Instant Fudge Cake Mix

This is a copycat of your standard box cake mix, but makes a much smaller cake or fewer cupcakes.  It's shelf-stable for several months in a sealed container.

• 2/3 C flour
• 1/2 C + 1 tsp sugar
• 1/3 C cocoa
• 1/2 rounded tsp baking powder
• 1/4 rounded tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp shortening

1.  Stir together all ingredients except shortening.  Using a hand mixer, add shortening until it is completely mixed in and no visible chunks remain.

To use:

• 1/3 C + 1 1/2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients with dry cake mix.  Divide batter equally between two mini loaf pans (or two 6-inch round cake pans).  Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Robyn's notes: I mixed up the dry ingredients and put them in a mason jar, which was left on the counter for a couple weeks of changing weather conditions, to see how well it would hold up in heat, direct sunlight, and unexpectedly cold nights.  No problems with the mix.  I used the mix for Chocolate Cherry Bars and they came out fabulously.  For cupcakes, I baked for 17 minutes.  Waatch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

**** 4 Stars: Very Good.  Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently.   

Two Quick Chocolate and Tortilla Desserts

Here are some options when you need a little something sweet that won't take a lot of energy and probably won't require a trip to the store!

Chocolate Wraps

• 3 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 tsp butter
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 1/4 tsp powdered sugar
• 2 flour tortillas (6 inches)

Glaze:

• 1 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp butter
• 1/2 tsp corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp hot water

 1.  In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth.  Cool slightly.  Stir in cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar until blended.  Spread over tortillas.  Roll up tightly; wrap in cling film.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2.  For glaze, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup; stir in water until smooth.  Drizzle over wraps.

Robyn's notes:  this was good, but quickly became just a bit too much for me.  I could barely eat a whole wrap and I didn't use all the filling so couldn't have eaten a whole one if I had spread it on thickly.  Watch me demonstrate both these recipes on youtube! 

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Honey-Chocolate Quesadillas

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 flour tortillas (6 inches)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon canola oil

1.  Drizzle honey over half of one tortilla; sprinkle with cinnamon and chocolate chips. Fold tortilla over to close. In a small skillet, cook quesadilla in oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Cut into four wedges.

Robyn's notes: I've been making this for years and it's quite tasty.  Can also be done in the microwave, though the tortilla will get pretty soggy in that case.  Don't overdo it on the honey, as it warms it will run everywhere and the quesadilla will be nearly impossible to eat.  Watch me demonstrate both these recipes on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cupcakes

I'm really quite pleased with this recipe.  I was doing some chores one morning recently, and thought to myself "a cupcake that tastes like my favourite instant oatmeal would probably be really good".  I was quite sure I could make an easy maple buttercream frosting, so the next step was the cupcakes themselves.  My elevation gave me some real challenges this time, so after I had the recipe working I had two family members test it for me, as they both live at sea level.  Came out even better for them than it had for me!

• 1/4 C boiling water 
• 1/4 C old-fashioned oats (not "quick cooking") 
• 2 Tbsp sugar 
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp beaten egg 
• 1/2 tsp 100% real maple syrup (not Mrs Butterworth's, Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima, or other "breakfast syrups") 
• 1/2 C flour 
• 1/4 tsp baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four regular-size muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over oats, stir so that all oats are wet, and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl cream together sugars and butter. Beat in egg and maple syrup. Stir in oats.
4. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter. Blend until just combined, do not overmix.
5. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, and bake at 350°F for 19-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes to cooling rack and allow to cool completely before icing. 

Maple Buttercream Frosting:

• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp 100% real maple syrup (again, not "breakfast syrup")
• 1 C powdered sugar

1. With a mixer, beat together butter and syrup until fluffy, add sugar and mix at low speed until combined.

Robyn's notes: high altitude may have to increase flour measurement to 2/3 C.  These will be just a little bit muffiny, but the frosting is so sweet that I think it makes up for that.  And since this is oatmeal, it could even be an excuse for cupcakes for breakfast, right?  Breakfast syrups have little or even zero actual maple syrup in them, and the main ingredient--hfcs--won't have the same reaction in baking as real maple syrup will, so the pure product is necessary.  After taking the picture I sprinkled some maple sugar on top of one of the cupcakes, since I had it in the house, and it was great!  But as that's a specialty ingredient I didn't mention it in the recipe.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good.  Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently.

Refrigerator M&M Cookies

Since the company is now offering m&ms in specialty colours all throughout the year, this is an easy way to make holiday-themed treats for any holiday!  In the photo above I've used the 4th of July candies, I've also made this recipe at Christmas with the red and green.

• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C butter, softened
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 C flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4oz m&m candies

1.  In a medium bowl, cream together sugar and butter.  Discard 1 tsp of egg and beat remainder into butter-sugar mixture.  Add vanilla and beat until combined.
2.  Stir together flour, soda, and salt.  Add to wet ingredients and mix well.  Stir in m&ms.  Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes or up to one hour.
3.  Preheat oven to 325­°F.  Scoop dough onto unlined baking sheet in rounded spoonfuls.  Bake for 11-13 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 cookies

Robyn's notes: The dough of this is really tasty, and since there's less sugar in it than many other cookie recipes, I sometimes make the dough without the m&ms and we just eat it raw. Watch me demonstrate this recipe on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Vintage Cheese Ramequins

One of my Christmas gifts this past year was a vintage 1909 Cooking for Two cookbook by Janet McKenzie Hill.  Quite a few of the recipes can still be made today with a minimum of tweaking, because Ms Hill attended the Boston Cooking School, where recipes written in the style we know them today really took off.  Unfortunately, Ms Hill did tend to use the same recipe in more than one of her cookbooks, which means that this particular one was not actually a 2-person yield originally.  I've reduced it and updated a couple things (baking temperature and time, for example).  I am, though, using her original spelling for the recipe name. 

• 1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter (plus additional butter for ramekins)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp plain bread crumbs
• 2 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 C milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.   Butter inside of two ramekins or custard cups and set aside.
2.  Combine melted butter, salt, paprika, bread crumbs, and cheese, mixing thoroughly.  Set aside.
3.  Add milk to egg and stir into cheese mixture.
4.  Pour evenly into buttered ramekins.  Place ramekins in a casserole dish and surround with hot water (bain-marie) to about half the height of the ramekins.  Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve hot before they deflate. 

Robyn's notes: The baking cheese smelled fantastic, but I admit I don't eat a lot of souffles because I don't care for the texture of the moist curds inside.  This is basically a much easier cheese souffle, so while it was good, it wasn't a big treat for me.  If desired, after buttering the ramekins, sprinkle them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the bottom and sides.  This will form a crust around the finished dish.  Watch me demonstrate this dish on youtube!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Pear Butter

Served over Baking Powder Biscuits, shown above.

• 3 lbs pears
• 2 C sugar
• 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp orange juice

1.  Wash pears, core, peel and slice. 
2.  Combine pears and 1/4 C water in a large saucepot.  Simmer until pears are soft.  Puree using a food processor or food mill, being careful not to liquefy.
3.  Measure 1 quart pear pulp, combine with sugar in a large saucepot, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook until thick enough to round up on a spoon.  As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. 
4.  Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles, adjust two-piece caps.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner at sea level, increasing 1 minute for every additional 1,000 feet elevation.

Yield: 5 half-pints

Robyn's notes: I made this the same day I made Spiced Peach Butter, and while he didn't have a preference between the two, enjoying them both, I admit I preferred this one slightly.  It had such a fresh, summery feel that I didn't want to stop eating it!  I did make one error with this, taking a phone call while the pulp was cooking.  I knew that the peach butter had cooked for over 25 minutes uncovered, so I covered this batch and stirred less frequently.  At the end of my phone call I realized I was approaching that 25 minute mark, and rushed to stir.  It had started to stick while I wasn't watching it, and a small amount of the butter scorched.  Fortunately it didn't give a burned flavour to the whole batch, and I got to it in time, but it's a good reminder to focus on one task at a time. 

**** 4 Stars: Very Good.  Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently.

Spiced Peach Butter

Served over Baking Powder Biscuits, shown above.

• 2-2.5lbs peaches
• 2 C sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1.  Wash and blanch peaches.  Put peaches in cold water; peel, pit, and slice peaches. 
2.  Combine peaches and 1/4 C water in a large saucepot.  Simmer until peaches are soft.  Puree using a food processor or food mill, being careful not to liquefy. 
3.  Measure 1 quart peach pulp, combine with sugar and spices in a large saucepot.  Cook until thick enough to round up on a spoon.  As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.
4.  Ladle hot butter into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles, adjust two-piece caps.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner at sea level, increasing 1 minute for each additional 1,000 feet elevation.

Yield: about 5 half-pints

Robyn's notes: the only peaches available to me were cling, where I'd rather have had freestone.  While peeling went surprisingly well, I mangled the heck out of each peach in attempting to get the pits out.  For the peeling process I had each peach in the boiling water for a full 60 seconds, while my instructions suggested 30-45.  However, I had canned peaches in light syrup the previous day and found them very hard to peel, and remembering that water boils at 208F at my altitude, felt that the longer blanch might help.  It definitely did, after each peach had been moved to a bowl of ice water for a couple minutes the peels slid right off.  The thickening took longer than anticipated, I was cooking the pulp for more than 25 minutes before I decided it was probably good enough.  Again, at this altitude, everything takes longer to cook.  We definitely liked this, and when I asked if he had a preference between the two flavours of fruit butter I made that day he said no.  Personally, I felt that this was slightly more of a winter dish, but that's probably because I made the spiced version, and I associate those spices more with the holidays.  It can also be made as plain peach butter, by omitting the ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

*** 3 Stars: Good.  At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Old-Fashioned Baking Powder Biscuits

My favourite biscuits of all time, my mom has been making these as long as I can remember.  When I struck out on my own for the first time she made me a recipe binder with some well-loved dishes, several of which she reduced to serve fewer people.  The original recipe made 8-9 biscuits, my mom did the work of cutting it down to this form.

• 1 C flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 C shortening
• 1/3 - 1/2 C milk

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3.  Using a fork or two table knives, or a pastry blender, cut shortening into flour mix until consistency of coarse meal.
4.  Add milk beginning with smaller amount; stir with fork until mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a soft, moist dough, adding additional milk one Tablespoon at a time, if necessary to achieve desired consistency.
5.  On floured surface, toss lightly until no longer sticky.  Roll out to 1/2 to 1 inch thick; cut with 2 inch floured cutter or cut into squares with serrated knife or dough blade.
6.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 450°F for 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.  Serve hot.  Yield: 4 biscuits

Robyn's notes: to make these into buttermilk biscuits, add 1/8 tsp baking soda to flour mix and substitute buttermilk for milk.  For cheese biscuits, add 2oz shredded Cheddar cheese to flour-shortening mixture.  Bake on greased baking sheet.  These are a big hit around here, and we will both eat basically as many as are available, so it's good to limit it to making fewer.  You can watch me prepare these biscuits on youtube!  

***** 5 Stars: Excellent. A favourite for both of us, I will make this repeatedly

 

Now on YouTube!

I've been wanting for a long time to start uploading cooking demonstration videos, but had to wait until Google+ was uncoupled from YouTube.  First video covers one of my more popular recipes, Small-Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Soft Pretzels

I made these for a care package for my sweetheart for Valentine's Day.  He's still trying to avoid sugar as much as possible, which means no red cupcakes or pink cookies or similar, and I despaired at finding something visually related to the holiday until the light dawned: heart-shaped pretzels!  The recipe would make 4 pretzels, I used it to make 2 plus a bunch of pretzel bites. 

• 3/4 C warm water, 110-115°F
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 envelope active dry yeast (1 1/8 tsp) (not rapid rise)
• 11 oz all-purpose flour
• 1 oz unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil
• 1/3 C baking soda
• 2 C cold water
• pretzel salt (or kosher salt)

1.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Combine the warm water, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the mixture foams.
2.  Add flour and butter and, using dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Remove dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, then oil it well. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.  At the same time, spread baking soda on a baking pan and bake at 350°F while dough is rising - about 55 minutes.  Be very careful when removing pan from oven!  Do not breathe in the soda dust!
4. Turn oven heat up to 375°F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil. Set aside.
5. Add baked soda to cold water, stir to dissolve. Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, and, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place into cold water solution and allow to soak for 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
6. Remove pretzels from water using a large flat spatula or spider. Place onto lined pan and sprinkle with salt.  Allow to air-dry for 15 minutes.  Move to a fresh section of the pan and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, watching for appropriate browning. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Robyn's notes: this is multiple recipes from other sources combined and reduced.  I can't eat anything that requires chewing at the moment (just had surgery), so no star rating or opinion on finished product until he gives me his feedback.  This was actually a very easy baked good to make, even though there are so many steps.  For the pretzel bites, I let them air-dry for about 10 minutes instead of 15, and baked for about 10 minutes instead of 20.  Each was about an inch of dough prior to baking.

Cream Cheese Mints

• 4oz room temperature cream cheese (not light or 1/3 less fat)
• 1/2 tsp peppermint or spearmint extract
• 3 C powdered sugar

1.  Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth (to get air into it), adding the extract at the same time. 
2.  Add powdered sugar 1/2 C to 1 C at a time and mix until well combined.
3.  As the dough is exposed to the air it will become less sticky.  Scoop up small amounts from the sections that aren't too sticky and roll into 1/2 inch balls, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Quickly press each ball flat with a fork, lifting fork fast before it can stick.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.  Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Robyn's notes: the first Christmas that I made these, I batched the dough into 3 bowls, adding red food colouring to one, green to another, and leaving the third white.  I then combined half balls of multiple colours to get the effect shown above.  The following year I gently swirled red and green food colouring into the white dough, so each mint ended up lightly marbled with all three colours.  This was easier and I liked the look better.  Leaving the mints white is totally fine, too.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Chocolate-Raspberry Surprise Muffins

I love raspberries, and used to just keep them on hand pretty much all the time.  But Yoplait has stopped selling the yogurt that is a necessary ingredient for my favourite dip for them, and the seeds do bother my tummy, so I have had a few times in the last couple years that a package goes bad without me finishing it.  This is another way to use just a few when some are in the fridge.

• 1 egg white 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted 
• 1 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam 
• 2 Tbsp flour 
• 2 Tbsp cocoa 
• 1/4 heaping tsp baking powder 
• pinch of salt 
• 1 Tbsp milk 
• 2 Tbsp chocolate chips 
• 6-8 fresh raspberries
• 2 tsp additional cocoa

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 2 liners.
2. In medium bowl, add egg white and sugar and beat until combined. Add jam and melted butter and stir until mixed. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk, then chocolate chips. Pour 1/4th of batter into each muffin liner.  Toss four raspberries with 2 tsp cocoa and place two in each liner gently on top of batter.  Top with remaining batter, covering completely.
3. Bake at 350°F for 16-18min, or until cake is set. Top each muffin with 1-2 raspberries, barely pressing them into place.  Let cool completely.

Robyn's notes: tossing the inner raspberries in cocoa is done to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the liner during baking, without having a clump of white flour in the middle of a lovely brown chocolate muffin.  These are good, and since they went from idea to reality in less than 6 hours, I'm pretty pleased with them.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

 

Chunky Applesauce

My mom has been making this applesauce for a good 45 years or so.  Back when she started, my great-grandfather gave her a crate of apples every year that he'd grown, and they had to be dealt with before they turned, so applesauce was a great project.  She doesn't use a recipe, so she sent me basic instructions for her method, which I have used repeatedly and turned into this recipe.  Read all notes before beginning.

• 3 lbs apples (about 8 medium)
• 1 1/2 C apple juice
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1.  Core, quarter, and peel apples, cut them into 1 inch chunks.
2.  In large saucepan, combine apple juice and cut-up apples.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
3.  Using sugar and cinnamon, sweeten to taste.  Be careful!  These apples and the liquid they're sitting in can burn your tongue.  Be aware that the apples will taste sweeter when hot, so for a very sweet applesauce it may be necessary to over-sweeten them at this stage.
4.  Return to a boil for about 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Smash with potato masher to desired consistency.  (For creamy applesauce, press through a ricer or food mill instead)

Applesauce is ready to eat at this point, or it can be preserved in a boiling water canner as follows.

5.  Carefully ladle hot applesauce into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Remove all bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids.  Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner at sea level, increasing processing time by 1 minute for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.

Yield: 5 half-pints

Robyn's notes: I've used several different varieties of apples, but have to say that my favourite batches have been made with two varieties together.  Because of what's available at my market this has generally been Fuji and Golden Delicious.  I have been told that the best varieties for applesauce are those as well as Braeburn, Cortland, Crispin, McIntosh, Liberty, and Rome.  Use a saucepan large enough that the liquid and apple chunks combined in it fill no more than 30-50% of the interior.  While simmering, the apples will splatter and bubble up the sides, so they need a lot of room in the pan.  The juice should be enough to cover the bottom of your pan by 1/2 inch.  A larger saucepan may need more than I use.  Water can be used in place of apple juice, but the flavor will not be as deep and more sugar will need to be used.  I always use 100% not-from-concentrate apple juice.  While I'm a fan of the assembly-line method of doing practically anything, I don't use it for prepping the apples.  As soon as they are exposed to the air they will start to oxidize, but this will be slowed when they're in the juice.  So I do each apple as quickly as possible without risking my fingers and move on to the next.  I have never measured the cinnamon, instead just dashing it in.  I quite like the taste of cinnamon in my applesauce, so if I use a bit too much I'm ok with it, it just makes for darker applesauce. 

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Banana Bread Mini Loaf

Since the checker at the market chose to put my canned goods in the bag on top of my bananas, some had to be sacrificed to bread.  This was meant to also have a chocolate glaze, but the unsweetened chocolate that was in my grocery basket was never rung up by the checker.  No way was I driving all the way back to town when I got home and discovered I didn't have it (since I also was not charged for it), so I decided to just make the bread without the glaze, which is of course also perfectly good.

• 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 C mashed ripe banana 
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
• 1/4 C chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a mini loaf pan (5 1/2 " x 3") .
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3.  In another medium bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and butter until fluffy.  Slowly beat in bananas and yogurt.  Add flour mixture and mix just until blended.  Do not overmix or the bread will be tough.  Stir in nuts if using.
4.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on middle shelf for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to finish cooling on wire rack.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let stand overnight to allow flavours to mellow.

Robyn's notes: I did not use the nuts, because I'm not able to eat them.  For me, the amount of banana needed was one-and-a-half medium bananas once the completely black bruised sections had been cut out.  This probably translates to one large banana that hasn't been manhandled by a checker who was presumably having a lousy day.  My baking time was 40 minutes.  I made this bread again after we moved, so I can confirm it was as good without any needed changes at 4,500ft.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Small-Batch Frosted Sugar Cookies

I have a weakness for grocery store bakery frosted sugar cookies.  Those fat soft cookies with thick frosting and sprinkles on top?  I'm forever in search of a recipe for homemade sugar cookies that come out like those, and I have yet to find one.  This recipe is not the long-awaited successful completion to that search, but it is a perfectly good recipe, if I do say so myself, so I figure I might as well share it for those who are looking for a simple recipe for whipping up a few thin sugar cookies quickly.

Cookies

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt
• 1/2 C + 1 rounded Tbsp flour
• 1/8 tsp baking soda 

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in flavourings, mayonnaise, and buttermilk; mix.  Stir in flour and baking soda.
2.  Shape dough into teaspoon-sized balls, drop on parchment-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.  Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass that's been dipped in granulated sugar (see notes).
3.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until just set.  Do not overbake.  Allow to cool for 1 minute on baking sheet, remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.  Frost when completely cooled.

Yield: 8-10 cookies

Robyn's notes: to flatten the cookies, I used the underside of a 1/4 C measure.  I gently pressed it briefly against one of the dough balls first, then dipped it in granulated sugar, to get the sugar to stick to the measuring cup for flattening all the dough balls.  Another option is to roll the dough balls in sugar and then flatten them, but I didn't want that much sugar on the outside of the cookies.  It would be best to mix the dough in an electric mixer, but since my mixer is here with us and the mixer's beaters are apparently still in storage, that wasn't an option.  I therefore mixed the dough with a fork as fast as my arm would move, to get air into it.

Frosting

• 1 C confectioner's sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter
• approximately 1 Tbsp + 1-1/2 tsp milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• food coloring if desired

1.  In a medium bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and butter. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Robyn's notes: again, I had to do this by hand, and frosting is never as good when mixed by hand because it's very difficult to get the air in.  It's also exceedingly difficult to cream that much powdered sugar with that little butter by hand.  Add the milk slowly, until you've achieved the desired consistency.  The entire amount may not be needed, and since this makes a very sweet frosting, if you add too much milk it's hard to firm it back up.  Replacing the butter with shortening is an option and might actually be better, but I didn't have any shortening in the house.  

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often 

Peanut Butter Bread Mini Loaf

This is a very simple recipe that produces a bread that's good for snacks or pbj sandwiches.  I've eaten it toasted or not, spread with jelly or honey.  While it's baking the whole house gets a nice smell of peanut butter, but the flavour of the finished loaf is pretty subtle.

• 1 C flour
• 2 rounded Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp beaten egg
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp peanut butter

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, milk and peanut butter; stir just until combined. Pour into greased mini loaf pan (5 1/2 by 3 inches).
2.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.  

Robyn's notes: I own steel mini loaf pans, but for households that don't, disposable ones can generally be found in the kitchen supplies aisle of grocery stores (I always keep a few of those on hand for cooking gluten-free breads, so there's no danger of cross-contamination from my regular pans).  As I've said before, I suspect that my oven thermostat is off, so while this took 40 minutes to bake for me, it may take longer for more accurate ovens.  This makes a fairly dense bread, but I still think it has good texture.  It would get a higher star rating if there was more peanut butter flavour, it's just a bit too mild for my taste and adding much more peanut butter would keep it from baking properly.  Chunky peanut butter is an option for those who can have it, I'm not supposed to.

Small-Batch Shortbread Cookies

The cats have been waking us up very early recently, which means that we eat breakfast earlier than usual, then lunch and dinner as well, and at the end of the day I'm wanting to snack on something. A quick cookie dessert generally satisfies that, and the other night I was in the mood for a very simple cookie.  I don't know how I managed to bring a kitchen box that contained cookie cutters but didn't manage to bring one that contained a paring knife, but I do have the former and so used them to make these cookies.  I really like shortbread cookie dough, so I only rolled out and cut the dough twice, eating the remainder raw.  Between that and the fact that I rolled my dough thinner than is traditional (see notes, below), the yield is a little vague.  I suspect that 1/2-inch thick cookies cut to 3"x1" would work out to about 5 cookies.  

• 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 C + 2 Tbsp flour
• dash salt (see notes, below)
• additional sugar
• 3-4 Tbsp semisweet chocolate morsels

1.  Cream together butter and sugar, add vanilla and mix.  Sift in flour and salt and combine.  Form dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Turn dough onto lightly floured workstation and roll to 1/2 inch thickness.  Use cookie cutters or cut into rectangles 3"x1".  Sprinkle with additional sugar, place on ungreased baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool completely on wire rack.
3.  Once cookies are at room temperature, melt chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler, and drizzle chocolate over half of each cookie until well coated.  Allow to cool.

Yield: 5-8 cookies depending on size

Robyn's notes: the salt measurement should technically be 1/16 tsp.  I used my 1/8 tsp measure and filled it halfway.  This is actually a bit more than I use when a recipe calls for a dash or a pinch, so I like to mention it here.  If using cookie cutters, be sure to either use all one shape or, if using multiple shapes (as I did in the picture above), bake all the cookies of a given shape together.  Size and shape differences can lead to different baking times, and you don't want half the cookies overcooked just to get the other half perfect.  I rolled my dough out to 1/4 inch thick, because that's what I'm used to and I didn't have a recipe in front of me when I was working on this one.  I baked my cookies for 12 minutes at that thickness and they came out perfectly.  In researching various shortbread cookie recipes today, however, I find that the vast majority call for a 1/2-inch thick cookie and a longer baking time.  Whatever works for you.  With this small an amount of chocolate, a microwave is the easiest way to melt it (30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, don't overcook).  We don't have our microwave with us at the moment, so I did it in a double boiler.  I let the chocolate-coated cookies cool on the same wire rack with a sheet of aluminum foil beneath to catch any drippings.   

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Small-Batch Peanut Butter Blossoms

Being as far as we now are from the nearest grocery means that if I suddenly have a sweets craving, I have to satisfy it with whatever is in the house, or do without.  So the other day I stood staring into the pantry, waiting for inspiration, when I realized I had all the ingredients on hand for peanut butter cookies.  I looked up the basic cross-hatched pb cookie recipe and discovered that I was wrong and was shy one ingredient.  I did, however, have all the ingredients (except for the Hershey's Kisses) for peanut butter blossoms, and I figured I could just make those, cross-hatch the tops with a fork, and eat them as peanut butter cookies.  Unfortunately, translating the full recipe into a small-batch version was not as straightforward as some other cookie recipes have been, and it took several attempts to get a successful cookie.  In the meantime, we drove into town for something else and I picked up a bag of Hershey's Kisses, on the assumption that I'd eventually get it to work (and I did!). 

• 2 Tbsp sugar 
• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar 
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter 
• 1-1/2 Tbsp butter, softened 
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp flour 
• 1/8 rounded tsp baking soda 
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• additional sugar
• about 10 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped

1. In medium bowl, mix sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and mayonnaise until combined.  Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder, stir until dough forms.  Refrigerate, covered, one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 Hershey's Kiss in center of each cookie. Cool on baking sheet 1-2 minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Yield: about 10 cookies

Robyn's notes: I wrote this recipe after moving, and it has therefore only been tested at an elevation of 2,500 feet.  The flour measurement is a little awkward, I know, but I feel this is the best way to write it.  One-third Cup plus 2 teaspoons would be the same measurement, or six Tablespoons.  I think this is just the clearest.  I find the easiest way to roll the dough in sugar is to put a couple Tbsp of sugar into a 1/3 C measure, drop the shaped ball on top, and shake the measuring cup around until the ball has been well coated.  Do not skip the refrigeration step or the dough will not hold together when shaped and the baked cookies will spread and flatten instead of remaining rounded.  

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Small-Batch Oatmeal Scotchies

After successfully writing and testing my recipe for Small-Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies, I decided to turn the same technique to other cookies.  I love Oatmeal Scotchies, but the recipe makes so many!  Fortunately, the egg and butter ratio could be modified in a fairly straightforward manner, so I'm pleased to have successfully written the below recipe. In the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, I used vanilla sugar to counteract any tang from the acid that's in mayonnaise.  I use regular sugar in this recipe, partly because I doubt the vanilla sugar is strictly necessary in either recipe, but mostly because a common ingredient in some butterscotch-oatmeal cookies is a bit of citrus (usually orange zest), so the tiny bit of lemon juice usually found in mayonnaise won't be an issue flavour-wise. 

• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/3 C flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 C quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 C butterscotch flavored morsels

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until combined.  Stir in vanilla and mayonnaise until blended.
2.  Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, add to butter mixture and stir until combined.  Stir in oats and morsels.
3.  Drop dough onto baking sheet in rounded spoonfuls.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are beginning to brown at the edges.  Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet.  Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 8 medium-sized cookies

Robyn's notes: I made this twice, and the first time refrigerated the dough for an hour because I was in the middle of doing other things and wasn't ready to bake it yet.  That's not at all necessary, but it certainly doesn't hurt anything, just makes it a bit more difficult to form the dough into balls.  It will seem like there is far too much oat compared to dough when you start to mix in the oats, but stick with it and be sure to scrape your spoon, a lot of dough tries to hide in it.  Same with the butterscotch chips, there seems to be too many, but they can all be combined, even if it means pressing the stragglers into the dough balls before placing them on a cookie sheet.  The first four cookies I baked for 8 minutes, the second four for 10.  Not much difference between the two, and neither batch flattened much while baking, though they certainly baked through and I think they're delicious.  Just be aware that the cookies may not look cooked through if they've not flattened, but they actually are.  If you want flat cookies, make them small, the littlest cookies I made did flatten out during baking, but they were about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Oatmeal Scotchies are some of my favourite cookies, so I'm very happy that these came out.  I have also made this recipe at high altitude, successfully, with no changes.  Several friends had them and all loved them.  

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently  

Cinnamon Apple Bagels

I love bagels for breakfast.  When I lived in Arizona, every Saturday morning when I got home from work (my Friday night shift ended at 7am Saturday morning), we'd load the dog into the car and head for the Bark Park, to give him a chance to run around and socialize with other dogs.  On the way, we'd stop at Einstein Brothers Bagels.  I'd get a plain with plain shmear (restrictions, sigh) and a hot chocolate.  Einstein Brothers knew us, and always threw in a free doggie bagel--bagels that fell on the floor would be wiped off and then cooked near to burnt for dogs.  Usually I'm too tired in the mornings to get fancy with my bagels, and I still have a plain with plain cream cheese.  Sometimes, though, I like to do a little something more.  No measurements on this, because much of it will depend on individual tastes.

1.  Split and toast two bagels, plain or whatever flavour is preferred (cinnamon or raisin are good options).  Allow to cool until easily held.
2.  Shmear cut sides with cream cheese to achieve preferred consistency (I like a lot of cream cheese on my bagel, my sweetheart prefers a thin spread).  Top with thin slices of apple (I usually go with Golden Delicious, you'll want an "eating apple", not a baking apple, that's juicy).  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Robyn's notes:  that's all there is to it!  The cinnamon won't impart a lot of actual taste, but every time you bring the bagel to your mouth you'll smell the cinnamon, and that makes for an entirely different experience than if you leave it out.  The juicy apple with the thick bagel bread is a winner in my mind.  I'm not allowed to eat the peel, so I have to peel my apples, but since that's where a lot of the nutrition is, I recommend leaving it on if you can.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often