sugar cookies and quick icing

cookies, frosting, sprinkles ... oh, my!

Back when our oldest boys were babies, my DF (dear friend), Noelle, and I used to have weekly play-dates (for mommies and sons).  We loved to watch the boys in all stages with a devotion only first time parents can truly appreciate. We both love the holidays and simply could not wait until these boys were old enough to participate in holiday preparations and traditions.  Once they were old enough to sit up at a table and fling food on a spoon - we had them decorating Christmas cookies.  We were determined!  Our two favorite types were sugar cookies - where they could ice and sprinkle to their hearts' content - and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies - that they would drizzle with melted chocolate.  Messy, yummy fun.  Definitely some Kodak moments!

I think Land O' Lakes published this wonderful sugar cookie recipe on boxes of their unsalted butter more than ten years ago and my adaptation is still our go-to for Christmas (and St. Valentine's, and St. Patrick's and Easter ... ).  I often keep dough in the freezer to bake in small batches throughout the season. They are yummy plain, special with sprinkles and a great project for decorating during the holidays. Here is my take and some pictures of our recent works.


Classic Sugar Cookies
adapted from Land O'Lakes

my microplane makes fine zest;
blends nicely into the dough

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter (1 cup), softened to room temperature
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder

Directions:


Make the dough:
1. Combine the butter and sugar.  I use our standing mixer and beat till light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.  Then add the egg and incorporate.  I scrape down the sides and add the orange juice, zest and vanilla.

2.  In a large bowl combine the flour and baking powder.  I whisk and then slowly add it  into the wet ingredients.

3.  Dump the dough onto a clean counter or large cutting board covered with plastic wrap.  I then divide into thirds or fourths, wrap each in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.  I put mine in the freezer and use as needed.  I have used dough stored up to two months with success.

Cut & Bake:
1. Thaw dough overnight in the refrigerator if necessary.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Roll out on a floured surface. To keep mess to a minimum, you can roll out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper.  We like it to be just under 1/4" thick for cutting.

3.  We have used a variety of sized cutters - mostly 3" but sometimes as small as 2".  I just check the cookies often - starting at 4-6 minutes depending on your oven.

4.  Remove when the top is no longer shiny (damp dough has a slight sheen to it) or when the edges just start to brown (ever so slightly).

5.  Leave on drying rack until completely cool.  Frost to your heart's content!

love our one eyed snowman!

Frosting: 
This easy frosting dries quickly. 


1.  Combine 1 lb confectioner's sugar, 1 T lemon juice, 1/4-1/3 c water in a bowl. A plastic funnel made quick work of putting plain white in a tube then some custom colors into smaller tubes.  Adjust the water as needed for fluidity.

cookie celebration: a visit with Germain Lawrence

is there anything more inspiring than a blank slate?

I love the way food preparations make conversation easy, bringing generations and people from all walks of life closer together.  Yesterday, I shared a holiday moment with some very brave and artistic girls who reside at Germain Lawrence, a unique facility that treats girls in crisis.

Much gratitude to Stephanie Terry and Karina Nolasco for yesterday ... and for the connections they have facilitated between women in our community and the staff and residents at Germain Lawrence.  It is a miraculous thing indeed.  And isn't that what this time of year is all about?  Enjoy a creative moment with people you love - the holiday spirit will flow!

Recipe for a Cookie Celebration

2 Stations:
  I- decorating already baked cookies; accommodating up to 4 rollers
  II- rolling out cookie dough and cutting into shapes

For Station I:
3-4 Rolling Pins
6-8 discs of pre-made batter, rolled between sheets of saran wrap
6-8 Cookie Cutters - faves from yesterday: gingerbread person, trees, flower, star, angel
+ extra batter waiting in a bowl (just in case)

For Station II:
Frosting; white (tons, please), red & green
Food Dyes; for custom colors
Plastic Knives; for spreading
Frosting Pens; white, red, green
Sprinkles; red, green, blue, white or silver balls
Plates for each artist to contain their work

Trays for allowing the designs to set
Boxes or bags for cookies to travel.

Directions:
Add holiday music, 'Eager Participants' and a holiday memory is in the making. Our two stations and 4 long tables connected end-to-end served more than a dozen people at a time. Be brave - make a happy mess!

the girls will be bringing cookie packages
to homes in their neighborhood this year

lemon cake

lemon cake brings a little sunshine to a cold, winter's afternoon

We have a 'flavor love affair' with lemon in this family.  Lemon slices in water, lemon ice, lemonade, lemon bars, limonata, lemon chicken, ... and our secretly simple lemon cake.  This recipe comes from a little gem, Coffee Cakes and Quick Breads, by Renny Darling.  It is out of print, but I found my copy on Amazon.


Although I've come to baking later in my life - I must admit that baked goods are now the most rewarding thing to offer my family.  They love breads, muffins, cakes - like nothing else I put in front of them.  And my boys are more easily persuaded to help when it involves something sweet from the kitchen.  I'm excited to share this with you.  Look for the little tip at the end about dressing it up for company.


Lemon Cake
adapted from Coffee Cakes & Quick Breads




Ingredients:

this juicer is a great gadget!
found mine at Williams Sonoma

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened (you can use a reduced-fat version here if needed)
1 stick of butter, softened (1/2 c)
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 c flour
1 T baking powder


Directions:

1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter, till fluffy. (approximately 2 minutes)

2. Add the sugar until blended.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, until blended.  Beat in the lemon zest and juice.

3. Combine the dry ingredients (I often do this in advance.) and incorporate gradually to the wet batter.  Do not over beat. (I used my KitchenAid mixer for this recipe. You could use a handheld mixer, too.)

batter is thick
used a spatula to spread

4.  Pour into your prepared pan.  Although it is a thick batter, (I used a wide rubber spatula to spread it out in my pan.) it is very versatile.  The original recipe calls for a 10" tube pan or bundt.  I've used a 9x13" (like today), a muffin tin or a mini-bundt pan for special occasions.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Use a cake tester in the center - it will come out clean when ready.

6.  My children like this plain or with whipped cream.  A glaze would make it company-worthy. While it is cooling combine: 1 T cream, 2 t lemon zest & 1/2 c powdered sugar.  Use a spoon to drape this creamy glaze over your cake(s).

santa gave us our cake tester

mini-bundt pan

fancy for company

after school brownies

5 minutes after baking ... almost gone!

My kids are starving when they come home from school!  Often snacks are crackers, granola bars, nuts, fruit or chips (we love salty snacks!) ... but every so often I like to bake something a little more wholesome. Trial and error gave birth to one of our family staples - after school brownies.

In our quest to make more foods from scratch, I tweaked a few online sources to arrive at a no fuss - no frills recipe.  We make these cake-like brownies several times a month, especially now that Ryan is 'off popcorn' (braces).  From start to finish, these can be ready to feed hungry mouths in about 45 minutes.  Make a batch - so easy!

After-School Brownies
adapted from allrecipes.com, nigella & BC (barefoot contessa)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 sticks of butter (1 c)

2 c sugar, I used 1 c white + 1 c brown

1/2 c cocoa powder, I used Hershey's Dark

1 t vanilla extract

4 eggs

Variations: Add chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) or chips (chocolate, peanut butter, etc.)

Make Ahead Tip: I measure the sugar and other dry ingredients in the morning to save extra time when the kids arrive home from school.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Whisk lightly to combine.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the sugar and cocoa to form a syrup. Add the vanilla and then remove from the heat to let cool a moment.

3. Incorporate the dry ingredients and then the eggs last (to prevent 'scrambling').  

4. Pour into 9 X 13 pan - I use parchment but you could also use a cooking spray to prepare the pan.

5. Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool.  I cut into small squares when the after school group is large.  Leftovers make great sundaes or school lunch snacks.  

Enjoy!

claire's banana bread

golden, gorgeous, smells amazing!

We came home from NH to a bowl of over-ripe bananas; a perfect excuse to brag about my friend, Claire, and her amazing blog, cookwithclaire.org. I have been cooking since college, improving with the passage of time and brave friends but it wasn't until Claire started her blog, that I truly attempted baking.  Before that it was drop cookies, the occasional brownie and sugar cookies at Christmas.  But two years ago this January, Claire began her blog and we dove in with her Heirloom Cake.  Success! And my kids have been requesting her recipes ever since.

This is Claire's recipe for banana bread - her grandmother's - and a favorite here at Chez Stump.  Be sure to check out her blog - her food pictures are wonderfully helpful.  Baking this today made our house smell so yummy!

notice my ipad ... logged on to Claire's blog!

Claire's Banana Bread

adapted from cookwithclaire.org

Ingredients:

⅓ c unsalted butter, softened

¾ c light brown sugar (substituted because we were out of dark)

2  eggs

2 bananas, mashed 

1/2 t vanilla (flavor to make up for light brown sugar) 

½ c half & half (substituted because we were out of whole milk)
1 ½ c all-purpose flour 
1 t salt1 t baking soda

Directions:


Tip: I take the butter and eggs out early in the day so that they are at room temperature when I am ready to begin.  If I forget this step - I simply soften the butter with approximately 2 10-second spurts in the microwave. Then I put the butter in the bowl of my KitchenAid Mixer and use the wrapper to butter the loaf pan.  

my batter is a bit lighter today:
 due to the light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you haven't already, butter a loaf pan. 


2. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs and bananas, (and vanilla, if using) and mix until blended. 


3. In a small bowl, with a fork, wisk flour, salt and soda together. Add flour mixture and milk to the banana mixture in a couple of batches, ending with milk. Mix until blended.  Bake for about an hour until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


Great heated - try serving with vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce!

homage to Kate: peanut butter cookies

best with milk

Today's post is an homage to my mother, on her 72nd birthday.  My mother is a strong, spiritual woman who has lived her life with a passion for education, literature, storytelling,  nature and nutrition. She is a well-loved (now retired) school teacher and I often reflect back on all the things she accomplished in any given day - while juggling a career and family.  While my mother was passionate about fresh fruit, veggies and fresh seafood - she was not fond of elaborate meal preparation or long hours in the kitchen.  (Often resorting to cereal for supper when my father was away on business! -  How wise she now seems!)  As such, the dessert she would make most often was not a cake or a pie ... but these delicious peanut butter cookies.  The recipe is straight from the only cookbook she ever owned, The Joy of Cooking. Click here for a glimpse into this book's amazing history.

Happy Birthday, Mom!


Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
from the Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:
1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 c unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 c peanut butter (we use creamy)
1/2 t vanilla

Directions:


1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Whisk together the flour and baking soda to combine. Set aside. (I did this in advance and left out with the butter.)

3. Beat the butter and two sugars together until well-blended.

4. Add the egg, the peanut butter and vanilla.  Then stir in the flour mixture until blended.  Shape into 1-inch balls and arrange on cookie sheets, about 2-inches apart.  Press flat with a fork (see my picture).

5.  Bake for 10 minutes (I do one sheet at a time because my oven doesn't always cook evenly.)  Let stand briefly then transfer to a rack to cool.

Enjoy!