Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I really try not to go to parties empty-handed. Depending on the party, I'll bring different things, but I really like to bring baked goods -- people always appreciate it and it gives me an excuse to bake! This weekend I went to a co-workers belated birthday party and brought along these peanut butter cookies. I left some plain, and decorated others with chocolate. These cookies are great on so many levels: only 4 ingredients, they contain peanut butter, if you run out of flour you can still bake, and they're essentially fool-proof.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat peanut butter and sugar until smooth and combined
3. In a small bowl lightly beat the egg and then beat into peanut butter mixture along with the baking soda
4. Arrange teaspoon-sized drops of cookie dough about 1" apart on a cookie sheet (I used a Silpat). With the tines of a fork, slightly flatten the cookie dough drops to ensure even baking.
5. Bake about 10 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Allow the cookies to sit on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes after being removed from the oven. Transfer onto a cooling rack.

Chocolate for Dipping

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening

1. Over a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate and shortening together (or you can do this in a microwave).
2. Stir frequently, making sure the chocolate on the bottom of the pan does not burn.
3. Once the chocolate reaches your desired consistency, fill a ziploc bag, cut one of the bottom corners, and drizzle on the cookies!

Next up: Snickerdoodles & Chocodoodles (!!)

Cinnamon Chip Scones

I have had a bag of Hershey's Cinnamon Chips in my pantry for about 3 months now. I wanted to make Cinnamon Chip Scones, but I was afraid of scones. I think I was getting held up at the phrase "cut in butter" because I had never done it before, nor did I have the proper tool. I have since learned that you don't really need a cutting tool to be successful and that Cinnamon Chips do no good just sitting in a pantry! 

Cutting the butter in can be done a number of ways. You can use an actual pastry blender, a fork, your fingers, or a food processor (the method I chose). I combined the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together first in the food processor. I then added the cubed butter and ran it until "coarse crumbs" were formed. I then added the buttermilk and pulsed until a dough was formed. Next, I removed the dough from the food processor bowl and put it into a mixing bowl where I incorporated the cinnamon chips by hand.

Not including baking time, this recipe took about 15 minutes to put together. It was very, very simple and had great results! The scones weren't too sweet and had a great texture. The buttermilk helps with the flakiness factor and makes the scones fluffy instead of dense.

In making this recipe again, I would cut down on the cinnamon chips. As you can see in the pictures, each scone is jam-packed. This is probably a matter of taste, but I prefer a little more plain-ness. SO go ahead, give the recipe a try -- it couldn't be any easier!

Cinnamon Chip Scones
From Taste of Home: Simple and Delicious

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup buttermilk
1 package (10 ounces) cinnamon baking chips
2 tablespoons butter, melted
      
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Fold in chips.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10-12 times or until dough is no longer sticky. Divide in half; gently pat or roll each portion into a 7-in. circle. Brush with butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Cut each circle into six wedges. Separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.


Next up: Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies (drizzled with chocolate!), and soon oh-my-gosh-these!

Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

I would like to say I'm not very picky about my food, especially baked goods, but the more I think about it, the pickier I feel. I'm pretty sure I love spice cakes/bread without exception, though. Zucchini, pumpkin, and carrot especially... yummm! The problem is that most spice cakes will call for a cream cheese frosting. I can't stand cheese in my desserts (yes, this includes cheese cake and cannoli!). With fall approaching and zucchini easy to find, I thought I would make Martha Stewart's Zucchini Spice Cupcakes, but switch up the frosting.

This is a very straightforward recipe, but be sure not to over-mix the batter once the flour is added -- it will lead to a gummy, tough texture instead of the lighter feel of a cupcake. I generously sprayed the muffin tins with non-stick spray but still had trouble removing the cupcakes. I would highly recommend using muffin tins or liners if you have any around. Plus they can make the cupcakes more festive!

The frosting was a great addition to these cupcakes. I don't think I've ever had frosting with cinnamon in it, but it blended really well with the spiciness of the cake. My recommendation would be, however, to cut the sugar back. The original recipe for the frosting called for 2 cups of powdered sugar; I found this to be way too sweet. Next time I would use 1 1/2 cups instead. Also, depending on how heavily you frost, the recipe may need to be doubled.

Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes (found on Erin's Food Files)

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 cups packed grated zucchini (including the skin!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners or generously spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla, and zest until well blended; whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Stir in zucchini, then add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
 
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Frost once cooled and removed.

Spiced Frosting
From The Taste of Home Baking Book (found on How to Eat a Cupcake)

2 cups confectioners' sugar (next time I will use 1 1/2 instead)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons milk

Combine confectioners' sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Using a mixer, combine with butter, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve your desired consistency. Frost cupcakes once they have completely cooled.

Next up: Cinnamon Chip Scones!

Dough-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Dough!

After subscribing to my first food blog about a year ago, my GoogleReader accumulates over 100 posts a day (not counting sewing/crafting blogs and, of course, Perez Hilton important worldly news) and I'm ready to join in on the madness! I tend to bake at least once a week and I think this will be a fun place to chronicle new recipes and my successes/mishaps.

I hope you find some delicious things to make, and let me know how they go!!

Up First: Martha Stewart's Zucchini Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting