Lemon Coconut White Chocolate Chip Cookies

We are in the midst of a winter storm, and sometimes when the weather is cold I really like baking something that reminds me of a nice, warm spring day.  The bright lemon flavor in this cookie will definitely bring you to a warm and sunny place.  My husband and I both really liked this cookie and I have officially added it to my repertoire.  Make sure you use real white chocolate chips as opposed to those strange white vanilla milk chips.

LEMON COCONUT WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Adapted from The Naked Beet

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups toasted coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix enough to incorporate. Slowly add the flour mixture until just incorporated into the batter. Fold in the coconut and white chocolate chunks.

4. Form dough into heaping tablespoon sized balls and place two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just set. Let cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I was tired of making regular old banana bread with my overripe bananas so I decided to try something new. Peanut butter and banana go together famously, and chocolate chips make everything better, so this recipe was an easy selection. While the baked bread has a strong peanut butter aroma, the peanut butter flavor is actually fairly subtle but contributes to a dense, moist loaf. I took this bread to the office and my co-workers devoured it and showered me with compliments.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the banana, peanut butter, sugars, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined and there are no spots with raw flour. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top into an even layer. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. If your bread appears to be browning too quickly, place a tented piece of foil over it (I did this at the 45-minute mark).

6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cooled bread should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap; it can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Lattice-Top Peach Pie

My husband loves pie and I love baking new things, so this recipe was a win-win for both of us.  You can get pretty good peaches in Texas at this time of year (late summer and into the fall), and they really shined in this pie.  The filling is simple but somehow tastes just right.  This was my first attempt at a lattice top and it came out looking pretty good.  I used an all-butter pie crust dough, but you can use any recipe for a double crust.  This was a labor of love, as it took several hours to make the dough and blanch and peel the peaches, but I can assure you that it is well worth the work.  My husband and I loved this pie and it disappeared quickly!

Lattice-Top Peach Pie
From The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

INGREDIENTS - FILLING
1 recipe for double-crust pie dough (divided into two disks)
2 1/2 pounds (5 to 7 ) peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1/3 inch thick
1- 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS
1. Roll one disk of dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, then fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Roll the other disk of dough into a 13 1/2 by 10 1/2-inch rectangle, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Trim the dough to a 13 by 10-inch rectangle with straight edges, then slice it lengthwise into eight 13-inch-long strips. Separate the strips slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until very firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Toss the peaches and 1 cup of the sugar together in a large bowl and let sit, tossing occasionally, until the peaches release their juice, about 1 hour. (Add up to 4 more tablespoons sugar if the peaches taste tart). Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 425-degrees.

4. Drain the peaches thoroughly through a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. In a large bowl, toss the drained fruit, 1/4 cup reserved juice, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt together until well combined.

5. Spread the peaches into the dough-lined pie plate and weave the chilled strips of dough over the top into a lattice. Let the strips soften for 5 to 10 minutes, then trim, fold, and crimp the edges. Lightly brush the lattice with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

6. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate the baking sheet, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 2 hours; serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

I went to New York City a few years ago and one of the items on my must-do list included a stop at Levain Bakery on the city's Upper West Side.  I had read about the famed chocolate chip cookies, I had seen them on TV, and I just knew I had to try them.  Well, the cookies did not disappoint.  They were huge, wonderful creations filled with nuts and chocolate chips, with a crisp exterior and a super thick, chewy interior.  Bloggers have been trying to recreate the recipe for years, and this one comes pretty close.  To get the proper texture and feel of a Levain cookie, you must make these into the very large size cookies indicated in the recipe.  They will be huge, but making them small will not yield a cookie that mimics Levain's, and the whole point of this recipe is to make a copycat.  You will definitely impress your friends with these wonderfully decadent treats.

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS
3 cups (13 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cup + 4 teaspoons (6 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until it forms a cohesive mass. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until mixed, scraping the sides of bowl once (the batter will appear lumpy). Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture until just a little bit of flour still remains. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts with a rubber spatula.

4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, just grabbing it by the handful and roughly shaping it into a ball (it should not be smooth). Place them (evenly spaced) on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

My birthday was last month, and as usual, I made my own cake.  I love making my own birthday cake because I can get exactly what I want and I know it will be delicious.  I paired this icing with a  chocolate cake and added chopped Heath candy bars as a garnish.  I made a homemade caramel sauce, but you could also use a high quality jarred caramel sauce.  This recipe makes enough to frost about two dozen cupcakes or an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.  You may need to make extra if you want to pipe decorations onto the cake.  Also, it is critical that your caramel sauce is completely cooled (chilled is fine) to prevent melting the frosting.  Overall, I had another great birthday, and needless to say, this cake was amazing!

SALTED CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
From Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (cooled completely)
4 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until combined and fluffy. Pour in the salted caramel and beat until combined.

2. Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional two to three minutes, until light and fluffy.

Fudgy Brownies

I am on a never ending quest to find delicious fudgy brownie recipes, and I will definitely be adding this one to my repertoire.  The brownie is fairly thin, with a crackled top and a delightfully chewy texture.  This brownie is somewhat reminiscent of a boxed mix brownie, so it would be an ideal recipe to try if you are trying to kick the boxed stuff.  The recipe is super easy to follow, and even my non-brownie loving husband thought these were good.  Ditch the box and give these a try!

FUDGY BROWNIES
Adapted slightly from Cookies and Cups

INGREDIENTS

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325°

2. Line a 8x8 pan with parchment or mist generously with non-stick spray.

3. Melt chocolate and butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat. Whisk both sugars into the chocolate mix. Add in eggs, one at a time and then add vanilla. Whisk until just combined, taking care not to whip too much air into the batter. Stir in flour and salt until evenly incorporated and pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake 28-32 minutes until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center has no more than a few moist crumbs. Let brownies cool completely before cutting into squares.

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

I had not baked in over a week so I was itching to get in the kitchen when I got home from work today. I have recently been perusing a wide variety of sugar cookie recipes on the internet and in cookbooks so I figured I better start trying some of these recipes to see what I like. I knew I wanted a drop-style sugar cookie - no chilling, rolling, and cutting for me this evening. I settled on this recipe, making a couple of small alterations.  Both my husband and I were pleased with the results. The cookie's edges crisp up slightly while the centers stay soft and chewy. The flavor is pretty typical for a vanilla sugar cookie. It doesn't hurt that they just look so visually appealing as well. These were quick and easy and could be dressed up with different colors of coarse sugar or slathered with your favorite icing.

VANILLA SUGAR COOKIES
Adapted slightly from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS


1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coarse sugar

DIRECTIONS 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. 

3. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until just combined. Place coarse sugar in a separate small dish.

4. Form dough into heaping tablespoon-sized balls, roll in coarse sugar, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Do not flatten the dough balls. Bake 11 to 12 minutes, until tops are cracked and the edges are just set. Cool on cookie sheets for 3 to 4 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

I've had a bag of Kraft caramel bits in my pantry forever and this recipe seemed like a perfect way to use them up.  I tend to impulse buy baking supplies so I end up with all kinds of products for which I had no intended purpose.  After scouring the internet and my cookbook collection for recipes with caramel, I settled on these bars.  I had to tweak the original recipe quite a bit, but I am officially declaring my version a success.  One of my co-workers proclaimed that he wanted "to bathe in them."  If that's not a ringing endorsement than I don't know what is!  These bars are easy to put together, and the combination of crunchy oats with creamy caramel and chocolate is sure to please.

OATMEAL CARMELITAS

INGREDIENTS

1 bag (11 ounces) Kraft caramel bits
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8" x 8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

4. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

On a recent Sunday morning my husband requested some lemon poppy seed muffins for breakfast.  He rarely asks for any baked goods (shocking, I know!), so I was happy to fulfill the request.  These muffins come together quickly so you won't have to wait too long to enjoy the fruits of your early morning breakfast labor.  I prefer to bake them in muffin tins without liners so I can enjoy the crisp texture that is lost when the muffin liners are used.  The glaze is optional, but my husband and I agreed that it added and enhanced the flavor of these little delights.

LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS
Adapted slightly from Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS - MUFFINS
2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

INGREDIENTS - GLAZE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough - a few lumps are better than over mixing the batter. Stir in the poppy seeds. Divide the batter evenly among the muffins cups.

3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

4. While the muffins are still warm, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to make the glaze.  Drizzle a small amount of the glaze over each muffin.  Let the glaze set before serving.  Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

I love fudgy brownies.  I love cookies.  I love fudgy brownie cookies!  I was lucky enough to find this excellent fudgy brownie cookie recipe that can satisfy a fudgy brownie craving in a pinch.  These cookies are rich, sweet, and packed with gooey chocolate.  They taste amazing warm with a little bit of vanilla ice cream.  I like to take a cookie, zap it in the microwave for about 10 seconds, and then top it with a big spoonful of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream.  Perfection!

FUDGY BROWNIE COOKIES
Adapted very slightly from Taste of Home

INGREDIENTS 
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed 
4 eggs 
1 1/2 cups sugar 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract  
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 package (11.5 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder until blended. Whisk into chocolate mixture.

3. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt; add to chocolate mixture, mixing well. Fold in chocolate chunks. Chill batter in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are just set. Cool on pans for 1-2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Shortbread Cookies

I have been eying this recipe for years.  I have watched Ina Garten make these cookies on the Food Network numerous times, and I have looked at the recipe on the Food Network website on more than one occasion.  I don't know what held me back from giving them a try.  I made some sub-par shortbread many years ago, and I guess I just did not want another disappointment.  Well no need to fear - these turned out great!  I left some of the cookies plain and dipped some of the cookies in chocolate.  The only change I made to the recipe was to use a round cookie cutter because I did not have a finger-shaped cutter.  Overall, these cookies were all wonderful and I will definitely use this recipe again.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES
From Ina Garten

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 to 7 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

 

3. Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

 

4. When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.

 

5. Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

French Silk Pie

I am in the midst of a wonderful four-day weekend, thanks to a Friday off and the President's Day holiday.  I did all of my major errands on Friday and Saturday, so today I decided it was time to bake.  Of course I couldn't decide what I wanted to make so I asked my husband if he had any ideas.  My husband said he would like a pie.  Then he said he would like a chocolate pie.  We discussed different types of chocolate pies, settling on the light and airy French silk.  When looking through recipes, it appeared that many recipes for French silk pie contain raw eggs.  Yes, I sample raw cookie dough and cake batters when I'm baking, but for some reason the idea of eating a pie with three raw eggs in it bothers me.  Luckily, this recipe does not contain raw eggs.  Oh, and this pie turned out to be delicious.  It was light and airy in texture with a rich chocolatey taste.  My husband declared the pie a success, and I can almost guarantee that I will catch him eating pie for breakfast tomorrow morning.

FRENCH SILK PIE
Adapted from Taste of Home

INGREDIENTS 
1 baked 9-inch pie pastry
1 cup sugar 
3 eggs 
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted 
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/2 cup butter, softened
Pinch of salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream 
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar 
Whipped cream and chocolate curls, optional

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90°), stirring occasionally.  

2. In a small bowl, cream butter and salt until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  

3. In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture.  

4. Pour filling into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.