Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are a baking staple-- they include simple ingredients, and they're a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.  There are many sugar cookies recipes out there, but sometimes you just have to look to a knowledgeable other-- also known as Martha Stewart.  From Martha Stewart's Cookies book, I followed her recipe for "Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies" for most of the way.  I even follow her directions to rotate the cookies halfway (and it's a rule that I follow now with all my baking).  Deliciously simple cookies that are sure to please whomever devours these cookies.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1.75 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest*
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• sandy sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  
2. Put sugars and zest* in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed 30 seconds.  Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Mix in eggs one at a time, and then the lemon juice.  Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. 
3. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.  Flatten cookies slightly; sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Lightly bruch with a wet pastry brush; spring with more sanding sugar.
4. Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.  Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.  

*I do not brush the cookies with a wet pastry brush when sprinkling the sugar; I roll the dough into little balls (with my hands) and then lightly press them into the sugar.  Then, I put the dough onto the baking sheet...still works well. :)

See also: my Simple Vanilla Icing for sugar cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam

Another successful Giada recipe resulted in delicious cookies made with peanut butter and topped with blackberry jam.  I was skeptical about using blackberry jam, but it was the perfect accent to these cookies.  Their taste is unbelievable straight from the oven, and they're very moist with a slight chewiness.  These are the best cookies I have ever made. 

Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam

Giada's original recipe can be found HERE (courtesy of Food Network).

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick low-fat unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 beaten egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup blackberry jam
• extra granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in another bowl.  Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until blended.  Gradually add the flour mixture until incorporated. 
4. Form the dough into 1/4 cup-size balls and place on the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Using a round 1/4 teaspoon measure (or the end of a wooden spoon), make a hole in the center of each ball of dough, about 1/2 inch deep.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam into each hole.  Sprinkled the tops with 1/2 teaspoon sugar prior to baking. 
5. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes until dough has spread and the surface of the cookies are crackled.  Cool for 5 minutes; then, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Mini Cheesecakes

The perfect miniature dessert: creamy cheesecake filling with a graham cracker crust

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix these ingredients altogether in a food processor and press into the bottom of cupcake liners (up 1/4 the length of the liners). Using a teaspoon helps the process.


Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry or blueberry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and lemon juice. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top. Bake for 15-17 minutes and top with the pie filling of your choice. This recipe makes 24 mini cheesecakes.

Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken

I think that Pat and Gina Neely from the Food Network are such a fun couple to watch because you can tell that they love each other and cooking so much.  While watching one of their episodes, I was attracted to the simple recipe they used to make pasta with a hint of lemon and with chicken.  I followed the recipe exactly, except for only a few changes.  To cook the chicken, I used Perdue's thinly sliced boneless chicken breasts and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  I used 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to pan fry both sides of the chicken at medium heat.  After pan frying them, I placed them on a plate and sliced the chicken there.  I also added one whole tomato (diced) to the pasta for color.  I loved this recipe, and it was so easy to make!

Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken
The Neely's original recipe may be found HERE, courtesy of Food Network.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried penne
• 2 chicken cutlets, cut into fingers
• 3 clovers garlic, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 whole tomato, diced
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain well and set aside.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add chicken.  Cook until golden and completely cooked.  Remove to a plate and slice.  
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a sauce pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until fragrant.  
4. Add the cooked pasta and turn heat off.  Mix together.
5. Remove pasta to a large bowl.  Add chicken to the warm pasta and season with salt and pepper.  Add chopped parsley, tomato, and lemon juice.  Toss pasta before serving with grated Parmesan cheese.

White Chocolate Chip and Craisin Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

My mother and I are huge fans of oatmeal raisin cookies.  I've never made them before; so I did my research and stumbled upon the Barefoot Contessa's "Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies" recipe.  This is a complex recipe, but it's worth it.  I made a few changes to Ina's recipe, but mine is very similar to hers.  The cooking time depends on how big your ice cream scoop is; so be sure to monitor your cookies after 14 minutes!  After 20 minutes, I made exactly 17 cookies.  Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip and Craisin Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
Ina Garten's original recipe can be found HERE (courtesy of Food Network).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup Craisins
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  Then, chop very coarsely.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Next, add the eggs and vanilla to the mixture and beat together.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  
5. Using the electric mixer, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until combined.
6. Next, use a spatula or wooden spoon to add the oats, raisins, pecans, and white chocolate chips to the mixture.  (Warning: It may be necessary to use your hands to mix everything together.)
7. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper.  Flatten each mound slightly with a damp hand.  Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until lightly browned.  Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.