The Yum Rush

Storm Trooper Sugar Cookies

Storm Trooper Sugar Cookies
cookie recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, cookie cutters from the Star Wars Cookie Cutter Set

Total Prep and Baking Time: 4 hours to chill + 45 minutes for prep/baking (does not include decorating time)
Yield: 18-20 2 1/2 inch cookies (I doubled this recipe and got about 45 cookies)

For the cookies:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the royal icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
black food coloring

1. First, make the sugar cookies. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside. Beat together the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix until just moistened. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours – this is important so that your dough is firm enough to cut into shapes. I let mine sit overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line and/or grease two baking sheets. Dust a clean work surface with flour and unwrap the chilled dough, placing it on your work surface. Roll half of the dough to about 1/4 inch thick, and cut out the cookies into whatever shape you like (in my case, storm troopers). Transfer the cut-outs to the baking sheet and continue to roll the dough out and cut the cookies out until you have run out of dough.

3. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until set but not browned. They should just be ever so slightly golden on the very edges. Remove them from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for at least 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to another surface to cool completely.

4. Now, make the royal icing. Whisk together the sugar, egg white, and lemon juice until it is completely smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. The mixture should have the texture of a glaze. If it’s too thin, add some more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a few more drops of lemon juice or water.

5. To make thick icing for outlining the cookies, place some of the icing in another bowl and add more confectioners’ sugar until thickened, but not too thick to pipe out through a squeeze bottle or a pastry bag. If you want to make the icing thinner for flooding the cookies after you have outlined them, place some of the icing in another bowl and add water or lemon juice until thin (it should be a bit thinner than you think it needs to be – believe me). Let the icing harden on the outline before flooding, and let the flooded icing harden before decorating. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

(Source: crepesofwrath.net)

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

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When Is It Worth Buying Organic?

I found this amazing guide on buying organic foods online the other day and thought I’d share with y’all. This is basically the chart they provide and gives you a few pointers on buying organics. Check out the guide here.

Red Velvet Crepes with Raspberry and Cream Cheese Filling

How can you resist spoiling your Valentine with this delicious recipe?? Chocolate, cream cheese, red velvet… need I say more??

Yield: 12 large or 16 small

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch salt
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• dash of vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• red food color
• extra butter to cook with
• Raspberry Preserves
• Sweet Cream Cheese Filling
• Nutella (or chocolate)
Sweet Cream Cheese Filling
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/ 2 cup ricotta
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp strong coffee
• 1 tsp rum (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, milk, water, salt, sugar, vanilla food color, and melted butter in a blender and pulse until foamy.
2. Add flour and cocoa powder and pulse until smooth. Let the batter sit for an hour.
3. Prepare Cream Cheese Filling by mixing all filling ingredients with mixer until well combined and smooth, set aside.
4. After batter sits for one hour, heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook until the top loses its gloss, which should only take a minute, then flip. The bottom should be golden. Cook the other side for about 15 seconds and then slide out onto a plate.
5. Repeat with remaining batter.
6. Prepare crepes by spreading a one inch wide strip of raspberry preserves down center of crepe, then top with cream cheese filling.
7. Fold each side of crepe over filling and plate.
8. Melt Nutella in microwave for about 30 seconds and drizzle over crepes.

(Source: tidymom.net)

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U feel your pain!

THE ULTIMATE STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

(makes 2 pint-glass servings with ice)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large lemons, microwaved for 30 seconds
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries, microwaved for 1 minute (you could use fresh, but I think the frozen works better here)

In a blender squeeze the lemons and add the rest of the lemon, rind and all.  Pour in the water and sugar.  Add the strawberries.  Pulse until everything starts to come together and the rind is starting to be processed.  Remove the blade (or place the entire contents of the blender into a microwavable pitcher) and microwave for another 2 minutes.  You can do all of this on stove top if you’d prefer, but the microwave is easy and quick.  Refrigerate for about 1 hour, then strain into glasses loaded with ice.  Enjoy!

**Note:  I like to microwave the lemons to release more of the juices, and microwaving the strawberries does the same sort of thing.  I like to microwave it all together at the end to release more of the oils in the lemon rind as well as dissolve the sugar.  Any of these things you could do on a stove.**

(Source: heathersdish.com)

Breakfast Risotto Balls

Risotto in the morning?? 

Yes please!!

Check out this yummy recipe by BS’ In the Kitchen

Apple Spice Hummus

Apple Spice Hummus [yields ~3c]

• 15oz can [1.5c] chickpeas
• 1 1/3c unsweetened applesauce
• 1T sunflower oil
• 1T honey
• 1/4c raw cashew butter
• 1t molasses
• 2-2.5t cinnamon
• 1/2t salt
• 1/8-1/4t nutmeg
• 1/16t clove

1. Blend everything together in a food processor until smooth. [A mini food processor will work, but you may need to make it in 2-3 smaller batches.]
2. Taste + adjust spices if desired.

*Raw cashew butter [unsalted/unroasted] yields the best flavor, but other nut butters will work.  I recommend using them in their raw form, so the flavor is not too strong.  You can easily make raw cashew butter at home in your food processor.  Process 2c of cashews [for an 11c capacity processor], scraping the bowl when needed for about 8-12min, until cashews are buttery + smooth.  Add 1/2-2T oil if needed to smooth out.

*You can sub apple instead of applesauce if desired.  The texture will not be as smooth, but it’s still quite tasty.  You will need about 2c of chopped apples.

(Source: edibleperspective.com)

Apple Pie à la Mode Smoothie

Apple pie in a smoothie?! I’m in! Check out this delicious recipe by the Fig Tree.

Ingredients

• 2 large scoops of fat free vanilla frozen yogurt
• 1/4 cup of vanilla soy milk
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of apple juice (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• a pinch of ground nutmeg

Method:


1. In a blender or with a hand immersion blender & a jar, combine all the ingredients until smooth and frothy. Add more apple juice if you are not getting a strong enough apple flavour. If you would like a smoothie that is less thick, add a splash or two more of soy milk. Note: you can make this recipe vegan if you use vegan ice cream.


2. Pour mixture into two glasses and garnish with another sprinkle of cinnamon. You can also top with a pretty star anise for effect and flavour.


Makes 2 cups.

Chocolate Cranberry Cake

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it’s about time you start thinking about what to bring to the table. Instead of the usual traditional pies, why not bring a decadent chocolate cranberry cake? Such an impeccable pair of flavors in a rich and bold cake.

(Source: purevege.com)