Shortbread Bites

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Festive Shortbread Bites

I’d seen these little festive Shortbread Bites pop up in my Facebook feed several times over the past couple weeks. I immediately was smitten. I mean, seriously, how cute are they? While I love shortbread, it’s so rich that a whole cookie can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. But, one perfect little bite? How can one resist that?

The recipe for the shortbread is on-point. Tender, buttery, and crumbly – it really is a little perfect little bite of  baked perfection. The key is to knead the dough with your hands until it comes together. Use the mixer to break down the butter, but then your hands to bring it all together. When you dump the mix out of the work bowl it will be crumbly – don’t despair! After a few scrunches in your palms, the butter warms and makes a dough that is easy to work with.

I loved the flecks of color through-out the bites. Looking forward to making this with different colored nonpareils for other holidays as well – pink & red for Valentine’s, pastels for Easter, purple and orange for Halloween! I’ll definitely be making them again before the year is over for gift bags as well. There’s nothing better than homemade goodies to give as gifts!

Speaking of which, make sure you check back here on Sunday for a cookie swap party that I’m doing with some fellow blogger friends. There will be some great ideas to add to your “must bake” list this year! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Festive Shortbread Bites

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
2 Tbsp red and green nonpareils or sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and sugar. Mix to combine. Add in the cubed butter and turn mixer onto low, then increase speed to medium until butter is cut into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the extract and mix for another 15 seconds.

Dump flour mixture out onto a clean work surface and scrunch dough together with your hands, warming the butter in the dough. Knead the nonpareils into the dough until evenly distributed.

Pat dough into an 8×4-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 1/2 inch squares using a pairing knife or pizza cutter. Place squares, 1/2-inch apart, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake cookies 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Source: adapted from Good Housekeeping

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

Is anyone as excited for the Holidays as I am? We had a great visit with Jon’s family over Thanksgiving, and now I’m looking forward to getting the house decorated this week – and ready for Christmas! We’ll be going to get our tree this weekend, *squee*.

I couldn’t help but kick-start my excitement a few weeks ago when I was asked to develop a recipe for Eggland’s Best to celebrate holiday baking. Did you know that their eggs contain 25% less saturated fat than other supermarket eggs? Or that they are typically to the supermarket within 72 hours of laying? Impressive.

Anyways, the cupcakes. I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, which is as moist and chocolaty as it gets. Then I topped it with a delicious peppermint buttercream frosting, and garnished with pieces of broked up peppermint candies. They were nothing short of incredible! I loved the crunch of the candies with the smooth frosting. And they were so pretty to look at!

So if you’re looking for something to get you in the kitchen, and holiday baking underway before the cookie exchanges and whatnot start up – make these cupcakes. They’re fun and festive, and sure to please!

Eggland’s Best has also graciously offered to host a giveaway for our readers! I have a $25 Visa gift card and a coupon for 1 dozen free eggs for one lucky reader. What a great way to get started on your baking! To enter just leave a comment telling us your favorite holiday baking memory. Contest ends at 12/7/14 at 11:59 PM. A winner will be chosen by random number generator and announced on December 8th. US residents only, please.

randomnumber

Congratulations to Carla, who had Comment #23! Thanks to everyone who entered.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup hot coffee

For the Peppermint Buttercream:
1 cup butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
10 peppermint candies, crushed
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a large measuring cup or bowl combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

With the mixer on low, slowly pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then, pour the hot coffee into the batter. Mix until just combined.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full. Bake in preheated oven for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low, and add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and a pinch of salt and increase speed on mixer to medium. Beat for 1 minute. Frost cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies just before serving.

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at Eggland’s Best, and as always all thoughts are my own.

Sweet Potato Pie

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Sweet Potato Pie

Have you guys ever had sweet potato pie? It’s pumpkin pie’s “Black Sheep” cousin. It sounds kind of weird in theroy, but upon first bite you discover it’s absolute deliciousness. A little bit lighter and less filling than pumpkin pie, but still just as festive for Fall.

We grow lots of sweet potatoes here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore – most notable, a white-fleshed sweet potato variety called Haymans. You rarely find them off of the Eastern Shore because they’re in such high demand with the locals. I still haven’t been able to get my hands on any this year…I’m hoping to track some down before next week for Thanksgiving, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

If you’re worried it might take more time and effort than a pumpkin pie, don’t be – it’s just as easy, with an even shorter ingredient list. It’s one of those recipes that the little ones like to help make too! Plenty of stirring and whisking involved. It may seem strange that there’s no brown sugar or nutmeg – but just go with the lemon extract. It adds such a bright note to the sweet potato, and really makes it sing.

So, if you’re looking for a new dessert that’s still traditional – you’ve found it. The perfect addition to your holiday Thanksgiving table that everyone is sure to enjoy! Have a great weekend, everyone.



Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups sweet potato puree* (about 3 medium sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp lemon extract
1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sweet potato puree, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, flour, and lemon extract in a large bowl. Whisk until combined and smooth.

Pour into pie shell and bake for around 50 minutes, until crust is golden brown and the filling doesn’t jiggle.

Remove from oven to cool to room temperature before serving. Or refrigerate for a chilled pie.

* To make the sweet potato puree: Pierce sweet potateso in a few spots with a fork and microwave at high power for about 10 minutes or roast at 350° for about 1 hour, until tender. Let cool slightly, then peel and puree in a food processor.

Source: Mrs. JoSue

Baklava

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Baklava

Happy National Baklava Day! If there ever was a dessert worthy of it’s own day, I’d say baklava was it. I’d never had the pleasure of trying it before moving here to the Eastern Shore. I’ve made mention before how our little island has quite a few Greek families that live and operate restaurants here. Jon worked in one of them growing up  (Famous Pizza for you locals), so baklava was a favorite for him at a young age. He introduced it to me, and it quickly became one of my favorite as well!

Tender, crunchy, golden brown layers of phyllo dough encasing layers of finely chopped spiced nuts and brown sugar, all enrobed in honey. It’s pretty much as close as one can get to perfection in a baking dish. I can’t believe it took me this long to get around to making it in my kitchen. I was afraid it would be super time consuming or tedious, neither of which it was. Took all of about 15 minutes to assemble, and the results were in-sane…

I used a mixture of the traditional walnuts and pistachios for a little depth of flavor. I also added a few slices of lemon to the honey syrup. Jon said he remembered Rula (the owner) putting lemon in her syrup when she made baklava at the pizza shop, and thought that sounded like a great touch.

I actually need to make another batch soon, the poor folks at Jon’s work didn’t even get to enjoy any! That’s how we know something is really good, when leftovers don’t make it into the office. If you’ve never made baklava, or worse – never even tried it, do yourself a favor and make this soon!

Baklava

2 1/2 cups walnuts
1 1/2 cups pistachios, shelled
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, melted
1 package (roll) phyllo sheets, thawed

For the syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup honey
fresh lemon, sliced

Combine sugar, water, and honey in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add lemon slices and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a liquid measuring cup. Cover with plastic wrap and place refrigerator to chill. I like to use a cold syrup on my hot baklava, I think it absorbs better and helps retain crispiness.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the walnuts, pistachios, sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to break up the nuts, taking care to not chop them too fine. Transfer to a bowl.

Set up your assembly area. Clear off a large surface, such as your kitchen table or counter. Place the bowl of nut filling, the baking pan, the melted butter and the pastry brush on the surface, reserving a spot for the phyllo. Carefully unroll the phyllo. If the phyllo dough is too big for your baking pan, trim the phyllo sheets to match the dimensions of your pan using a knife or scissors. Place a slightly-damp tea towel over the phyllo.

Using the pastry brush, brush on a thin layer of butter all over the bottom of the baking pan, and place one sheet of phyllo doug on the bottom of the pan. Butter the top of the phyllo lightly, making sure you are going out all the way to the edges. Repeat with layering 6 more sheets to total 7 sheets of phyllo, buttering the top of each sheet of phyllo before placing the next. Be sure to re-cover the remaining phyllo with the tea towel each time you remove a sheet.

Sprinkle half the nuts over the phyllo and spread them gently with your hand so that you have a fairly even layer, spreading all the way to the edges. Place a sheet of phyllo on top of the nuts and carefully brush with melted butter. Repeat, layering 4 more sheets in all, with butter between each layer.

Add the second layer of nuts. Sprinkle the remaining layer of nuts over the phyllo. Again, spread them into an even layer and push them all the way to the edges. Place a phyllo sheet on top of the nuts and brush lightly with butter. Repeat, layering 6 more sheets of phyllo, with butter between each layer, to total 7 sheets.

Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava on the diagonal into approximately 28 pieces (can be more if you make smaller pieces). Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Check half way through and rotate the pan for even browning. When golden brown, remove from the oven onto a cooling rack. Run your knife through the baklava to be sure the pieces are cut all the way through.

Retreive the honey syrup from the refrigerator and remove the lemon slices. Carefully pour the chilled honey syrup over the warm baklava, being sure to coat each piece. Cover the baklava and let sit for several hours or overnight before serving. Will keep for up to 5 days, covered.

Source: adapted from TheKitchn and Famous Pizza on Chincoteague Island, VA.