Sugar Cookies.!

I couldn't be happier that the holidays are rolling around again! :)
It is so much fun to shop, bake, and decorate for the season! This holiday is going to be a *bit* different for us, as we are moving just five days before Christmas. I know...we're crazy like that. Even in the hustle of moving, we will still be able to enjoy our Christmas! We will, like every year, go to my Uncle's house on Christmas eve and celebrate Christ's birth with our family. God has blessed my family and me so richly. His grace is abounding!

Now, as for recipes! :)Here is my absolute FAVORITE sugar cookie recipe. Really, the are PERFECT for decorating with royal icing, and they taste good too!


Best Rolled Sugar cookies:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely


-Sarah :)

Life, and Chocolate Cupcakes

Wow. We have been so busy lately, and I am sorry we haven't posted in so long! Last week we moved! (sure we only moved 15 minutes away...) It's been crazy around here, needless to say! We seem to have been packing and packing and packing for weeks now! Finally, I think we are at a point were we can sit back and enjoy our new house! It was hard to say goodbye to our old house though, we had lived in it for 7 plus years! But, it is nice to have a larger home, and for that I am so very thankful! God really has blessed us!
Also, my sister Lauren had her birthday yesterday! We ate out with all the family, and then did some shopping! Also, we went to see "Car's 2"! I enjoyed the movie, but It definitely was not the quality story line of the first. *sigh* I am still a huge Pixar fan though!

Alright, now for the recipe! These cupcakes are AWESOME! I found the recipe off of "My Baking addiction". I love that blog! It's the best place to go if you need a good dessert or other baked treat! The only thing I changed for the cupcake was I added just a tiny bit of cherry flavoring to the frosting! It was soooo good. The cake was very moist, and how can you go wrong with creamcheese frosting??

Here is a link to the recipe!

Strawberry sherbert

Hey Y'all! Sorry I haven't written recently! We have been busy lately! A couple of weeks ago we went to Silver Dollar City; and we had a BLAST! Lots of great music from the Clark's, and Bankester Family! We definitely had an awesome time!

Anyways, this is an awesome recipe for sherbert! It is super easy and super yummy! Perfect for these hot summer like days!

~Sarah

Recipe:

1/3 cup (800 ml) water

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

2 1/2 cups or 1 pound (454 grams) fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan, over low heat, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3-5 minutes). Boil the mixture for one minute then remove from heat. Pour the sugar syrup into a heatproof container, and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled (about an hour or so).

Meanwhile, thaw the frozen strawberries and then place the thawed strawberries in a food processor and process until the strawberries are pureed. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and liqueur (if using), and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. (If using fresh strawberries, puree the berries in the food processor, transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice, and place in the refrigerator until chilled.)

Once the simple syrup and pureed strawberries are completely chilled, combine the simple syrup with the pureed strawberries. Transfer the mixture to the chilled container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once made, transfer the sorbet to a chilled container and store in the freezer.

picture from Joyofbaking.com

brownie chocolate cookie bars!

Hey all! :)
Here is a really awesome recipe! Yeah, it's really good, rich, chocolatey, gooey, and delicious!
You should try it; though be prepared, you might just eat the whole pan! :)


Recipe :)

1 box brownie mix
1 recipe Nestle toll house cookie dough (made and chilling in fridge)
Chocolate ganache (recipe below)

1. Make brownie mix according to box directions.
Spread in the bottom of prepared 13 by 9 glass pan.
2. Drop cookie dough by tablespoon full onto the brownies until most of the brownie mix is covered.
3. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
4.Let cool


Chocolate Ganache recipe
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp butte

1.In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
2Pour over the chocolate morsels.Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.
3.Pour over brownies and let set before cutting.

German Potato Salad

Happy Labor day, everyone! :) I am having a good day, and I can't wait for dinner: Blue Cheese Burgers, German Potato Salad, and for desert Blue Berry Pie!
Yummmmm! :)

German potato Salad:

1 LB Red potatoes
1/2 LB bacon cooked and crumbled
1 cup chicken broth
2TBS white vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TBS spicy brown mustard
1 small onion diced
1/4 cup parsley chopped

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. When cool enough to handle peel off the skin, and chop into 2 in cubes
2. in medium skillet heat chicken broth and vinegar, bring to a simmer. Add bacon, and remaining ingredients. Bring back to simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3.Pour over potatoes and Serve!

-Sarah

iced mocha frappe :D

For my coffee loving friends. This is a super good recipe! I just love coffee. Yum! This is a Paula Dean recipe soo of course it's delicious.
-Sarah :D

Oh, I also would like to know: What is your favorite Jane Austen book/movie?

4 cups brewed coffee, hot
4 (1-ounce) packages hot chocolate mix (3/4 cup mix)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream, for serving

In a heat-proof bowl or pitcher, add the coffee, hot chocolate mix, and sugar. Stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze, covered, for at least 3 hours and up to 1 week.

Put the frozen cubes in a blender. Add the cream and vanilla and puree until smooth. Divide the frappe into tall glasses and top with whipped cream.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time:
Difficulty: Easy

I thought, I would break from my usual pattern and write about what I am reading.
Which, I am SURE you have heard of.
Emma by Jane Austen.
This is my second time reading it! I love this book.

It has also been made into one of my favorite movies. And, if you haven't seen the version with Romola Garai, and Jonny Lee Miller you realllly need to see it! I have watched it twice!!

Wacky Cake

I am really sorry, I know it has been awhile since my last post! :( I hope you have not been to desolate without me! :)
Anyways... this is a very neat (and yummy!) recipe! It was created during the World Wars when sugar, milk, eggs, and butter were scarce, so cooks has to improvise.
I think they did a good job. Tell me what you think. =)

Wacky Cake

Serves 6 to 8

This moist cake gets even better when served with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
3/4	cup sugar
1/4	cup natural cocoa powder
3/4	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon table salt
5	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	cup water
	Confectioners' sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 8-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in pan. As shown in photo 1, make 1 large and 2 small craters in dry ingredients. Add oil to large crater and vinegar and vanilla separately to remaining small craters. Pour water into pan (photo 2), and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain (photo 3). Immediately put pan in oven.

3. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan, then dust with confectioners’ sugar. (If tightly wrapped, cake will keep for 3 days at room temperature.)

picture provided by cooks country.com

Peanut Butter cup cake! *yum*

This is a really good CHOCOLATE recipe! I first found it on,( http://www.bakerella.com/) and as soon as I saw it I knew (as a chocolate lover) that I would have to make it in the near future. So, on Monday I did.
It's a very easy recipe. It starts *cough* with a Devils food cake mix. I know, the first recipe on this blog; and it start with a cake mix!!! Oh well. :D But, it is soooo good! I just have to share it with you! -Sarah D

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

1 devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing – I used 1 bag but I didn't have enough)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper.
• In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.
• Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool cakes completely.
• Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
• Trim each cake layer so the tops are flat. Place one layer on a cooling rack and pour 1 cup frosting on top. Spread evenly with a spatula. Add second layer and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with spatula.
• Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top and sides of cake. Place in refrigerator for about an hour to set. Remove and serve.