Baby-Themed Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Tip: If you use this icing recipe, DON'T put the cookies in the refrigerator. I did, and the icing on the bears got splotchy. Instead, seal them in a plastic bag or tupperware and leave on the counter.

It's amazing these cookies made it. I had it all planned out - put the first layer of icing on the cookies during the girls' naptime, and then finish the decorations at night. But how often do plans get totally tossed up in the air when small children are involved??? These cookies are survivors.

My daughter decided it was not a nap day. Instead, she decided to destroy her room. And pee on the carpet. And eat one of the two "B" letters I had cut out to spell BABY. I couldn't believe it.

But after much perseverance (and very carefully cutting out another "B" from a baked cookie), these cookies were done. And I was pretty happy with the end result. Though next time, I will use strawberry-flavored extract for the pink icing and lemon extract for the yellow icing, then almond or vanilla extract for the other colors (this time, I used vanilla for the icing, and while they were good, I think it'd be nice to have a variety of icing flavors on the cookies).

This sugar cookie cutout recipe comes courtesy of my mother. The icing is my adaption of a few I found online. It dries shiny and hard, but is soft when bitten into. To decorate, here's a step-by-step guide on how to ice and decorate sugar cookies.

Mama Julie's Sugar Cookie Cutouts
2 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 egg

Directions:

1. In mixing bowl, cream butter, egg and vanilla (won't be completely smooth). 
2. In separate bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. 
3. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Use hands if needed to knead dough into a ball. 
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle flour on your work area and on your rolling pin. Roll dough out, sprinkling the top of the dough with flour as needed. Roll until dough is approximately 1/4" thick. Cut out shapes and place cookies on parchment paper-lined baking tray. 
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to sit on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing. Makes at least 2 dozen.

Sugar Cookie Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
3 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon flavoring (vanilla extract, almond, etc.)
Food coloring

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar and milk together until smooth.
2. With a handheld beater, beat in light corn syrup and flavoring.
3. Divide into bowls and add appropriate food coloring. To ice cookies like a pro, create an outline on each cookie with thicker icing. Then, thin the icing with a little milk and spoon icing into the un-iced area, spreading icing with a toothpick until the cookie is filled in. Use this step-by-step How To Decorate Sugar Cookies guide. Allow icing to set completely before adding another decorative layer of icing. If adding sprinkles, add immediately after icing. Store cookies in sealed container on the counter.

Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love Ghiradelli chocolate. In fact, my daughter and I have been known to eat it by the bagful (plus, it's her "special treat" for going potty on the toilet). I love Ghiradelli's brownie recipe, and I've been making their chocolate chip cookies forever. They are just perfect.

There is nothing like warm, from-scratch chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. With a tall, cold glass of milk, please!


If I'm just baking these for my hubby, I bake as many as he wants, then I roll the remaining batter into little balls, put them into a bowl, and place in the freezer for another night. I've also halved this recipe.


Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies (4 dozen)
2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. 
2. Beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy.
3. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated.
4. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). 
6. Drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.

Quick Dinner: Ginger-Teriyaki Stir Fry

Got leftover meat? How about some veggies about to go bad in the fridge? Then try this quick and yummy stir fry. You can use frozen veggies of course, but the slight crunch of fresh veggies is really nice in a stir-fry.

This dish is so flexible...noodles or rice work, as does chicken or steak. Kudos for the sauce recipe goes to America's Test Kitchen.


Ginger-Teriyaki Stir Fry
Pad thai quick noodles or rice
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Fresh or frozen vegetables, chopped into bite-size pieces, such as:

• broccoli
• carrots, cut in julienne style (match-stick)
• mushrooms
• sugar snap peas
• water chestnuts
• asparagus

Chicken or steak, cooked, and cut into bite-sized pieces (2-3 chicken breasts/steaks)

Ginger-Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon dry ginger)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
red pepper flakes

Directions (serves 4)

1. Whisk soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, vinegar and cornstarch in bowl, and set aside.
2. Put vegetable or canola oil in wok or large nonstick pan, and bring up to medium heat. Add vegetables and cook until slightly softened.
3. Meanwhile, cook pad thai noodles or rice according to box directions.
4. Pour soy sauce mixture into vegetable pan.  Simmer over medium heat until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken/steak bits into pan, stir, and cook for another minute or so, until meat is warmed.
5. Add noodles or rice to stir-fry, and mix together. Sprinkle desired amount of red pepper flakes on top. Serve and enjoy!

Applesauce Muffins with Streusel Topping

I woke up this morning and felt like baking. And eating. Something baked.

With a toddler and baby running (and crawling) around, and somewhere to be at 9:30 a.m., I was able to whip these muffins together, they are that easy...and they definitely hit the spot. Give me anything with a streusel topping, seriously. I love it.

These are chock-full of oatmeal, raisins, applesauce and some brown sugar. So they are semi-healthy, slightly sweet, definitely moist, and oh so yummy!

Applesauce Muffins
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. 
3. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mix well.
4. Add applesauce and mix well; stir in raisins and oatmeal.
5. Spoon into 12 lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the following streusel topping onto each batter-filled cup. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick, and cool on a rack.

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cold butter (cut into tablespoons)
dash of cinnamon

Mushroom & Lemon Couscous

Couscous makes a great sidedish to chicken, fish or steak. It is so easy to prepare - just 10 minutes and it's done. This recipe takes ordinary couscous and yummies it up with the flavors of garlic, mushrooms, lemon, onion and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!


Mushroom & Lemon Couscous
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (baby portabellas are yummy!)
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 package NEAR EAST Couscous Wild Mushroom & Herb
1 can (or 14.5 oz.) chicken stock
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In large nonstick pan or skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions, mushrooms and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, prepare couscous according to package directions, except use chicken broth instead of water and add lemon juice with contents of spice sack. 
3. Combine prepared couscous into the mushroom mixture, and stir in Parmesan cheese.

Easy Weekend Blueberry Pancakes

We love pancakes on the weekend. I have tried more elaborate pancake recipes, like Bobby Flay's delicious Lemon-Blueberry-Ricotta Pancakes, but when I have a hungry hubby and kiddos waiting to be fed, I opt for this simple recipe (adapted from a Betty Crocker cookbook).

You can use store-bought syrup, but have you ever looked at the ingredients? Most are made of high fructose corn syrup! Try real maple syrup with some butter in it...that simple recipe is below as well. It'll make a HUGE difference. You'll never go back to the corn syrup-based stuff again!

Easy Weekend Blueberry Pancakes
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) or oil
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest (or orange zest if lemon isn't available)
fresh or frozen blueberries

Maple-Butter Syrup:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Beat egg in a medium bowl on high speed until fluffy. (A handheld beater works best for 1 egg.)
2. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.
3. Grease griddle with butter and drop pancake batter by 1/4 cup. Sprinkle blueberries in freshly dropped pancakes and cook until puffed and dry around the edges. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown.
4. To make syrup, put maple syrup in a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. When warm, add in butter and stir to combine. Taste, and add more butter if you prefer. Serve with pancakes.

Aussie Caramel Slice

I have been to Australia twice (thanks to my Aussie-hubby). And both times I couldn't get enough of this decadent little dessert. In the words of my mother-in-law who saw me baking this dessert tonight (over Skype)..."You do know the way to a man's heart!"

Australia is one cool country. If you haven't ever been, you really should go. Besides experiencing the fun Aussie culture, super-friendly people, and the beautiful beaches...the quaint, locally-owned bakeries are definitely worth exploring.

There are no chain-bakeries or restaurants down under (except for a few fast-foodies like McDonald's). Only local.

And, though I tasted many an Aussie dessert and pastry, the Caramel Slice always won. It's simple: shortbread-like crust, thick caramel filling, and dark chocolate topping.

This recipe comes from "The Essential Baking Cookbook." And it's pretty much perfect.


Aussie Caramel Slice
Crust:
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Caramel Filling:
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup

Chocolate Topping:
5 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (original recipe calls for 20 g or 3/4 oz. white veggie shortening)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 7x11" baking pan (I use a little smaller pan) with butter and then line with baking paper, leaving the paper hanging over on the two long sides.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl, then mix in the coconut and sugar. Add the melted butter and stir through thoroughly. Press firmly into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly colored. (Because I use a smaller pan, it takes about 20-22 minutes to cook, as the base is a little thicker). Allow to cool.
3. For the caramel filling, place all the ingredients into a small pot over low heat. Slowly bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly (so the caramel sauce doesn't caramelize on the bottom of the pot and leave you with brown burnt bits floating in the caramel). Gently boil and stir constantly for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly caramelized. Quickly pour over the cooled base, spreading evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. For the chocolate topping, place the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Half fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and place the bowl with the chocolate over the pot, making sure the boiling water doesn't touch the bowl. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted. Spread over the caramel. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until set. (Usually takes more than 20 minutes to set).
5. Lift the slice from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into pieces with a hot, dry knife.