Tag Archives: cinnamon

May 22, 2013 · 5:00 am

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Sandwich Cookies

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Filling | Pale Yellow

There was a quart of leftover dulce de leche swiss meringue buttercream in my freezer from the tres leche cupcakes.  It called my name for a week before I used it to make these sandwich cookies.  Swiss meringue buttercream is my all-time favorite type of frosting and when you add an entire can of dulce de leche to it, there is no mistress more tempting.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Filling | Pale Yellow

This is not my first combination of dulce de leche and cinnamon, but this version is all homemade and doesn’t require a freezer.  There is just something about the spicy cinnamon and smooth, caramel flavor that calls my name and excites my taste buds.  To me, this is a purely adult taste profile, much too sophisticated for the kiddos.  These were thoroughly enjoyed by all adults present.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Filling | Pale Yellow

I made these cookies on this particular Saturday because Andrea’s parents were in town visiting.  I like people to like me, and baking them something magically delicious is a sure fire way to make people like you.  Perhaps I should try bringing cupcakes with me on dates.  Would you fall in love with a lady who brought you cupcakes on a first date?  Are there any straight, single men who read this blog?  What do you think?!?!

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with Dulche de Leche Buttercream | Pale Yellow

Needless to say, Andrea’s parents like me!  Impressing lovely, Midwestern parents is one of my favorite hobbies, and I’m glad this was a success.  It’s hard not to like a chewy, cinnamon cookie sandwiched with a cool, creamy frosting.  It’s two cookies for the price of one, what’s not to love here!  You could totally enjoy the cookies without sandwiching them, but why would you when you can make a glorious cookie even more spectacular!

Brown Butter SniBrown Butter Snickerdoodles with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Filling | Pale Yellow

One Year Ago – S’more Cupcakes

Print the Recipe!

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Filling | Pale Yellow

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Sandwich Cookies
Adapted from Bakergirl
Yield – 18 sandwich cookies, 36 cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup brown sugar {mix of light & dark}
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon whole milk
1/2 cup sugar + 3 tablespoons cinnamon for rolling
Dulce de leche buttercream

  1. Brown the butter by placing it in a small saucepan.  Heat, whisk and watch until the butter is no longer yellow, but brown.  It takes about 8-10 minutes.  Transfer the browned butter to bowl to cool slightly.
  2. Sift together the flour, soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt onto parchment paper, set aside.
  3. Add the sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.  Mix to combine and then slowly add the butter.  Mix until all the sugar is moistened.
  4. Beat the eggs, vanilla, and milk together in a small bowl and then add to the butter/sugar mixture.  Beat on high to combine well.
  5. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
  7. Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to portion the dough.  Roll each piece of dough into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on the cookie sheet with plenty of space between.  I fit 8 cookies per sheet.
  8. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the tops are puffy.  Let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
  9. Spread about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of frosting on one cookie, sandwich with a second cookie.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Filling | Pale Yellow

About these ads

2 Comments

Filed under Cookies

Tagged as , ,

May 10, 2013 · 5:00 am

Cashew Nut Milk

cashew nut milk // pale yellow

This juice is fantastic!  Rich and creamy and totally satisfying.  It totally saves you after a long day of drinking acidic juices filled with all the fruits and vegetables you can imagine.cashew nut milk // pale yellow

Drinking the cashew milk before bed leaves your tummy full and happy while providing your body with needed protein and fat to start the next day off right.  The vanilla and cinnamon add great flavor.

cashew nut milk // pale yellow

This juice was the first one I prepared because it is the easiest to make ahead.  Simply soak the nuts over night and the blend with the rest of the ingredients.  Portion the juice into mason jars and store in the fridge.  You’re now ready for easy grabbing and drinking!  No worries, the juice cleanse is over now!

cashew nut milk // pale yellow

Print the Recipe!

Cashew Nut Milk
Adapted from Juices 101
Yield – 64 ounces

1 1/2 cups raw cashews
6 cups filtered water + more for soaking
3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
3 teaspoons cinnamon

  1. Soak the cashews overnight with plenty of water to cover.
  2. Drain and rinse the cashews.  Add them to a VitaMix with 6 cups water, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  3. Blend for 2-3 minutes on high and then pour into a nut milk bag.
  4. Squeeze out all of the nut milk until you are left with a dry pulp in the bag.
  5. Portion the milk into 3 mason jars and then pour the rest in a glass to drink or store for later.
  6. Store in the fridge and shake before drinking.

cashew nut milk // pale yellow

1 Comment

Filed under Beverages

Tagged as , , , , ,

April 24, 2013 · 5:00 am

Almond Pulp Breakfast Bars

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

When you start making your own almond milk you’re left with a lot of leftover almond milk.  Almonds are kind of expensive so it seemed kind of wasteful to just throw it away.  Luckily I was able to find a recipe, and then severely doctor it, to use up the almond pulp.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

I tend to be a creature of habit, eating the same thing everyday for breakfast and lunch.  It makes my life so much simpler when I don’t have to plan or think creatively for these meals.  There was a long phase of eating a banana and fiber one bar every morning for breakfast.  When I went vegan I cut out the fiber one bars and switched to a handful of almonds.  Although almonds are delicious, they can be a little dry in the mornings.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

The idea of a breakfast bar still appealed to me so I decided to make my own.  There are a lot of recipes out there for breakfast bars, protein bars, and homemade granola bars, but none of them seemed to have what I am looking for.  These are not perfect, but they were flavorful and had much of what I was looking for in a breakfast bar.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

Next time I would pump up the coconut and chocolate chips.  I would also leave out the dried cranberries.  Although I normally enjoy dried cranberries, their chewiness was weird in these bars.  I really enjoyed eating these bars and look forward to making them again with all that almond pulp!  This is a great, chewy bar for breakfast or snack time.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

One Year Ago – Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Chai Buttercream

Print the Recipe!

Almond Pulp Breakfast Bars

Adapted from Edible Perspective

Yield – 8 (1 1/2 x 6 inch)

1 cup loosely packed almond pulp

1/2 cup mashed banana, very mashed

6 tablespoons peanut butter, natural

1/4 cup ground flax seed

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B

pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup cinnamon chips

1/4 dried cranberries

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Mash together the almond pulp, banana, peanut butter, and flax until you have a loose ball of dough.  Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt.  Again mix well.

  3. Add in the coconut, chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, and dried cranberries.  Feel free to substitute any nuts, seeds, fruits, or mix ins.  The total should be about 1 cup.  Mix together

  4. Press each dough on a baking sheet as thin as you can into a 12×6 inch rectangle.

  5. Bake for 20 minutes and then cut into 8 pieces.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the bars are browned and crispy.

  6. Wrap in parchment paper and enjoy for breakfast!

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

Leave a Comment

Filed under Breakfast

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

April 9, 2013 · 5:00 am

Graham Crackers

Graham Crackers // Pale Yellow

Yes, I see the trend.  Homemade almond milk, pizza rolls, and thin mints in the span of one week; it all seems like a lot of work.  I’m not turning into one of those crazy-make-everything-at-home-hippies, but if it were more affordable, and I didn’t have to work a real job, that’s probably exactly what I’d become.  Store bought food is wonderful and there are plenty of moments in my life where it is fully utilized and enjoyed.  However, I also enjoy the challenge and taste of homemade items made from scratch that are usually store bought.

Graham Crackers // Pale Yellow

One challenge I was ready to conquer was homemade Mallomars.  They require a graham cracker base, marshmallow, and a chocolate coating.  Sure, you could use store bought graham crackers, but what’s the fun in that?  These graham crackers were made to simply be in the middle of another cookie!  That’s the level of craziness I’m venturing into – from scratch baking inside of a from scratch baked good.  Baking Inception.

Graham Crackers // Pale Yellow

These graham crackers are so good they deserved their own post.  You could definitely get a few more than 48 from the recipe, but I lost track of how many I ate before counting.  Also, I only ended up with about 40 Mallomars because I ate so many crackers.

Graham Crackers // Pale Yellow

The graham crackers have so much flavor from the cinnamon and honey.  There is nothing artificial or processed here, just real ingredients, and you can taste it.  The wheat germ gives incredible chew to the crackers.  It’s hard to compare homemade graham crackers to the store bought version because there really is no comparison, these are so much better.  I can’t wait to whip up another batch and use them for everything!

Graham Crackers // Pale Yellow

One Year Ago – Cake Decorating 2 Final Cake

Print the Recipe!

Graham Crackers

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Yield – 48 2” round crackers

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/8 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Whisk together both flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and honey together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Scrape the bowl as needed.

  4. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.  The mixture will be sandy, but that’s alright.

  5. Turn the contents of the bowl onto a floured surface and knead together for about 2 minutes.  Divide the dough in half.

  6. Roll each half of dough between sheets of floured parchment paper to 1/4″ thickness.  Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles.

  7. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes before baking.  Use a fork to prick holes in each graham cracker before baking.

  8. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Graham Crackers // Pale Yellow

Just wait until tomorrow’s post!

4 Comments

Filed under Cookies

Tagged as ,

November 7, 2012 · 5:00 am

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

When you are off of work for two four days, what better to do than make some cinnamon rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls no less!  There is nothing better than the smell of sweetness, cinnamon, and yeast baking on a windy, raining morning.  For a day that is set for laziness, why not start properly with a sweet, decadent breakfast!

It’s always interesting to see what I write.  My blogging process is weird.  The time between baking, typing up a recipe, photographing, editing the photos, starting a post, and finishing a post can take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks.  Often I start a post with a paragraph going in one direction and the rest of the post goes somewhere else.

The first paragraph was written pre-Hurricane Sandy.  During this time my roommates and I had stocked up on food, water, wine, and candles.  We were ready to watch movies, bake, eat, and relax for a few days.  The start of this post completely captures my attitude before the storm and Monday’s post completely captures my attitude after the true nature of the storm was realized.

Let’s talk about happy things now, and these are happy cinnamon rolls!  I’ve never made cinnamon rolls, weird, but true.  And in my true nature I would never let my first experience with cinnamon rolls consist of plain, boring cinnamon rolls!  Here are some fall-inspired pumpkin cinnamon rolls!  I hope you get inspired too!  These bad boys are moist, spicy, and totally sweet, melting in your mouth.  The apartment smelt like heaven.  Best of all, not that much work!

Print the Recipe!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Baked Explorations
Yield – 12 cinnamon rolls

Dough
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1/4 whole milk
1 + 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
scant 1/8 teaspoon allspice
scant 1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg yolk

  1. Brown your butter by placing it in a small saucepan.  Melt and cook until the butter is brown.  Set aside to cool.
  2. Warm the milk slightly but not above 116 F.  Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and allow the yeast to bubble slightly.
  3. Add the flour, brown sugar, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Turn on low speed with the paddle attachment and mix until combined.  Add in 2 tablespoons of the browned butter, pumpkin puree, milk/yeast, and egg yolk.  Mix until all combined.
  4. Switch to the dough hook and knead for five minutes.
  5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel and let double in size for one hour.

Filling
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

  1. While the dough is raising, mix together the ingredients for the filling.
  2. Roll out the dough on a well floured surface to dimensions of 8 x 12 inches.
  3. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter on the dough and sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough.
  4. Roll the dough gently along the long side into a spiral.
  5. With a serrated knife cut the roll into 12 one inch pieces.  Place the pieces in greased and parchment lined 9” round pan.
  6. Allow the rolls to raise for another hour.  Or place the rolls in the fridge overnight and bring to room temperature for one hour before placing in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes.
  7. Place on a wire rack.

Glaze
2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt (or cream cheese)
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  1. If using Greek yogurt, strain the yogurt in a sieve lined with paper towel overnight.
  2. Mix the yogurt, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl.
  3. Smear over the warm cinnamon rolls.
  4. Serve warm!

6 Comments

Filed under Breakfast

Tagged as , ,

November 5, 2012 · 5:00 am

Apple Pie Cheesecakes

Yummy, yummy!  I saw this recipe the day before I went apple picking and I knew I was going to make it with my freshly picked apples.  Since I had so many apples, I wanted to make my own apple butter.  Making apple butter is super easy!  Just dice some apples, cook them until they are really soft, and then puree.  I had always assumed apple butter was difficult to make and fancy, but I was wrong.

This post was supposed to go out on Friday, but somehow it just didn’t seem right.  This whole blogging thing seems trivial and I could be doing so many more useful things with my time then typing up recipes, taking pictures, and writing about them.  It’s a shame because this amazingly delicious recipe is being overshadowed by the dark cloud over my heart.

People don’t have heat, electricity, warm food, or clean water, and I’m writing about apple cheesecakes.  It all seems inappropriate.  Hurricane (Post-Tropical Storm) Sandy has left us, yet the devastation left in her wake is still being uncovered.  Saturday I made the decision to push forward and find some degree of normalcy.  Time has not stopped, life is pushing forward and I need to move with it.

I’ve been out of work for a week and I have used that time to volunteer, gather what supplies I can for those who need it, and reach out to those I care about.  Eventually I will find the balance I need to help those in need and do the things that bring me joy.  If you want to know what you can do to help, please email me – palyellowbakes@gmail.com.  Thank you!

These mini apple cheesecakes really are wonderful!  They have a crunchy, cinnamon-filled crust and a simple, sweet, no-bake cheesecake filling.  The apple-walnut compote on top adds the extra burst of appleness this recipe needs.  This dessert was well received by the roommates and co-workers.  I believe this would make an excellent addition to any Thanksgiving dinner!

And this seems so silly, but I’m in love with the pictures I took!  I struggle with my photography so much!  Nothing is straight, almost all the pictures are blurry, and I just don’t have great natural light spots.  These pictures were taken in the early evening out on the back porch.  Everything just works.  It’s a rare moment I’m impressed by my own photography, this is one of those occasions!

Print the Recipe!

Apple Pie Cheesecakes
Adapted from Shutterbean
Yield – 12 individual cheesecakes

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces 1/3-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup apple butter, see recipe below
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium apple
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and make the apple butter if you’re making it from scratch.  If you have store bought, use it!
  2. Pulverize the graham crackers and then measure 1 1/4 cups into a small bowl.  Pulverize the walnuts as well and add to the graham crackers.
  3. Melt the butter and add it along with the salt and cinnamon to the walnut/graham cracker mix.  Stir until everything is moistened.
  4. Spray silicone cupcake molds with cooking spray and press 2 tablespoons of the crust mixture into each cupcake mold.  Use your fingers to press the crust into the bottom and up the sides.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crusts are brown.  Let cool completely befroe filling.
  6. Beat the cream cheese for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and apple butter.
  7. In another bowl beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peak form.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese.
  8. Use a standard size ice scoop to portion the cream cheese mixture into each crust.  Smooth the tops with a spatula.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
  9. To make the apple-walnut topping melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan.  Chop up one apple into small pieces and add it to the butter.
  10. Add in the walnuts that are coarsely chopped and the cinnamon.  Sprinkle in a pinch of salt.  Stir and heat until the apples are soft and a nice sauce has formed.  Set aside to cool.
  11. Place about 1 tablespoon of the mixture on top of each cheesecake.

Apple Butter
Adapted from Chef in You
Yield ~ 3 cups

2 pounds chopped apples
2 tablespoons apple cider
splash of water

  1. Add the chopped apples to a medium sized sauce pan with the apple cider.  Stir and cover with a lid.
  2. Cook until the apple are easily mashed with a wooden spoon.  If the mixture becomes too dry, add in a splash of water.
  3. Use an immersion blender to puree into a smooth mixture.
  4. Store the mixture in the fridge in an airtight container.

8 Comments

Filed under Desserts

Tagged as , , , ,

October 26, 2012 · 5:00 am

Apple Cider Sangria

You know I love sangria right?  I mean who doesn’t?  Fruit, wine, extra booze, a little bit of sparkling something – it’s heaven in a glass!  I’ve always considered white sangria a marvelous drink for summer get-togethers and red sangria fantastic for winter parties.  Now I have something fabulous for fall festivities – apple cider sangria!

It’s the weekend!  Grab your favorite pitcher, put on a cozy sweatshirt, and make yourself some apple cider sangria, you’ll be happy you did!  Apparently Hurricane Sandy is coming to New York.  I should go stock up on the wine now,  there would be nothing worse than being trapped in the house during a hurricane without any wine!!!

This is goooooood sangria.  Sweet from the apple cider, crisp from the Pinot Grigio, and spiced from the cinnamon and ginger.  The sangria is easy to make and delightful to drink!

Print the Recipe!

Apple Cider Sangria
Adapted from How Sweet it is
Yield 4-6 (12-16 servings)
Note – I made 3 pitchers, so the amounts in parentheses are totals to make 3 pitchers worth

1 (3) bottles pinot grigio
1 1/2 (4 ½) cups apple cider
1/2 (1 1/2) cups brandy
1 (3) pears, cored and cut into slices
2 (6) apples, cored and cut into slices
3 (9) inches ginger, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch slices
3 (9) cinnamon sticks
1 (3) cups seltzer
apple slices and cinnamon sticks

  1. The night before or early in the day combine the first seven ingredients into your pitcher.  If you have small pitchers like me, make a larger batch but divide among several pitchers.
  2. Stir gently to combine and place in the fridge.
  3. Before serving add the seltzer.
  4. Serve over ice with apple slices and cinnamon sticks as garnish.

8 Comments

Filed under Beverages

Tagged as , , , , , ,

October 17, 2012 · 5:00 am

Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Chips – GF

These scones were another two-fer: scones for Andrea as she carb-loaded before her half marathon and gluten free for my brother’s girlfriend.  I’m not going to turn into a gluten free girl, but after two successful recipes using all-purpose gluten free flour, I now understand how easy it is to switch the flour to accommodate those with food allergies.

I bought cinnamon chips from King Arthur Flour a couple of months ago and have been itching to use them.  They just seemed like the perfect fall addition to any baked good.  When Andrea asked for scones, I immediately thought about making pumpkin scones, 1. because pumpkin is delicious, and 2. it’s fall, everything needs to be pumpkin!  I searched for pumpkin scone recipes and came across the one on the King Arthur Flour website.  It seems as though a lot of bloggers use recipes from this site, so I thought I would give it a go.  Especially considering I was using their cinnamon chips!

It is strange to make scones when not watching British television marathons, but I should really do so more often!  I no longer need to wait until I need six hours of Downton Abbey or Pride and Prejudice, I can make scones anytime!  These are some fantastic scones, like the best scones I’ve made!  They were moist with big crumbs. I hate with scones are dry and mine usually are.

In addition to the terrific texture of the scones, the flavor was spot on!  There was just enough spicy goodness and the cinnamon chips were delightful surprises in each bite.  This is the type of scone you can easily eat two of, especially on a sunny fall morning on the back deck!

Print the Recipe!
Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Chips – GF
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Yield – 12 scones

2 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1 1/2 cups cinnamon chips
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup turbinado sugar or any other coarse sugar

  1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.  Cut the butter into small pieces and use a pastry blender to incorporate into the dry ingredients.  Blend until you have pea sized pieces.
  2. Mix in the cinnamon chips.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla.  Add this to the dry and mix until just combined.
  4. I used my hands to lightly knead the dough together.
  5. Divide the dough in half and place one half on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Shape the dough into a long rectangle with greased or floured hands and then divide into thirds with a greased bench scraper.  Cut each third diagonally with the bench scraper.  Lightly move the triangles away from each other.  Repeat with the other half of the dough on a second baking sheet.
  6. Brush the top of each scone with the half-and-half and then generously sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  7. Place the baking sheets in the freezer for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425 F at this time.
  8. Bake the scones for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Cool slightly before eating on a wire rack.

4 Comments

Filed under Breakfast

Tagged as , , , ,

September 12, 2012 · 5:00 am

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

There have been a lot of cookies lately, I know – Funfetti cookies, Brown butter chocolate chip, and M & M cookies.  Cookies are so easy in the summer!  They are easy to transport, they are easy to eat, and most importantly, a cookie isn’t fussy.  I went to my friend Jackie’s house for one final beach day/night out/sleep over in Rockaway of the summer.  The previous weekend I had brought over Funfetti cookies and her husband told me how much he loved snickerdoodles.  I’m good at taking a hint!

Why gluten free?  I am very fortunate to not have food allergies, knock on wood, but it seems everyone I know is finding out about an allergy.  One of Jackie’s friends, Terri, who is an awesome, gluten-free lady, was going to be at their house for the weekend too.  I thought this was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone – snickerdoodles for Justin, gluten-free for Terri!

Making snickerdoodles with an all-purpose, gluten-free flour was super easy!  When I was looking up gluten free recipes, most of them just called for a complete 1:1 swap of regular flour with the gluten free.  I don’t know if it would work all the time, but it worked really well in this recipe.  I thought the cookies tasted a little different from regular snickerdoodles, but everyone else who tried them disagreed!  A snickerdoodle is a delicious cookie with or without the gluten!  And this is an easy introduction to some gluten-free baking!

Print the Recipe!

Snickerdoodles – GF
Adapted from Snickerdoodles
Yield – 36 small (1 tablespoon) cookies

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream together the shortening and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the egg and the vanilla, stir until everything is well combined.
  3. Add in the flour, cream of tartar, soda, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Stir until just combined.
  4. Combine the 1/4 cup of sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in small bowl.
  5. Use a small, 1 tablespoon scoop to portion out the dough.  Roll each ball of dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  6. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes.  Do NOT over bake!
  7. Let cool on a wire rack before packaging.

1 Comment

Filed under Cookies

Tagged as ,

July 11, 2012 · 5:00 am

Bacon Cupcakes – Take 3

Does a six-month-old blog need 3 bacon cupcake recipes?  Obvi, yes!!!!  The first bacon cupcake recipe was just an ice breaker, it showed me bacon cupcakes are totally the way to go!  The second bacon cupcake, Man Cupcakes, was a total expression of the awesomeness that is a bacon cupcake!  Despite the Man Cupcakes’ deliciousness, it had a lot of breakfast overtones and I wanted to dial down the cinnamon and up the bacon. This third bacon cupcake does just that!

Replacing the butter with bacon fat adds fantastic flavor that really raises the bar when it comes to the overall bacon-ness of the cupcake.  I worried the cupcake would be too fatty, but it wasn’t and the cupcake was still tender, light, and moist.  The bacon fat adds a rich saltiness!  If you’re looking for a less salty cupcake leave out the salt.

The frosting is so amazingly sweet and delicious!  There is just the right hint of maple without being too sweet or overwhelming.  The sweet frosting pairs really well with the saltier cupcake.  And of course, the candied bacon on top is the perfect decoration and accompaniment to this beauty!

These cupcakes were made by special request for Jackie.  She wanted to surprise her husband, Justin, for their first anniversary. Get it?  Paper cupcake liner because paper is traditional for first anniversaries, genius idea!  Justin is lucky to have such a wonderful wife!!  Justin views my cupcake photos on Facebook and has been asking me to try one. When he asked me again about bacon cupcakes the day before I was scheduled to make them I had to completely avoid looking at Jackie so I wouldn’t ruin the surprise!  It’s really fun to bake when you know the person receiving the baked goods is going to love them!!

Print the recipe.

Bacon Cupcakes
adapted from my standard vanilla cupcakes
Yield -18 cupcakes

6 pieces bacon, cooked extra crispy
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons cooled bacon fat (I had been saving this bacon fat in the fridge)
2 eggs
1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole milk

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Saute the bacon on the stove top until it is extra crispy.  Let cool on paper towel.
  2. In the bowl of a mixer add the sugar, flour, powder, soda, and salt, mix slowly with the paddle attachment.  Add the bacon fat and beat for several minutes until the mixture becomes nice and crumbly.
  3. While the mixer is mixing, whisk together the sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Pour this in the mixer and combine.  Scrape the mixing bowl as needed.
  4. Slowly add the milk in and turn on high for a few seconds.
  5. Crumble up the bacon and mix in.
  6. Use a standard ice cream scoop and place the batter into lined cupcake pans.
  7. Bake 14-17 minutes until a toothpick in a center cupcake comes out clean.  Cool on cooling rack.

Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, page 304

5 large egg whites
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup, grade B
pinch of salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

  1. Place the bowl of your stand mixer over a small pot filled with a little water to use as a double boiler.  Add the egg whites, sugar, maple syrup, and salt to the bowl.
  2. Heat and whisk the mixture until it is frothy and there is no grittiness between your fingers when you feel the mixture.
  3. Move the bowl to the mixer and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form and the bowl in completely cool to the touch.
  4. With the mixer running, add in the butter one tablespoon at time.  The mixture may separate, but just keep beating and scrape down the bowl every now and again.
  5. Add the frosting to a piping bag with a large star tip and then top with a piece of candied bacon.

Candied Bacon
6 slices of bacon
6 tablespoons brown sugar

  1. Cover a toaster oven tray in foil.  Place the bacon strips on the foil.
  2. Spread 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over each slice of bacon.  Press into the bacon.
  3. Bake in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes.  Watch closely and rotate the pan as needed. Bake until the sugar turns dark brown and bubbly.
  4. Let the bacon cool slightly and then carefully move to a sheet of parchment paper to cool and harden.  Once cool, cut each slice into 3 pieces.

3 Comments

Filed under Cupcakes

Tagged as , ,