Maple Glazed Doughnuts

There are two important things I learned making these doughnuts: 1.Plastic utensils in boiling oil melt. 2. Don't put said plastic utensils in boiling oil. Ha..
Well, maybe that was more like one important thing, but it's pretty important none the less.
After the minor spoon melting incident, and a new batch of oil and some metal tongs later, I finally had some doughnuts made. And O. M. G....These are amazing! I've never had homemade, fried doughnuts before and they definitely live up the their expectations. Next time, I'm going to try these with a filling and maybe a chocolate glaze.
Yumm!

Doughnuts!!!
Ingredients:
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for sprinkling and rolling out dough
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
About 10 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions:
Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Mix together flour, milk, butter, yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and yeast mixture in mixer at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more.

Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour (to keep a crust from forming). Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round (1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with 3-inch cutter, then cut a hole in center of each round with 1-inch cutter and transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if dough was cold when cutting out doughnuts). Do not reroll scraps. (You're not suppose to reroll the scraps, not gonna lie...i did, and it was fine)

Heat 2 1/2 inches oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry doughnuts, 2 at a time, turning occasionally with a wire or mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.)
Source:Joy the Baker

Maple glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons milk

* Whisk together until smooth.
Source:Here

Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

There's something about cheesecake, in pretty much every form that makes everything better. It's really a cure-all I think.
Bad day? Cheesecake.
Cold? Cheesecake.
Fabulous day with no real reason? Cheesecake.
I'm just sayin...
But let's be real, I don't usually have like five packages of cream cheese on hand, do you? And I love to have my baking ingredients on hand. The less trips to the store, the better.
This is where the cookies come in...
Three ounces of cream cheese and you've got a delicious cheesecake subsititute right in your hands.
So. Good.
Ever since I made the last cheesecake cookies, I've had constant requests for more. And now, I think these are going on that list.
Make sure you don't overbake these cookies, you want the middles to stay really soft, almost underbaked to have the cheesecake texture. Making them a little bigger helps with that. And I loved the mini chocolate chip addition, it really added that extra something.
Enjoy!

Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons lemon zest (I just used the zest and juice of one lemon)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans (I omitted the pecans)
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
In a large bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add in the lemon zest and juice if you are using. Mix in vanilla. Stir in the flour until well combined and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes so that it is easier to handle.

Mix together the pecans, graham cracker crumbs, and cinnamon to make the crust. Pour half of the crust mixture onto a large sheet of wax or parchment paper. Form a log with half of the cookie dough and roll it in the crust mixture. Place log of dough on a new sheet of parchment paper and wrap the ends up. Repeat with the remaining dough and place both dough logs in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Slice dough into half inch thick rounds and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. The bottoms should be only lightly browned. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Source:Buns in My Oven

Orange Spritz Cookies

Babies.
They're everywhere.
Maybe they've always been everywhere, or maybe I just have baby goggles on. But they're definetly around in massive quanities lately.
I know more women who are pregnant right now than ever before and I can't wait for those things to pop out!
Your friends having babies is the best, it means you get to play with them and buy them cute clothes, and then still give them back when you're done. Ha. It's wonderful.
Recently we had a baby shower for one of these women, which gave me the perfect opportunity to use the new cookie press my mom had got me!
I didn't have much time, which was fine because these little spritz cookies mix up super fast. And the only problem I had was getting them to sick to the pan and not the press, but I think I may have added a little too much flour. That whole being in a hurry thing makes me do silly things. I dusted the cookies with a little bit of blue sugar to make the flowers a little more boy-like, since the shower was for a baby boy, and they were perfect!

Orange Spritz Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon orange rind, finely chopped
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)
Makes: About 5 dozen cookies.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolk and orange juice. Mix in flour, orange rind and optional pecans. Mix until combined. Dough should be soft, but not sticky. Place dough into cookie press, and using desired shapes, press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on cooling grid and remove from cookie sheet.

Source:Wilton's Recipes

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Eventually, this post will get around to talking about chocolate chip cookies, I promise.
But first, we should call this the "Sarah has the best friends/family/boyfriend/boyfriends family ever post". I wasn't really sure if that had quite the same ring to it though.
Now, why do I have the best family, boyfriend, etc...?
Well, because aside from their everyday amazingness, it just so happens that they also know how to give the most perfect Christmas presents ever.
It's true.
First and foremost, since I've spent years dreaming of the day that this wish would come true. The amazing boyfriend gave me...
Are you ready for it?
The most useful gift ever! That's right, a KitchenAid Mixer!!

I love it! Seriously.
I don't know how I've survived so long without it.
And to only make the KitchenAid better, I got a scraper blade from the boyfriends mother. If you've never tried one of those, let me tell you, you need to.
And that's not it!
I got a wonderful cake tester and pearl sprinkles from my sister and a Wilton's electric cookie press from my mom!
It was a wonderful Christmas, in ways far beyond the gifts, and I hope the same for everyone.
Now! The cookies I promised.
Just like everyone else in the world, I'm always on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. And I must say, so far, these are the closest.
They have the thick, chewy texture and brown sugar flavor that I love. Putting them in the fridge for at least an hour really seems to make a difference for these guys, so definitely try to do that.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes). Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Source: Annie's Eats

Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but orange and cranberry has to be one of the best flavor combinations ever. In pretty much every form. I'm all about it.
Now add oatmeal, and other deliciousness, and you've got yourself one awesome cookie.
The orange flavor is so prominent, it really adds that little bit of extra that other oatmeal cookies are missing.
And they're not even that bad for you!
Well...in cookie terms.

Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup of dried cranberries

½ cup orange juice

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup butter, room temp

3 tbls of honey

1 large egg

1 ½ cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

3 cups of oatmeal

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon orange zest

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small bowl, cover and let stand while you make the cookies. Beat the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in honey and egg then add the cranberries and orange juice.

Combine flour, soda, powder and salt in a separate bowl and enthusiastically whisk together. Toss in the oatmeal, walnuts and orange zest and whisk some more.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and blend together till just right. Drop loving spoonfuls onto lightly oiled baking sheets and bake for about 8-10 minutes, depending the size of your cookies.

Source:The Go Lightly Gourmet
Photos by Keegan Orange

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was another one of those recipes that as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it for the holiday baking. Every picture I saw of these cookies made them look like they had the most perfect chewy, dense texture, just like chocolate chip cookies should be.
Unfortunately, when I made them they didn't turn out quite like the pictures. Mine seemed to turn out with a more cake-like texture than the dense, chewy one that I prefer. I've noticed this happens with a lot of my cookies.
Why is that?
Does anyone know?
Anyone?
Yeah...you should let me know.
But still, cakey texture and all, these were good. They had just the right amount of peppermint and smelled amazing while baking. It's like insta-air freshener for your house. I mean, even if I didn't eat them, it was totally worth it for the smell.
Really.
Promise.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking Soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract
1 cup of chopped dark chocolate

Directions:
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and peppermint extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Stir in the chopped dark chocolate by hand. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. *You don't have to chill the dough if you are in a hurry.*

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and roll them into balls. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 8-9 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing.

This is a small recipe, It only made about 18 cookies. Feel free to double it or to eat them all on by yourself.

Recipe from Here
Photos by Keegan Orange

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Cookies

Personally, I'm not a big fan of chocolate cookies. In fact, I'm not a big fan of most things chocolate flavored. I love real chocolate, or anything fudgy chocolatey like fudgy brownies or icing. But stuff like chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream or cookies, I've just never been a big fan. But regardless of whether or not I would eat them, I decided these were a great holiday cookie.
They remind me of cherry cordials, with the cherry inside and fudgy icing on top. And even though they weren't my favorite, I still thought they were good, and everyone else seemed to love them!
I brought quite a few into work and they were certainly one of the first cookies gone.
Make sure you don't over bake these cookies, you want them to stay nice and soft on the inside. And make sure they cool completely before adding the frosting. Also, this recipe makes quite a few cookies, so make sure you get enough cherries to fill them all!
(Pre-frosting)
Chocolate Cherry Cordial Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (6 ounce) jars maraschino cherries, well drained
1 (6 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, bear butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients; stir into butter mixture (dough will be stiff). Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press cherry into center of each cookie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool. *To make these cookies fabulous make sure to not make them too big so the cherry/chocolate ration is good and do not overbake! Start with 8 minutes. Remove from pan right after they come out of the oven.

3. In heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt chips with condensed milk. Cook until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Frost each cookie, covering cherry. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Source:The Girl Who Ate Everything
Photos by Keegan Orange

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Every year for Christmas I usually make peppermint bark. It's always just so easy and so good, and wraps up well for holiday gifts. This year though, I decided to go with something a little bit different, peppermint bark popcorn.
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it, and I'm so glad I did. This stuff is so addicting! It's definitely sweet, being coated in chocolate and all, but it's still so easy to snack on. And the peppermint extract really gives it good flavor. My only bit of advice is to try and pick out the corn kernels that don't pop before mixing in the chocolate or else you're going to have a much harder time eating some of it!

Peppermint Bark Popcorn
Ingredients:
16-20 C popped popcorn (fresh, or about 2 bags microwave popcorn)
1 lb Almond Bark
1 6oz box candy canes, crushed. (About 1-1 1/2 C total and Bob's are the best!)
2 tea. peppermint extract
3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
*one bag microwave popcorn has about 10 cups in it, so if you're air-popping, do about 20 cups.
Directions:
Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.

Unwrapping the candy canes to crush them is the most labor intensive step of this easy treat, so you can do that ahead of time if you want too. I put my candy canes in a large zip-lock bag and have a whack with a heavy marble rolling pin.
One they're crushed, dump them into the bowl with the popcorn.

To melt the almond bark, follow the instructions on the package. I just break it up and put it in a glass measuring cup and microwave on 1 min intervals until it's nice and smooth.

When your almond bark is melted, add the peppermint extract. It will seize a little bit (get kind of lumpy) but it's totally fine. Pour over popcorn and candycanes.

Stir it up really well until the candy is evenly distributed. Pour the popcorn out onto a piece of waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Spread it out into an even layer and leave it alone!

While the popcorn is setting, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. I really like dark chocolate to counter-balance the sweetness of the almond bark, but I know there's a lot of dark haters, so do what you want!

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn. You can use a fork, or put it in a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off.

Leave it until the almond bark and the chocolate is hardened. If you need to hurry it up, do this whole process on lined cookie sheets you can pop in the fridge.

When chocolate is hardened, use your hands to break up popcorn into chunks.

Source:Our Best Bites
Photos by Keegan Orange