A Sprinkle For Gina

My SIL Gina is pregnant again with her second daughter, Isabella. She's doing the day after Easter. My MIL decided to throw a small sprinkle for Gina for just the SILs and nieces and well as her hubby's mom and sister. I offered to make favors because I've never used my baby cookie cutters.





Of course I had some help....

It's Been Awhile

I've been busy with trying to start a new job, but I've done some baking in the meantime. Here are my cupcakes and cookies from Valentine's Day. I have a few other posts coming!!

More Christmas Cookies

I've been slow posting them! Here are my cut out cookies. Made the way I always make them, but I added orange extract to the royal icing for a change of pace!

Let the reviews begin!

I'm going to start with my favorite new cookie! I received the recipe in Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies Newsletter that I receive EVERY year. It's a recipe by my favorite female chef, Giada DeLaurentis called Peppermint Chocolate Sandwich Cookie. I LOVED IT. I knew I would and I did! I DID I DID I DID! Think of Starbucks Peppermint Mocha without the coffee.

I liked that she used store bought sugar cookie dough which I though would make my life simple. Or so I thought. She added extra flour to them the dough easy to roll out. I used a 2 inch cookie cutter like I was supposed to, popped them into the oven, and out came pancakes. They spread like wildfire. Next up was making the chocolate ganache. I used Creme de Menthe instead of extract and it tasted just as good. I didn't wait for the ganche to cool too long, just put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. After sandwiching the cookies together filled with ganache, I used dipping chocolate found in the supermarket baking aisle that I had stored away in my pantry. It gives the nice sheen without having to add oil to the chocolate. Super messy dipping but fun. I topped with Peppermint Pieces I picked up at Joann's. I think I only made 17 total cookies. They were too much work to do another batch.

Next time I'll try using a cut out cookie recipe instead and get more cookies. But a keeper recipe for sure! Pretty and festive!



Peppermint-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis for 12 Days of Cookies 2008
Ingredients
1 (16.5 ounce) tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/4 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Decorating suggestion: crushed candy canes or peppermint candies; white, red and green sprinkles; or red and green decorating sugar
Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, and a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop
Directions
Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, knead together the cookie dough and 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Knead together any scraps of dough and roll out again. Continue to cut out pastry circles until there are 24 pieces in total. Place the dough circles on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Reserve 1 parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Combine 1 cup of chocolate chips and the cream in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the peppermint extract and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure, place the chocolate mixture in the center of the flat side of 12 of the cookies. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently squeeze to distribute the filling evenly. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until the filling has set, about 25 minutes.

Combine the remaining chocolate chips and the vegetable oil in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Dip the top of each cookie in the melted chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes or peppermint candies. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight plastic container.

Cake-Gate 2008 Review #1

It's done! It's done! It's done! Finito!

Everything is boxed, cleaned up and ready to go to the respective receivers of this festive collection of holiday treats.
To start, I'll show you how I packaged them. I bought the cookie boxes (the kind used in the food stores) for about 12cents each. YAY. Then I bought ribbon from Big Lots (which covered like 3 boxes because I didn't realize how much footage was in it) and I put together my label and that's it! I made about 16 boxes with some leftovers for the babies (and me!)

It's Raining...Snowing...Cookies!!!!

MY GOD! I've been baking cookies EVERY day for the past week. As we speak I'm finishing up my 8th type of cookie. I feel like there's more and there could be some buried in the laundry room. I still have a few more to go (blushing). I will be taking pictures and giving my opinion on the recipe that I used (because EVERYONE cares?!) My laundry room has turned into a makeshift cookie shelter and my monsters that are my children keep running to the laundry room door screaming "COOKIE! COOKIE!") I unfortunately have been doing the same....my weakness. I'm afraid to get on the scale because I've been eating cookies like there's no tomorrow.

So far I have done:
1. My grandmom's Coginite (a fried ravioli of sorts with chocolate,nuts, chick peas and orange)
2. My grandmom's Cieli (thanks to my BFF Dana, my grandmother's recipe was identical to her grandmother's, but my grandmother just put "flour')
3. Giada DeLaurentis' Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (pretty to look at but messy!)
4. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (for my hubby)
5. Ricotta Cookies (another recipe of my grandmother's, just a bit different-these are like cookie crack)
5. Chocolate Chip Cookies (Martha Stewart Recipe)
6. Peanut Butter Blossoms (What a disappointment!)
7. Peanut Butter Snicker Cookies
8. Italian Polenta Cookies (jury is still out on these!)

I still have yet to make jam thumbprints, chruschiki (for my Polish side), and sugar cookie cutouts.
So stay tuned and take the cookies away from me....please!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! BUON NATALE!

Sweet December.....

Oh Sweet December....every year two of my best buds, Nina and Dana, get together for Nina's birthday which she has coined "Sweet December" (after the movie). This year we celebrated with a Brunch at Cheesecake Factory in King of Prussia. Nina is my most glam friend. The girl was rockin a pair of leather leggings, knee high boots and adorable sweater on Sunday and a nice big phat bling ring (not from Robbie!). I meanwhile put on my UGGS, Ann Taylor jeans and GAP Puffed vest. Oh to be a mom!

I could only do so much for Nina's love of bling on a baked good. I used large crystallized sprinking sand on top of buttercream piped with my new tip!

Happy Sweet December Neen...

From Nina....

From Cara...