Royal Icing for Cookies

There are so many recipes for Royal Icing. It's the best icing to decorate detailed designs on a cookie. I use it for decorated Christmas Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies.
This recipe makes 2 1/2 C.
It can be separated into different bowls and tinted with food coloring to make creative designs. Since I'm The Hippy in the Kitchen and an Artist, I love to create cookie designs with my 60's looking Doodles. I have several Doodle Books that I am continuously updating with new designs.

This recipe is the consistency to be used for outlining and for detailed designs. To flood the cookie, thin the recipe with just a bit of warm water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. I also prefer this recipe because it doesn't use raw eggs.

Here's my favorite recipe for Royal Icing:
This is the recipe for decorating the cookies. (flooding recipe to follow)
1 pound of Confectioner's Sugar
5 TBS  Meringue Powder
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 C Warm Water
Powdered Food Coloring

In a Stand Mixer with a Paddle attachment:
Stir together by hand:
Sugar
Meringue Powder
Cream of Tartar
Add:
Gradually add Water until desired consistency.
Vanilla
Beat on Low just until combined well.
Beat on High for 7 - 10 minutes.

Separate the icing into bowls and tint with food coloring.
If you're not using it immediately, gently lay a piece of damp paper towel onto the surface of the icing in each bowl.

Royal Icing for Flooding:

2 lbs. Confectioner's Sugar
3/4 C Water
4 tsp Meringue Powder
Whisk well, by hand until completely incorporated.
Use disposable piping bags to flood the cookies.
Outline the entire cookie with icing, fill in the center. Use a toothpick
and swirl the icing all over the cookie. Allow to sit and harden.

I took a French Macarons Class at Sur la Table in Dallas and they recommended:
Lorann's Gourmet Professional Quality Food Coloring. It's the only food coloring I use.

Enjoy!
Decorating your Holiday Cookies!

Cinnamon Scone Bread

I received this recipe from Food52. I tested a recipe for a Best Baked Good Recipe Contest and the following recipe was one of the two finalists. At the writing of this recipe I don't know if it won. I'll come back and update the post after the winner is chosen. I was not pleased with the recipe I tested and I would love to have chosen this one. Oh well........ at least I have this amazing recipe to blog about!

Today, I can post that this was the winning recipe and that makes me happy! I loved this recipe from the first time I read it.
I look forward to making it soon.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1 - 9" X 5" Loaf Pan. Line with a piece of Parchment Paper that hangs over the long sides of the pan. Grease the paper.


Streusel:

4 TBS Flour
4 TBS Granulated Sugar
4 TBS Brown Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 TBS Heavy Cream


Dough:

2 1/2 C Flour
1/4 C Granulated Sugar + additional for sprinkling the top of the bread.
1 TBS Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
6 TBS Cold Butter, cubed
1/2 C Currants
1/2 tsp of your choice: Cinnamon, Cocoa Powder or Espresso Powder.
1 C Heavy Cream + additional to brush on the dough.
1 Large Egg
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Directions.

Streusel:
In a small bowl:
Flour
Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Whisk well.
Stir in the Heavy Cream to create the Streusel. This should not be chunky. It should be a Blend.


Dough:
In a Food Processor:
Flour
Sugar
Baking Powder
Salt
Pulse just to combine.

Add Butter and pulse about 8 times.
Retain some small pieces of Butter.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl:
Cinnamon, Cocoa Powder or Espresso Powder (your choice)
Currants
Just mix together, add to the flour/butter mixture and stir gently.

In a large measuring cup:
Heavy Cream
Egg
Vanilla
Whisk well and pour it into the Flour mixture.

Use a blending fork, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a folding method, not stirring. Work the dough until it comes together. When the dough begins to gather, use a plastic bowl scraper to gently knead the dough into a ball shape. If there's still a lot of loose flour in the bottom of the bowl, drizzle a bit more cream, one teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together. Shape it into a ball.
Transfer to a floured surface.
Pat it into a 6" X 14" Rectangle.
Cut it into 12 equal pieces.
Brush them all with cream.
Sprinkle 6 pieces with Streusel mixture.
Place a non - streuseled piece onto a streuseled piece.

This part gets tricky. Choose your method of putting it together. Here's the concept:
You'll Be lining the pan with the layers of dough from end to end. They're not laid flat in the pan.
Continue layering until the pan is completely filled from end to end.
Brush the top with cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 40 minutes.
Cover with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
A toothpick placed in the center of a bread layer should come out clean.
Remove and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Use the paper and pull out the bread and place it on the rack to cool completely.
You can either pull it apart or slice it.
It tastes really good if it's lightly heated in the microwave.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Lebkuchen Cookies........ an easier recipe than the traditional ones with wafers!

I have a couple of recipes for a traditional Lebkuchen Cookie. They can be intimidating to a new baker. However, this recipe is easier and tastes just as good.
I lived in Germany for a year and these cookies are a great Christmas memory from Germany. I visited the Cristkindle Market in Frankfurt when I was living there and Anne and I visited the German Christmas Market in Birmingham, England in 2012. It's an amazing experience.

Ich lebte in Deutschland für ein Jahr und erlebt ein traditionelles deutsches Weihnachten. Der Christkindlmarkt ist erstaunlich. Diese Cookies sind eine gute Erinnerung an Deutschland in der Weihnachtszeit.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sheet Pan lined with Parchment Paper
1 recipe of Glaze. (recipe to follow)


1/2 C Honey
1/2 C Molasses
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 TBS fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
2 3/4 C Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Allspice
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/3 C diced Candy Citron (candied Lemon or Orange will work)
1/3 C Chopped Hazelnuts

Glaze ingredients:
1 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Water
1/4 C Confectioner's Sugar

In a saucepan on median low heat:
Honey
Molasses
Whisk well and bring to a boil.
Immediately remove from heat.

Add:
Brown Sugar
Egg
Lemon Juice
Lemon Zest
Stir to mix well.

In a Large Mixing Bowl:
Flour
Baking Soda
Cinnamon
Clove
Allspice
Nutmeg
Whisk well.

Add Molasses mixture to the Flour mixture.
Stir well by hand with a wooden spoon.
Fold in the Citron and Hazelnuts by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight.

Use small amounts of dough at a time and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4" thick.
Cut the dough into small rectangles and place them 1" apart on the Sheet Pan.
Bake for10 - 12 minutes.
Remove the pan to a rack and immediately brush the hot cookies with the glaze.
Transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

NOTE:
I transfer the cookies to a cooling rack that has been placed in a sheet pan to collect the dripping glaze when brushed over the hot cookies.

They get better when stored in an airtight container for a few days before serving.

Glaze recipe:

In a saucepan on medium heat:
Sugar
Water
Use a candy thermometer and heat until between 234 and 240 degrees.
Immediately remove from heat and carefully stir in the Confectioner's sugar.
If it becomes crystalized while brushing the cookies, reheat slightly on the stove, adding a small amount of water until the crystals dissolve.



Frohe Weihnachten und Frieden in der Küche!

Orange Cranberry Bars

Just another Holiday Cookie Recipe.

Orange Cranberry Bars.

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1- 15" X 10" X 1" Jelly Roll Pan brushed with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour) I start with 1 C of each mixed well and refrigerated in a jar. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.

3/4 C Butter, melted

1 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C Granulated Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

2 1/2 C Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt

1 (11oz.) bag of White Chocolate Chips

1 C Dried Cranberries

The Zest of 1 Large Navel Orange.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer:

Butter

Brown Sugar

Granulated Sugar

Beat well.

Add:

Eggs

Vanilla

Beat just until combined.

Add:

Flour

Baking Soda

Salt

Orange Zest

Beat until incorporated.

Fold in, by hand:

Cranberries

White Chocolate Chips.

Press the dough evenly into the Sheet Pan.

Bake for 18 - 22 minutes.

Remove the pan to a rack and cool completely.

Cut into squares and transfer to a serving platter.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Goat Cheese Frittata

This is made in a 9" - 10" Cast Iron Skillet. It can be served as a main course or cut into squares as an appetizer. The recipe is adapted from Food52.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the Broiler.
1 - 9" - 10" Cast Iron Skillet



Goat Cheese Frittata

4 TBS Olive Oil, divided
2 finely chopped shallots
1 C chopped Mushrooms, your choice.
1 tsp chopped fresh Thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
10 large Eggs
3 TBS Heavy Cream
1/4 lb. of Fresh Goat Cheese, crumbled.
1/3 C fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

In the skillet on medium high heat:
Heat 1 TBS of Olive Oil
Shallots
Mushrooms
Thyme
Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
Saute for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl:
Eggs
Cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
Whisk well.
Add:
Shallot/Mushroom Mixture
Goat Cheese
Stir to combine.
Set aside.


In the skillet on medium high heat:
Heat 3 TBS Olive Oil
Add:
Egg Mixture.
The eggs will begin to set around the edges. Loosen the edges with a rubber spatula and allow the center eggs mixture to run underneath and cook.
Cook for 10 minutes, loosening the bottom with the spatula. It should be almost non stick at this point.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and place under the broiler for 2 minutes.
The top should be golden brown.
Remove the skillet.
Loosen the edges one last time with the spatula.
Slide the Frittata onto a serving platter or serve from the Skillet.
Cut into wedges for a main course or small squares for an appetizer.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Sweet Cream Cheese and Pecan Brownies

Brownies, Brownies, Brownies........ how many recipes can we really have? Apparently not enough!

Sweet Cream Cheese and Pecan Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
1 - 9" X 13" baking pan brushed with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour) I start with 1 C of each, well mixed in a jar and kept refrigerated. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.

1 C chopped Pecans

1/2 C Butter, melted
3 large Eggs, divided
1 (18.25oz.) box of Yellow Cake Mix
1 (8oz.) package of Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 (16oz.) bag of Confectioner's Sugar

In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon:
Butter
1 Egg
Cake Mix
Stir until incorporated.
Press evenly in the bottom of the dish.

In a large bowl, with an electric hand mixer:
2 Eggs
Cream Cheese
Sugar
Beat on medium speed until smooth.
Pour ove the cake layer.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove pan to a rack and cool completely.
Cut into squares to serve.
Or you can cut squares on the diagonal to make triangles.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Old Fashioned Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole

This is a vintage recipe from my Aunt Faye's collection of favorite recipes.

Old Fashioned Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole:

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
1 - 9" X 13" Casserole Dish sprayed with a Vegetable Cooking Spray

2 (10oz.) packages of frozen Broccoli. (cook according to package directions and drain)
1 C Instant Rice (uncooked)
1 can of Cream of  Mushroom Soup
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup (Vegetarian version uses Cream of Celery Soup)
1 1/4 C Water
1 (16oz.) package of Processed American Cheese (Velveeta), cubed or 2 (16oz) Jars of Cheese Sauce.
1 TBS Butter
6 Ribs of Celery, finely chopped
1 Large Onion, diced
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan on low heat:
Mushroom Soup
Chicken or Celery Soup
Water
Heat and gradually add Cheese until melted.

In a skillet on medium heat:
Celery
Onion
Saute until soft.

In a large Mixing bowl:
Cooked Broccoli
Rice
Soup/Cheese
Celery/Onion
Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
Stir to mix well.
Pour into the Casserole Dish.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!