Sugar Cookie Bars

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Sugar Cookie BarsValentine’s Day is tomorrow, so that means I had to share something sweet with you guys today. While most people think of champagne and chocolate, and other caviar tastes – I can’t help but love the simpler things on Valentine’s Day. We always stay at home, and I make a heart-shaped meatloaf. That’s a tradition we always had in my house growing up, and it’s a fun one to be able to pass down to our boys. And, we all look forward to opening our family Valentine Box – a box that’s been decorated with paper, heart doilies, and stickers. A slot is cut through the top to deposit cards, little gifts, boxes of chocolate, etc. It’s something I always really looked forward to as a little girl, and Andrew really seems to be digging it too!

He is also really digging all the parties he’s been having at school in the past couple months with all the holidays and whatnot. He’s got a Valentines Day party at school on Thursday, and we’re trying to figure out what to send in to share with the class. These sugar cookie bars are a top contender! I mean, could they be any more festive? They’re delicious too – denser than a cake, but fluffier and cakier than a cookie. They take a few minutes to throw together, and the batch feeds an army – which is always good when feeding an entire class. If you’re looking for a last minute sweet idea to send in with your little one, these will not disappoint! And, with a different food coloring – could be perfect for so many different occasions.

Sugar Cookie Bars

For the bars:
1 cup butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

For the frosting:
1 cup butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
5 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda; stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan), using clean wet hands to press the cookie dough down. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting bars.

For the frosting, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1 cup increments until combined, then add milk and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Add food coloring if desired. Spread over cooled bars using an offset spatula, and cut into squares for serving.

Source: The Curvy Carrot, originally from Anissa’s Kitchen

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

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Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp. Pasta. Spicy cream sauce. What’s not to love here? This Cajun chicken pasta has long been one of our weeknight favorites. Comes together so quickly and easily, it’s a dish I know I can always turn to on those nights where I want something good and comforting – but I don’t feel like putting that much effort into dinner.

So, it was only a matter of time before I swapped out chicken for other proteins. Like, shrimp. All truths being told, I think I love this dish with shrimp, even more than the chicken. Think shrimp alfredo, but kicked up with the addition of cayenne pepper, sliced bell peppers, and onions that have been sauteed for a bit of a crunch amidst the tender pasta. Rich and decadent, with a bit of heat – it would be a perfect dinner for Fat Tuesday. Or, for Valentine’s Day for that matter. Dinner is ready in under 30 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to do “other” things with your Valentine 🙂

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
½ onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cream
1/2 cup white wine (I use dry Vermouth)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pound cooked fettuccine
2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Cajun spice over the shrimp, toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to skillet, and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp over and cook for 1 minute more. Remove to plate and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over medium high heat until peppers and onions are tender. Remove all vegetables from the pan to a plate, and set aside.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium low and pour in cream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables to the sauce. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine. Serve spicy shrimp on top of pasta. Sprinkle with scallions for garnish.

Source: adapted from this Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe

King Cake for Mardi Gras

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King Cake for Mardi GrasAs you guys are aware, I’m kind of a fan of all things Cajun. Even though I’ve never stepped foot in Cajun/Creole territory in my life – I can’t help but connect to the people, and their quirky ways. From the characters in stories that I’ve read, to the television shows I watch, to some of my favorite foods – I just can’t get enough. My mother in law lived just outside of Alexandria for a few years, and while it wasn’t technically Cajun country, she still found many of the traditions there. One of them was King Cake. She came to visit us around Mardi Gras time a couple of years ago, and brought a King Cake through airport security with her. This woman deserves a medal, no?

When we cut into it to enjoy a piece, I discovered it was very similar to a cinnamon roll. Yeasty bread, that’s been rolled with sweet filling composed of cinnamon-sugar and cream cheese. Then of course there’s the plastic baby that’s tucked inside. If you’re lucky enough to find it, that means you’re cooking the next King Cake! So, I’ve been baking one ever since. Jon actually found the baby in this cake that I baked for photos, but I’m not holding my breath for him to put on his baking mitts and apron. I found my tiny plastic babies in the cake decorating/baby shower aisle at Walmart, but really any trinket will work.

Then the cake is topped with a glaze and a festive, colorful dusting of sugar in the colors of Mardi Gras. I just went ahead and made my own too. At $4 a jar for fancy decorating sugar, granulated sugar + food coloring was sounding pretty good to me! Andrew loves to help me decorate with the sugar, and I love any opportunity that he can help me in the kitchen! This one will definitely be a tradition in our house for as long as my hands can roll up some dough. We love it, and it’s so special  to be able to bring a tradition from the bayous of Louisiana here to the marshes of coastal Maryland. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

King Cake for Mardi Gras

For the dough:
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1 egg
1 egg yolk
4 Tbsp butter, melted
3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting work surface
1 tsp salt
Oil or cooking spray, for coating bowl

For the cream cheese filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 rounded tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp melted butter

For the glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 tsp water
Decorating sugar in yellow, purple and green

Add water and 1 Tbsp sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast over top and let stand for 5 minutes, until yeast bubbles and becomes active.

Add melted butter, egg, egg yolk, remaining sugar, 3 cups flour, and salt, and then turn the mixer to low. Add only enough extra flour to get the dough to clean the sides of the bowl but not come completely off the bottom – it should be only slightly sticky when you touch it.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. While dough is rising, make the filling.

Place cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times until the filling is thoroughly combined and smooth.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times. Stretch to a rectangle about 18×12 and brush with 2 Tbsp melted butter, leaving top 1-inch dry. Using a small off-set spatula, spread the cream cheese filling over the dough evenly, leaving the top 1-inch dry.

Starting with the long side of the dough closest to you, roll jelly-roll style, pinching the last inch of the dough onto the roll and placing seam-down on a cookie-sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Pinch ends together to form a ring.

Place in oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until nicely browned and domed. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and gradually add the water until you get a smooth and thick but scoopable glaze. Spoon glaze onto the top of the cooled cake, then decorate with colored sugar. If baking the cake in advance, wait to glaze and decorate until an hour or so before serving. Otherwise, you’ll get bleeding issues from the colored sugar.

Source: adapted from Erica’s King Cake, from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

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Fresh Cherry CobblerBing cherries have been popping up in my supermarket for a reasonable price already this year. They’ve been really good too – dark red and firm. Usually, it’s all I can do to restrain myself from eating them all “as-is” – but I do like to bake with them when possible. And muddling is always fun, and there’s no better reward than these fresh cherry margaritas.

A couple weeks ago, I headed over to the Opportunity Shop on the island. It’s a thrift store that is run by one of our local churches. We were at our weekly lunch excursion to Mom’s, and I left the boys with her to walk over to the thrift store, for a few blessed minutes alone. I always find my favorite props and old table linens there. And, on this occasion – I got an awesome stash of cookbooks. 2 of Giada’s cookbooks, an America’s Test Kitchen cookbook (Restaurant Favorites at Home), and also this Wolfgang Puck cookbook. We went home, the boys took a nap, and I enjoyed a cup of tea and my new cookbooks in peace. When I came across Wolfgang’s recipe for fresh cherry cobbler – I knew that it had to happen. I had just enough cherries in the fridge, so I made it for dessert that very night.

It was absolutely delicious. Often with cherry desserts, the flavor is so artificial. Not the case here! Every bite was bursting with the flavor or fresh cherries, only intensified because they’d been baked. And the cobbler topping just soaks up all the juices that were exuded during the baking process. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it really was Heaven.

My only complaint was the cobbler topping though. Not really a fan of the fact that you roll it out, then cut squares. Next time I’ll probably cut a cute shape out with a cookie cutter. Or maybe just do a crumbled cobbler topping – there’s something about that rustic look that I just love. Regardless, this was a wonderful dessert that I’m definitely looking forward to making again when cherry season is in full swing!

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

For the topping:
2 cups cake flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small chunks
3/4 cup heavy cream

For the filling:
2 pounds fresh cherries, pitted
1/4 cup honey, mild flavored such as clover or orange blossom
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Kirsch (I used my DIY strawberry vodka)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces, plus butter for the pan
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting
Good-quality vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Make the shortcake topping. Put the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a food processor fitted with the stainless steel blade; pulse a few time to combine. Add the chilled butter and pulse the machine several times until the butter is chopped up into small pieces the size of gravel. With the motor running, pour the cream through the feed tube; stop processing the moment the dough barely begins to form. With a lightly floured rolling pin, gently press or roll out the dough to an 8-inch square. With a sharp knife, neatly trim the edges of the square, then cut it into 8 equal squares. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, transfer the squares to the baking sheet, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until needed.

Pre-heat the oven to 375. In a medium bowl, stir together the cherries, honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Dissolve the cornstarch in the lemon juice and Kirsch, and stir into the cherry mixture. Mix thoroughly. Grease and 8×8 baking dish with soft butter. Pour the fruit mixture into the buttered pan. Dot the surface with the chilled butter.

Arrange chilled shortcake squares neatly on top of the filling in the pan. Brush the shortcake with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake in the preheated oven until the shortcake is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it settle at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

To serve, use a large spoon to transfer each square of shortcake and the filling beneath it to an individual dessert plate. Dust with powdered sugar, and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.

Source: adapted from “Wolfgang Puck Makes it Easy” by Wolfgang Puck