Not Your Average Cookie "Cake"

Cookies.  Cakes.  Icing.  Combine the three and what do you have? An amazingly delicious faux cookie cake that you are guaranteed to drool over.  This is a simple way to dress up regular sugar cookies that is bound to thrill your guests or your sweet tooth!

All you need is sugar cookie dough (recipe follows), buttercream icing (recipe follows), sprinkles, mini-marshmallows, food coloring, and circular cookie cutters of different sizes.  Roll the cookie dough out to 1/4 of an inch and use the different cookie cutters to cut out equal amounts of cookies.  Bake and cool the cookies while you make the icing.

Ice the cookies and stack them on top of one another from largest to smallest.  Before the icing dries, coat with decorative sugar or sprinkles.  Flatten a mini-marshmallow and make 5 small cuts around the edge to make it look like a flower.  Using a toothpick, color the petals with food coloring and place it on the top tier of the cookie cake.  Voila!  Your cookie "cake" is elegantly complete!

~Sugar cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

~Buttercream Icing


1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.

A Dog's Gotta Eat Too!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love animals.  More than that, I love dogs.  It is because of this love that I cook for people AND dogs.  After all, a dog's gotta eat too!

My dog, Kip, has always had 2 obsessions: ensuring the security of our yard (from deer, neighbors, mail men, and even the ever so daunting butterflies) and peanut butter.  I often entertain myself by giving him a nearly empty jar of peanut butter and watch him try and get every last morsel out.  Occasionally, I give him a break and just make him peanut butter dog cookies.  It's easier for him, but not nearly as fun for me... oh well, the sacrifices of love.

Kip, the Australian Shepherd

~Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 hot water
Extra flour for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350° F
Mix dry ingredients together.
Mix in the peanut butter and hot water. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Knead the dough well.
Roll out the dough into 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters
Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes.
Store in a sealed air tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Strawberry Ice Cream Forever

There is nothing quite like homemade ice cream on a hot summer night.  The problem is that it is addicting.  It sticks to your hips and messes with your bikini figure.  Well, not anymore!  Here is a fat-free ice cream that tastes like it won't let you fit into your skinny jeans the next morning.  You know the best part?  You still will!

~FAT-FREE Strawberry Ice Cream

Servings: 12 servings (1/2 cup each)

2 cups washed strawberries without the stems

2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) Fat-free Evaporated Milk 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Chill the fat-free evaporated milk for at least an hour. 

Pulse the  strawberries in food processor so that the strawberries are in nice chunks. 

Mix the evaporated milk, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in large bowl. Pour into ice cream machine container. Follow manufacturer’s instruction for preparation. For me, it's 30 minutes.  

Watch out, it will poof up and overflow!  (As evidenced by picture #3)

It will still be a little mushy, so store in a tupperware container and freeze for 2-4 hours before serving if you like your ice cream to be more firm.

Blackberry Buttercream and Drizzle

With the weather getting warmer, I am starting to look forward to spring already.  Blackberries are a wonderful summer fruit and can be used in so many different ways.  Here is a pound cake with blackberry buttercream icing and blackberry sauce.  Just use your favorite pound cake recipe or buy one already made at the grocery store.  Serve with vanilla ice cream!



~Blackberry Buttercream Icing


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
1 (16-oz.) package plus 1 cup powdered sugar


Wash and dry the blackberries.  Using a potato masher, smash the blackberries.  Beat the butter, blackberries, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.

~Blackberry Sauce

3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice


Bring blackberries, sugar, and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Smash with a potato masher.  Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Valentine's Strawberry Crepes

I have recently started making crepes and made these fun strawberry-filled crepes for Valentine's Day!

~Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 large eggs


Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Combine milk, water, melted butter, and eggs in a blender. Add the flour mixture to milk mixture, and process until smooth. Cover batter; chill for 1 hour.Heat an 8-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium heat. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers pan with a thin film. Cook about 1 minute. Carefully lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula to test for doneness. The crepe is ready to turn when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned. Turn crepe over, and cook for 30 seconds or until center is set.
Place crepe on a towel; cool completely. Repeat procedure with the remaining batter, stirring batter between crepes. Stack crepes between single layers of wax paper to prevent sticking.


~Strawberry Filling
8 oz of reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 Tablespoon lemon juice


Cream all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Stuff crepes with the filling.

Good Morning! Casserole

I am normally not a fan of huge meals for breakfast, but this is a delicious and light breakfast that will keep you going all day.  It is perfect for any brunch get-together or holiday breakfast!

~Good Morning! Casserole

8 Eggs or 2 cups of EggBeaters

1 cup skim milk

4 cups sliced bread, cubed

1 cup lean deli ham

2 cups cheddar cheese

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray cooking spray in a 7x11-inch glass baking dish. Whisk Eggbeaters, milk, salt, and pepper.  Add bread, ham, and cheese.  Pour into baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.  Uncover and cook 15 minutes more.

Gettin' Cheesy

I love mozzarella cheese sticks, but I hate the fat that comes with them.  Keeping that in mind, I came up with the oven baked cheeses sticks.  They stave off my cheese stick cravings without making me feel guilty!



~Baked Cheese Sticks


4 Wonton wrappers
2 low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks
Water


Preheat the oven to 400 ℉.   Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut each cheese stick in half.  Place one wonton wrapper on the board. Place half of a cheese stick in the center of the wonton wrapper.  Fold in the sides and then roll.  Dampen end edge with water so that it will stick. Set on the baking sheet.  Coat the outside of the sticks with non-stick cooking spray.  Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm with marinara sauce.