rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine:
• butter
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (roughly 2 minutes)
• Scrape down sides of the bowl, add
• egg
• vanilla extract
• Beat to combine, add
• flour
• baking soda
• salt
• Once combined, add
• cherries
• white chocolate
• milk chocolate
• pecans
• Batter should be stiff
• Use large (2 1/2 ounce) or small ( 1 1/4 ounce) ice cream scoop (I used the medium sized Pampered Chef batter scoop) to form balls of dough about 4 inches apart on a baking sheet (I was able to fit nine per sheet).
• Bake until golden and just set, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even browning (I found 7 minutes on each rack was perfect), the recipe itself says 12 minutes for small cookies, 15 for large.
• Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring cookies to rack.
• Store in an airtight container, recipe says they'll last a week... but I think they'll be long gone before the week is up.
• Transfer sheets

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. milk

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup Coach's Oats

1 cup shredded coconut (I toasted mine, 10 min, 350 degree oven, stirring frequently, until golden brown)

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugars for about 30 seconds.

Beat in egg, vanilla, and milk.

Mix just until smooth

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry with the wet ingredients and beat, be careful not to overmix.

Add oats, coconut, and white chocolate chips.

Beat until combined.

Drop by rounded teaspoon (or medium sized cookie scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheet (I always prepare my cookie sheets by putting parchment paper on them, and dropping the dough onto the paper, less mess and no sticking).

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

The recipe I used/modified (from the container of Coach's Oats) said that it would make about 3 dozen cookies, with the cookie scoop I used, it made about 2 dozen.  The original recipe did not call for white chocolate or macadamia nuts, and did not toast the coconut.

Mama Maltagliati's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my favorite chocolate chip cookies. EVER. I have so many great memories of making these with my mom, and finally being old enough to be left alone in the kitchen and making them myself. I won't lie there have been many occasions where I've made them just to eat the dough (I'm a rebel like that) and then only bake what's left out of guilt.

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter softened (do not substitute)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 12-ounce package milk chocolate chocolate chips (my favorite are Nestle, I haven't liked how they've turned out as much with other brands).
• 1 6-ounce package mini chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt… set aside
• In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, and vanilla; beat until creamy
• Beat in eggs
• Gradually add flour mixture; mix well
• Stir in chips and nuts
• Drop rounded level measuring tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets (I usually line my cookie sheets with parchment paper, no stick and super easy clean up)
• Bake 9 minutes