White Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcakes

I'm not sure why I haven't posted this recipe yet.  I was going through photos and deleting and sorting and stumbled across these and went "Oh crap!".  Yep, oops!  But then again we are definitely into strawberry season so maybe this recipe was just waiting for the perfect debut to arrive.

My favorite strawberry recipe is definitely strawberry-rhubarb pie but strawberry shortcakes have a space in my heart as well.  Usually my strawberry shortcakes involve buying those bright yellow sponge cakes strategically placed next to the berries in the produce section.  You know the ones I speak off, right?  They kind of taste like a Twinkie sans cream filling. 

I feel kind of ashamed to admit that I really love those sponge cake receptacles.  That being said I know I can do better.  My grandma never used those things but would make her own little biscuits to serve the strawberry filling on.  They always tasted amazing, especially right out of the oven, and were easy to prepare.

I'm not sure why I get so lazy and use those sponge cakes when these taste so yummy.  I used my grandmother's recipe (actually found on the Bisquick container) and modified it to add some more flavor.  Chocolate and chocolate chips anyone?  Perfect combo if you ask me (or don't).  Mmm, chocolate covered strawberries!

Kind of off topic but why the heck are strawberries almost the size of apples and so tasteless these days?  I remember eating unripe strawberries in my grandma's front yard that had more flavor then these monster berries! 

A lot of my berries in this batch were a bit under ripe too.  Didn't know that until I opened the package those sneaky strawberry packers. 

Nothing a little honey can't solve.  I love using honey instead of sugar because it completely dissolves in the strawberry juices where as sugar sometimes stays a bit grainy.  It also tastes better!  We bought some local honey at the farmer's market and I swear I could just eat that stuff straight out of the bottle.  Don't be surprised if you find me passed out under the table with an empty honey bear beside me.  Hooray for sugar highs!

White Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcakes
slightly adapted from Betty-Crocker.com

4 cups sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons honey 
2 cups baking mix (like Bisquick brand) 

1/3

  cup unsweetened baking cocoa

4 

tablespoons sugar(divided)

2/3

  cup milk

2 

tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/3

  cup white chocolate chip
whipped cream (I use Cool-Whip)

1. Heat oven to 425°F. In large bowl, mix strawberries and honey; set aside. 

2. In medium bowl, stir baking mix, cocoa, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar and the butter until soft dough forms. On parchment lined cookie sheet, drop dough by 6 spoonfuls. Sprinkle dough with remaining sugar.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

4. Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Gooey Lemon Peppermint Chip Cookies

I think the best part of Christmas is Christmas Clearance.  I stock up on a lot of baking supplies right after Christmas due to the oh so very low prices.  I usually end up buying seasonal flavors like pumpkin, peppermint, cocoa, etc.  I like to stock up on my favorite seasonal candies too, especially my all time favorite Terry's Chocolate Oranges.

Not pictured: 1 egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint chips

This year I didn't find any chocolate oranges on clearance.  Bummer!  Someone must have beat me to 'em! I did invest in a few packages of Andes Peppermint Chips though.  This year was the first year I have ever seen them and only at the Walmart.  I can usually find the Andes Creme de Menthe chips year round though.

I was inspired by this pin on Pinterest that has been making the rounds:

Source: alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

I figured if sucking on a lemon through a peppermint straw is tasty then lemon cookies with peppermint chips have to be mighty tasty too!  Glad I was right.  These cookies are so yummy!

I used a gooey butter cookie recipe as the cookie base by swapping out yellow cake mix with lemon cake mix.  Gooey butter cookies and cake are my favorite and lemon my all time favorite cake flavor.  Peppermint is not usually my thing but they added a cooling effect to these cookies that reminded me of lemon cooler cookies.

The cookie dough does need to chill out in the fridge for a bit before dishing out and rolling in the powdered sugar.  As the name implies they are very gooey to work with.  Other than that these cookies are easy to make and addictive.  Enjoy!

Gooey Butter Peppermint Chip Cookies

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened  

1 egg, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix  
5 oz. (half a bag) Andes Peppermint Baking Chips
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Add cake mix, and stir until well blended. Stir in Peppermint Chips. Refridgerate dough in covered container for one hour.

After chilling dough, Roll dough into 1inch balls and roll the balls in the confectioners' sugar. Place 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Merry Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas everyone!  I really hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas holiday full of good food and good times.  My Christmas is a bit lame because all my family lives up north and I'm stuck down south.  I try to keep myself very occupied every Christmas season so I don't dwell on that too much.

I try to make a gingerbread house every year.  Last year I couldn't because I was in the middle of a move.  I am so happy not to be in the same place I was last year.  Moving sucks!  We may be moving again but that isn't set in stone yet so we'll see.

This year's gingerbread house is a bit of a cheater house.  I used the gingerbread from a Halloween gingerbread haunted house kit I bought when all the Halloween stuff was red tagged.  I got this super cheap!  I just bought some Christmas themed candy and made my own royal icing.  I really love the pink and brown.  

My husband keeps asking when we get to destroy the house.  Our tradition is to blow up our gingerbread houses at the end of the holiday season.  Mostly because it's so easy to buy fireworks this time of year to celebrate the New Year and what's the point of keeping a house made of cookie and candies?  Sounds like an ant/bug attractor to me! I'm not a pyro so I let Peter handle the detonation.

Is this a weird tradition? 

Grandma's Sugar Cookies {12 Days of Christmas Treats}

This post would be easier to write if I'd turn off the TV but that would mean not getting to sing along to The Sound of Music.  I've never considered it a Christmas Movie but it's always on this time of year.  One of the best things about Christmas is all the music.  The Christmas carols start playing 24/7 on some radio stations as early as Thanksgiving! 

I have so many favorite Christmas carols. I can't sing to save my life but that doesn't stop me from singing at the top my lungs.  I also love hearing my Grandma play carols on the piano at church.  I can't play any instruments so I'm always envious of those who can, like my husband and my Grandma.  

My current favorite Christmas song is "Do You Hear What I Hear".  The one I am tired of hearing is Mariah Carey singing "All I Want for Christmas is You".  I can't believe how much they play that song when there are so many others!  I mean I haven't even heard my childhood favorite, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas".

Well instead of getting annoyed with the radio and their choice of carols, I'll eat some cookies.  After I bake some more.  My roommate devoured these.  Apparently sugar cookies are his favorite.  

These cookies get their lovely design via a drinking glass.  My Grandma taught me this trick.  Of course all her glasses have lovely designs on their bottoms.  I had to search high and low for this glass!

The trick is to dip the glass bottom into a little bit of water and then onto the sugar crystals.  Then press your sugar dipped glass on to the cookie dough ball.  My Grandma would dye sugar with a few drops of food dye to make her sprinkles.  I opted to use store bought sugar sprinkles in red and green.  Grandma's were always red and green for Christmas!

These cookies taste so good and bring back so many wonderful memories of Christmas spent with my Grandparents.  I loved how she would serve these with home canned peaches or apricots (when her tree was still alive).  There's nothing fancy about these cookies but that doesn't mean they're boring.  They're just right!

Ole' Fashioned Sugar Cookies

from my Grandma Mary's recipe box

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

4 cup flour

1 tsp. cream of tarter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp lemon zest

Cream butter, oil, and sugar.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients.  Roll a teaspoon of dough into a ball, roll in sugar and press down with a drinking glass on parchment covered cookie sheet.  Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 10-12 minutes.  

Noodle Clusters {12 Days of Christmas Treats}

These Noodle Cluster thingies are my husband's favorite Christmas treat.  Honestly, I'd never had them until I met him and was introduced to his family.  HE claims it just isn't Christmas without them and since his Mom gave me the recipe I figured I better make him some.

I did make some alterations to her recipe.  No way was I melting the chips over the stove.  Just.  No.  That's what microwaves are for.  It also called for peanuts.  Hmm, how about some peanut butter instead?  Yum, peanut butter!  I guess if you really like biting into nuts you could use chunky peanut butter instead or add in some chopped peanuts.

I have found out that these are also called Haystacks in some circles.  I just find it weird that something that is usually a Chop Suey topping can be transformed into something so sweet and delicious.  Who comes up with these things?

Noodle Clusters are really easy to make.  In a medium sized microwave safe bowl combine all your ingredients. Microwave on 50% power 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until all melty and smooth.

Add in the chow mein noodles and stir to combine.

Drop spoonfuls to cool and harden onto waxed paper.  Then eat till your stuffed!  Or you could share them.  I guess.

Noodle Cluster

adapted from a recipe given to me by Peter's Mom

12 oz chcolate chips

12 oz butterscotch chips

6 oz Chow Mein noodles

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

In microwave safe bowl, combine ingredients.  Melt in microwave at 50% power 1-2 minutes stirring at 30 second intervals until ingredients are melted and smooth.  Add noodles, stirring to coat evenly. Drop by tablespoonful onto wax paper to harden.  Store in airtight container. 

Santa's Whiskers Cookies {12 Days of Christmas Treats}

Raise your hand if you hate fruitcake...I know you can't see me but if you could my hand would be way up.  I'm told by those who do like it, it's more about the texture rather than the taste.  Weird.

When my step-mom made these for us kids for the first time I refused to eat any.  Those sticky sweet candied cherries yelled,  "Fruit cake!" and I yelled back, "Heck no!".

 

Somehow I was finally convinced to give them a try.  They did smell good baking after all.  Also, there was nothing else sweet to be had in the whole house.  I was desperate.

I'm so glad I gave these a try.  They are now my favorite Christmas cookie.  I love slice and bake cookies.  They're so convenient!  This dough also freezes well.  Just wrap it up tight and you can have Christmas cookies all year long.

This is one of two recipes that my step-mom makes that I absolutely love.  The other is one she calls Peek-a-boo cookies.  I wanted to share this recipe too, unfortunately it's MIA.  I can't find it, she can't find it and I have googled and googled with no luck.  I'm sad.  Those Peek-a-boos are my brother's favorite!

Have you ever lost a cherished family recipe?  I know we also have recipes that are not written down or they are considered top secret.  I hate it when I ask my Mom for a recipe and she tells me that because she has made it so many times she doesn't have a written copy anymore.  She knows it by heart.  Amazing!

Anyways, give these cookies a try.  Don't let the candied cherries scare you.  They're delicious and absolutely gorgeous in these cookies.  Just hold them up to the light and you'll see what I mean!

Linking up at these lovely blogs!

Santa's Whisker Cookies

from my Step-Mommy Mychele

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons rum or rum flavoring 
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups red and green candied cherries 

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

3 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Directions

In large bowl of electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, and vanilla and rum and beat until smooth. Beat in flour gradually, beating dough until just combined well. Stir in candied cherries and pecans. 

Divide dough into three equal portions.  Shape each portion into a log on plastic wrap.  Roll each log in 1 cup of coconut.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  refridgerate until firm, about one hour or overnight.  Dough can also be stored in the freezer until ready to bake.  Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Using a knife, cut dough into 1/4 inch slices.  Place on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Jamprint Cookies {12 Days of Christmas Treats}

Today's sweet treat are Jam filled Thumbprint cookies.  My great grandma always seemed to have these in her cookie jar (along with those really hard iced oatmeal cookies!) so they remind me of her a little bit.

Of all the cookies I have made this holiday season these ones disappeared the fastest!  I managed to get a few in my greedy little mouth before they went missing and I have to say that they taste nothing like the little cookies my grandmother bought.  They're better!  I think it's all the butter.  Butter makes everything better.

I also created some wall art.  If your like me around this time of year you probably have some favorite holiday shows and movies on your must watch list.  It used to be that all you had to do was turn on the local channels and get to watch Charlie Brown and Rudolph.  Now they always seem to be on cable only (if your lucky).  I don't have cable=(

So this year I missed out on torturing my husband by watching Elf multiple times.  He hates Will Farrell (because he's weird like that).  That's okay, I still get my Elf in by answering my phone with, "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?".   So much fun!

I actually caught the Charlie Brown Christmas special on good ole antenna TV.  I was overcome with glee.  

I have yet to see the Grinch this season.  Not the animated version or the live action one with Jim Carey.  I like both but the animated one is my favorite.  I love the song about the Grinch.  My husband actually likes that one too and will sing me the song when I request it.  He claims to be unable to sing but he sure sounds fine to me=)

So whats your favorite Christmas movie?

Jamprint Cookies

adapted from Simply Recipes

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

3/4 cup of your favorite seedless jam 

1 egg white beaten with 2 tsps water

Directions

In large bowl of electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in flour gradually, beating dough until just combined well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Form level teaspoons of dough into balls.  Dip ball in egg white mixture, then into pecans, if using. Arrange dough balls about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. With your thumb make an indentation in center of each ball of dough and fill with about 1/4 teaspoon jam. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, about 12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 2 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely.

Ginger and Lemon Glazed Cookies {12 Days of Sweet Treats}

This past Sunday I went to Walt Disney World with some great friends and family.  We went to Micky's Very Merry Christmas Party.  It was a a very fun night but way to short!  We did manage to ride everything we wanted too though:  Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion.  Lines were short and there was free cocoa and cookies all night!

They had two types of cookies:  chocolate chip and snickerdoodle.  Honestly, they were pretty grody.  The cocoa was delicious.  You could also get apple slices or apple juice instead of the cookies and cocoa too.  So what ever you do, don't go to that Christmas Party just for the cookies!

If you need some cookies, stay at home and bake some of these babies up.  They are a slice and bake cookie with a unique flavor.  The cookie is ginger flavored and it is covered in a lemon glaze.

I found the recipe on the Martha Stewart website.  She always have a ton of good cookie recipes and craft projects.

I made these with my sweetie in mind.  He love, love, loves, lemon!  I figured these would pair well with his evening cup of hot tea.  He really did love the unique flavor of these cookies and said I should make them again.  I agree.  I really enjoyed them too.

Ginger and Lemon Glazed Cookies

adapted from Martha Stewart.Com

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Salt

6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger

1 large egg

1 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup water

Directions

Sift flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add ginger, and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in egg,vanilla and lemon extracts until well combined. Add flour mixture, and then beat on medium-low speed until dough just comes together.

Arrange two approximately 12- by 12-inch square pieces of wax paper on a work surface. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 10-inch-long log, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Transfer each log to a sheet of wax paper. Roll the wax paper around each log, cover in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Slice each log crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick cookies and arrange on baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between cookies. Bake, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks about halfway through baking, until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue baking cookies on cooled baking sheets.

Whisk confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and juice, honey, water, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the cooled cookies. Let stand until glaze is set, at least 20 minutes.