Spiced Halloween Cut Out Cookies

I love Halloween.
There's a good chance it's because my mom refused to decorate or let me dress up as anything scary as a kid. So now I have a love for all things creepy and scary.
My other favorite holiday is valentines day, but you can only truly celebrate it if you're with a relationship and lets face it, there's a good chance that isn't going to happen this year for me so I need to appreciate Halloween while I can.
Don't you love my skull cookie jar? So  cute.
In honor of my favorite holiday, I'm making two posts with two different kinds of cookies, (yay!).
I found these super cute Halloween stencils and I had not ever used them before. I definitely recommend them they are so cute. However. I didn't use frosting and if you do the same don't use the colored spray, use powdered sugar or dark cocoa powder. Or frost it and use the color spray because it is pretty cool!
The cookies were delish also besides just cute. They were soft and had just the right amount of spices, which I was worried about because no one wants an overly spiced cookie. They're a perfect fall cookie, I definatley recommend trying them out. I found the recipe on Annie's Eats. I made almost 30 cookies with this recipe, but it will very on how thick you roll the dough out and what cookie cutters you use.

Spiced Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon all spice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, (packed)
2 sticks of butter, (softened)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl.
In the brown of an electric mixer, combine sugars and butter.
Beat in medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Blend in the egg and vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
Chill until firm, at least an hour.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out the dough with your cookie cutters and transfer to the baking sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Let cool in the baking sheets before allowing to completely cool on the cooking racks.
Decorate and enjoy!

Delicious End of Summer Hash

My food photography has slowly been improving.

Very slowly.

Today, I realized that my camera, which is pink and I love it, has been on the people setting this whole time.

There is a big difference, but what do you think?

One reason I've been concerned about my lack of photography skills (which may not have been my lack of skills at all turns out!) is because I've been trying to get on one of my favorite sites, TasteSpotting for a while, and I keep getting denied for my less than mediocre pictures. But hopefully, now that i've spotted the root of my problem, I will make an appearance, and you bet your bottom dollar I will let you all know if/ when that happens!

I also want to take a second to thank someone, my friend Sara Burket. She is the one who told me about TasteSpotting in the first place, which is how I found that I love cooking blogs, which is why I started my own. So Sara, I have no idea if you read this but, thanks, girl :)

Now, to the food. 

I have never had a hash before. But this looked delicious.

Oh and it was. My exact description right after my first bite was, "Amazingness bursted in my mouth."

Yes. It was that good. 

I had never cooked zucchini before, but i really liked it cooked and it wasn't difficult at all. 

Now, I'm from the midwest. So husking the corn was nothing, you can buy it pre husked here. That just seems weird to me. Something I have never done, is cut the corn off the cob. It was weird. 

I was thinking this would taste with fried rice in it too. Yum. Also feel free to add in different vegetables, but it was pretty near perfect as is.

The original recipe from Savy Eats used paprika, salt, pepper, and coriander. I'm going to admit now, I have no idea what coriander is and I didn't see it at the grocery store. But, I do like a lot of flavor in my food, so I added the pepper, paprika, cilantro, cumin, and Italian Herb, (by Penzeys Spices). I put a lot of each in, on the potatoes and onion, and on top of the zucchini and corn, and then on top of all it. I used red potatoes, the original recipe used Yukon gold potatoes. I'm sure either would still taste good, it's up to you. I love bacon, so I used 6 slices instead of 4-5. I didn't use salt either. It's healthier.

Make it, enjoy it. 

Summer Hash

1/4 pound bacon (4-5 slices)

4-5 Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 yellow onion

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried & ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 ears of corn

2 small-ish zucchini

Chop the potatoes and onions into bite-sized pieces.

Preheat cast-iron skillet over medium-heat and add the bacon.

Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until crispy. 

Remove and break into pieces and put into a large bowl. 

Add the potatoes and onion in the skillet, along with the a teaspoon paprika and the coriander.

White they're cooking cut the zucchini and corn off the cob.

When the potatoes and onions are tender and done cooking, 10-13 minutes, mix them in with the bacon.

Cook the zucchini and corn in the skillet, about 6-10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the vegetables are brown. 

Add the vegetables to the bowl and mix everything together. 

enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has a go-to chocolate chip recipe.
I think I have found mine.
My mom swears by the recipe on the toll house chocolate chip bag.
Yep, that's what I grew up eating.
I like chocolate chip cookies that aren't too fluffy, soft, and gooey.
I searched and searched for a good one, I found four recipes that looked good and after comparing them all together, I chose a recipe that was in the New York Times, which I found on My Baking Addiction.
I'm sending these home to my cousin, Trey. He's been doing amazing on his golf team and deserves a treat.
I used dark chocolate chips (one full bag) for these instead of the bittersweet disks, and I think they couldn't have turned out better, they were everything I look for in a chocolate chip cookie. Also, I used all-pourpose flour instead of the cake and bread flour. Also, I left out the sea salt and my cookies didn't take as long to bake, about 13 minuets.
I usually add how much the repipe makes in a recipe, but the original recipe says 1 1/2 dozen and I made over three dozen so since it's such a big difference, I'll let you find out how many it makes for yourself.
*Also note that the dough needs to be chilled for over 24 hours so make sure you leave time for that.

So, I hate to admit this, but this blog is about me learning lessons while baking so I will give everyone a good laugh. My grandmothers' baking sheet only has a rim on one side. So I lined it with parchment paper and during my second dozen, the paper slid off while i was pulling them off and I lost all 12 of them to the door of the oven and they feel in the crack between the door and the open. So upsetting. Learn from me and don't let it happen to you.

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup and 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet disks, at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt

In your medium sized bowl, sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, set aside.
In your mixer, use the paddle attachment and cream the butter and sugars until very light, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
Stir in vanilla.
Reduce speed to add the dry ingredients until just combined.
Drop in chocolate pieced in and incorporate them without breaking them.
Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
Dough may be used in batched, and be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat.
Scoop 6 3 1/2 ounce mounds of dough onto baking sheet.
Make sure to turn all chocolate pieces horizontally if they are sticking up for a more attractive cookie.
Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, about 18-20 minuets.
Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more.
Repeat with remaining dough, or put it in the refrigerator for later baking.

Cherry Coke Cupcakes

I don't know if you know this about me, but my favorite soda is cherry coke. Especially when it's made with grenadine fresh at a bar. That's when they have the most flavor. So good.
Of corse I had to try to make these. There was the chance that chocolate coke was a odd tasting combination. But it was totally worth the risk.
I attempted to write "Coke" on the second one. You have to cut me some slack though because I am without the comforts of my house in Illinois. Like tips. That is right, I used a ziplock bag doing this.

There was an optional syrup on top of the cupcake and I think it's a good choice to add a little bit of coke flavor. Also, I used grenadine instead of the cherry juice. The original recipe that Annie's Eats used had only one cherry in the middle of the cupcake, she opted to use 4 or 5 but I went for three. The cupcakes are really moist and flavorful. Maybe a little more cherry flavor in the cupcake?

Cherry Coke Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, (softened)

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup Coca-Cola

1/4 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice

2 teaspoon vanilla

maraschino cherries, (stemless)

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons Coca-Cola

For topping:

2/3 cup heavy cream

3-4 tablespoons powdered sugar

maraschino cherries to add to the top

Preheat oven to 350.

Line your cupcake pan with your liners.

In a medium bowl combine the four, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Mix in the egg until incorporated.

In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, coke, cherry juice, and vanilla.

Mix the dry ingredients into the stand mixer on low speed and alternate with the liquid and dry, beginning and ending with the try and mixing until just incorporated. 

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.

Put 4 or 5 cherries into each cupcake and push them into the batter.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and coke in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. 

Spoon or drizzle a small amount on the top of each cupcake and allow to set before adding the whipped frosting. 

To make the whipped cream frosting, add the heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment.

Begin whipping on medium speed, slowly adding the powdered sugar and gradually increasing the speed to high as the cream holds soft peaks.

Whip until the cream holds still peaks, be careful not to over beat them.

Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cupcakes and top each with a cherry.

Quesadilla Fun

Greetings from Florida!
I still can't believe I live here now, still getting used to the fact that I can go to the beach whenever I want.
So what have I been up to that I have been absent for so long? I started working finally! On my second week of that. I started bowling with my Grandfathers' bowling league that consists of our senior neighbors. I've been going to the gym, walking and beach, and laying out by the pool. Of corse, most importantly I have been cooking! my first week I made my tortilla soup and paninis for dinner, red velvet cupcakes for my Grandmothers' friend, Marge, who left the state to go back north, and last week, I tried a new recipe for quesadillas. So why have I waited this long to make a new post? I left my camera cord in Illinois and I just received it via mail from my Mother today! (Thanks Mom!!)
My grandparents bought their quesadilla maker years ago for me for when I visit, I've loved cooking for years, and mexican food, so I wanted to make sure I make use of it while I'm living here.

I found this recipe for meaty quesadillas at Veronica's Cornucopia. I have to say, these quesadillas were delicious. My grandfather ate his entire quesadilla, I only left two pieces, and my grandmother had two. I garnished them with salsa on top which made them even more amazing. They had just the perfect kick and served with refried beans was perfection. Not to mention the flavor of the beef. Okay, I'll just let you try it for yourself, but trust me, try it!! I'm sorry that my photography skills have not improved, but with the lighting of my grandparents kitchen maybe they will get better. 

 I got to skip some steps on the recipe because I do have a quesadilla cooker, but I'll post the version for making them without one because I'm sure most people do not.
Meaty Quesadillas
makes 6 (or three if you have a quesadilla maker)


1 pound of lean ground beef
3 gloves of garlic, (minced)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper to taste
2 bunches green onions, (thinly sliced)
6 10 inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, (I used pepper jack and mozzarella)
salsa or sour cream for serving

Cook the beef, garlic, chili powder, oregano, salt and ground pepper over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is no longer pink.
Add the green onions and cook for a few more minutes.
Heat a large griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat.
Spray with cooking spray and place tortillas on the griddle, and scatter 1/4 cu of cheese on each.
Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and cheese is melted.
Put a sixth of the beef mixture on half of each tortilla and fold into a half-moon.
Continue to cook until the quesadillas are crisp, turning once.
Repeat to make six quesadillas.
Cut into wedges and top with salsa

White Sox Cookies

My parents, all their friends, myself, and some of my friends went to the Chicago White Sox game last night. Unfortunately, there was a crazy rain storm that delayed the game by an hour and a half but of corse we waited in the rain! It was so worth it! I had so much fun. My friend Adriana and I took a picture with a cardboard cut out of Ozzie Gullian and they chose four pictures to put on the big screen (shown below) and we won a free shirt! I was so excited! The Sox even won! It was the perfect way to spend my last weekend living in Illinois.

Homerun

My friend Adriana and myself with the new Frank Thomas statue

Anyway, I was so excited about the game and I found the cutest baseball hat cookie cutter, so you know I made cookies for tailgating, check these out: 

They turned out so cute! I found little sprinkles to put on the top for the white buttons. I had so much fun making these. I'm defiantly leaning toward going back to school to be a pastry chef. I wasn't sure, but after these I realized that this might be for me, (as a career). Everyone loved these cookies, much to my relief. They're supposed to be a lot darker, but you have to mix in the back gel in by hand, and I had a lot of trouble with that. Next time I'll figure it out. I got the baseball cookie cutter for a dollar at Sur La Table, and the frosting i used was actually leftover frosting from my Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches.

The recipe for the cookies is from Amandeleine.

Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa, (natural is ok)

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

black gel food coloring 

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. 

In three additions, add the flour mixture at low speed. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. 

Work in food coloring with your hands to desired darkness.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minuets. 

Roll the dough on a lightly floured and cocoa-ed surface. 

Cut the cookies with your cookie cutter. 

Freeze cut cookies for five minutes.

Bake 8 minutes, let cool completely. 

Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches

I usually make everything from scratch. 

But seriously, how fun do these look?

I didn't have assorted multi-colored sprinkles so I had to improvise and make my own. 

I'm having a going away party this afternoon for my friends, well not really a "party" a fire and swimming if you will. But I decided to make these bad boys for my friends. 

I still can't believe that I'm moving on Monday, it's finally here! 

Most of my clothes are already packed, and half of my stuff is already in Florida.

Recipe from Baked Perfection
Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches

makes about 24 cookie sandwiches
for the cookies:
1 package Funfetti cake
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
for the frosting:
1 stick of butter, (softened)
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour cake mix into the bowl of your stand mixer.
Stir in eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla until combined.
Drop teaspoons of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 7-9 minutes, the bottoms will be light brown.
Move cookies onto a cooling rack, let cool completely before assembling.
For the frosting, beat butter and vanilla in your stand mixer until creamy.
Add salt.
Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating until combined.
Add milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.
Frost bottom side of half the cookies.
Top with unfrosted cookie.
Roll edges in assorted sprinkles.