12.23.2010

Cookies You Can Catch {If You Run Fast Enough}

Run, Run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread man!”

‘Tis the season for cookies, right? I love to bake around the holidays and this week Benjamin and I baked gingerbread cookies. None of our cookies got away from us {although a few did break their legs so that could be why}, and I wanted to share the recipe with you all! Don’t worry, you don’t have to have men-shaped cookie cutters! We did trees, ladies, men, bears, and Benjamin’s personal favorite: stars!

Here’s what you need:

2 bowls {One larger, one kinda medium}
5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup Butter Crisco {or other shortening – we didn’t use butter Crisco, just reg}
1 cup sugar {as it happens, I forgot to add this… and it still tastes fine! just not as sweet}
1 egg – OR 4 teaspoons meringue powder + 4 tablespoons water
1 cup molasses
2 tablespoons vinegar

 

Here’s what you do:

Phase One: Grease your cookie sheets & preheat your oven to 375. {in medium bowl} Stir together flour, soda, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside. {or let your toddler keep mixing it while you take care of the next two steps}

Phase Two: Mix together the meringue powder and water until well mixed and frothy.

Phase Three: {in large bowl} With an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the shortening for at least 30 seconds. Add sugar and increase mixer speed to high, beating until fluffy {if you don’t like super sweet cookies, you can leave the sugar out and it will still taste good}. Add the meringue mixture, molasses, and vinegar; beat well on high speed until batter is smooth and well blended.

Phase Four: Add dry ingredients gradually, beating continually with mixer. When batter becomes too stiff for the mixer, remove beaters and stir by hand.

The next step is one that I didn’t do. Maybe I should have to keep my mens from losing limbs.

Phase Five: Cover bowl and chill for 3 hours or overnight. After chilling the dough, divide in thirds.

I did do this, though:

Phase Six: Refrigerate two-thirds while you work on one-third. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place cut outs on a greased cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. {Be sure to make small openings in the top of each shape if you plan on hanging the cookies as ornaments!}

Phase Seven: Bake at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Let cookies cool for about a minute before transferring them to a wire rack.

Phase Eight: Decorate! {Separate post on decorating coming soon!}

Enjoy Baking!!

12.21.2010

Lookin' Good!

Hey Good Lookin' is lookin' good with a new look! I'm excited to get back into updating this blog because cooking is something I am wanting to learn more about and get better at once we get into our new house! I hope you plan on checking back often! Don't forget to follow so you don't miss a tasty treat!

Happy Holidays, Y'all!

Bringin' It Back With Cake Balls!

Long time, no amazing recipe! This is about to change my friends! Get ready! This is going to be fabulous!!



Those cookies sure look fantastic, but I wanna talk about the cake balls!



Here's what you need:

1 Box Red Velvet cake mix (or any... by the way if your house smells like chocolate as you bake it, it's because Red Velvet Cake is actually Devil's Food Cake with red dye. Juuuust so ya know.)
1 Can Cream Cheese frosting
1 or 2 Packages of almond bark (you can use regular chocolate or white chocolate - and I say 1 or 2 because I ran out with just 1.)
Optional: Sprinkles

And here's what you do:

1. Bake cake as directions on the box say to.
2. Let cake cool for a bit, but while it is still warm, crumble it up in a big bowl.
3. Add the cream cheese frosting and mix it all up really well.
4. ****VERY IMPORTANT**** Stick the cake mixture into the FREEZER for about an hour. I stuck it in the fridge for like 2 and it didn't do very well... do it in the freezer if you can!
5. Melt your almond bark in the microwave or whatever... just do what the package says.
6. Take your mixture out and make little balls... I used a measuring spoon (tablespoon I think) to scoop it out and then rolled it into a ball.

7. Dip the cake balls into the melted almond bark. I used a Pampered chef egg separator. It worked pretty well for me. Some people use tooth picks or skewers.

8. If you're using sprinkles, make sure you apply them before the coating hardens!

Voila! You have cake balls and they are fantastic.


Perfect for the holidays! Make some friends or family really happy!


Enjoy!