GLAZED LEMON COOKIES

My cousin hosted a ladies luncheon this past weekend.  The theme was Italian.  With all the heavy pasta dishes I thought a light dessert would be good.  If you have ever been to Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant for your birthday you might have tasted their little crescent shaped lemon cookies.  In searching for a recipe these came up as a copy cat version.  Lots of good reviews from the ladies.  They were really good.

ICED LEMON COOKIES

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg yolks, vanilla and salt.  Blend well.  Add flour.  Divide dough in half and roll into logs wrapped in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.  Slice into 1/2 inch slices and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden.  Do not overbake.  Cool cookies.  Combine glaze ingredients.  Dip cooled cookies into glaze and let rest until dry, about 15 minutes.

WHIPPING CREAM BISCUITS

I'm always looking for new and different biscuit recipes.  I have a friend who loves nothing more than a gift of biscuits. These happen to be just about the easiest I've ever done.  Just two ingredients and they taste really, really good.

WHIPPING CREAM BISCUITS

2 cups self-rising flour
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons oil or butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour oil or butter in a 9-inch pie plate.  Stir together 2 cups self-rising flour and 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream.  Pour out over a lightly floured surface and pat down to about 1 inch thick.  Cut with a biscuit cutter (I use an old Contadina tomato sauce can that was my Mama's).  Place on greased pie plate.  Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Can brush with melted butter after taking out of the oven.

CHOCOLATE DREAM COOKIES

A recent birthday for a friend who loves chocolate.  I had made some really good chocolate cookies before but was not at home to search my files for that recipe so I went in search of a similar one.

Searching the trusty Internet, I found the following recipe from Nestle and I think they were a big hit.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DREAM COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.

1/2 cup baking cocoa 

1 teaspoon baking soda.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened.

1 cup packed brown sugar.

3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2 large eggs.

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  In another bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Beat in eggs for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels.  Drop by rounded tablespoon (I used a cookie scoop) onto parchment paper.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are puffed.  Cool on baking sheets.

SOUTHERN LIVING HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

I went to a pot luck dinner this weekend.  I usually bring desserts and wanted to try something different.  Southern Living recipes are always a definite way to go.  I added coconut to the recipe and also toasted some to go on top for garnish.  I'm not sure where the name hummingbird cake came from, but it is a good cake.

SOUTHERN LIVING HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large)
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
3/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

GLAZE: 

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

To prepare the cake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon.  Add eggs, oil, and bananas.  Stir well.  Add pecans and coconut.  Pour into prepared bundt or angel food cake pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until middle tests clean.  Cool completely.

Stir together glaze ingredients.  Pour over cooled cake.  Add chopped nuts and toasted coconut over top.

BUTTERMILK COFFEE CAKE

A boring Saturday morning.  I had some buttermilk that needed using up so went in search for a buttermilk coffee cake recipe.  Lots to choose from and this is how I made it.

BUTTERMILK COFFEE CAKE

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 sticks of butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 inch springform pan and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar.  Pour melted butter over and stir to combine.  Remove 2/3 cup of mixture and set aside.  To the remaining dry ingredients add the baking powder, eggs and buttermilk.  Mix with hand mixer until smooth.  Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle the dry mixture that you set aside and sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans over.  Place in oven and bake for 45-55 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Stir together the glaze ingredients and swirl over cooled cake.

Purple Majesty and Back from a Very Long Break

It's been a long while since I have posted to this little ole blog.  I haven't made a lot of new things to share anyway but had a big life moment occur which set my kitchen back a bit.

On August 25, 2017 Hurricane Harvey blew into my life dumping over 50 inches of rain in this area. I was very lucky to be able to evacuate to my son and his family's home.  It was several days before I could get back home to find that I had over a foot of water in my home.  I've lived here for over 38 years and gone through several hurricanes without issue, but Harvey was something else.  Tearing everything out of my house and starting over took 82 days and I was able to move back in.  Right now I am still waiting on furniture but the house is back, newer than ever. I am so fortunate to have had a safe and comfortable place to stay and insurance.  There are so many families still not back or even close to starting over.  Such a tragedy.

My birthday also happened the weekend Harvey visited and when I was able to get out and visit my cousin and her husband, I found the most beautiful birthday present waiting for me.  A purple professional Kitchen Aid mixer.  I was overwhelmed with such a gift.  It was a work horse during Christmas cookie baking.

I hope to get back to blogging and hopefully I will have new things to share soon. ♥♥♥