Sugar Cookies with Almond Drizzle

When our youngest turned 5 in July he asked for his favorite cookies instead of cake. These sugar cookies are gobbled up faster than you can sing “Happy Birthday” in our house.

Sugar Cookies:

3 cups flour (gluten free flour can be substituted)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup room temperature butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Using a pie crust cutter, mix together flour, soda, powder, salt and butter until combined. It will be crumbly and butter will be the size of peas.

In mixer, beat eggs, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add flour mixture until combined. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Roll out dough and cut cookies into desired shapes (I used a biscuit cutter to get a circle shape). Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven on parchment lined baking sheets for 10-12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown.

When your cookies have cooled, they’re ready for the almond drizzle.

Almond Drizzle:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1-3 Tbsp milk

In a small bowl, whisk ingredients into drizzling consistency. Drizzle across cookies with a spoon.

Leave a comment below if you tried this recipe. Happy Baking!

-Lauren

Gluten Free, Raspberry Lime Muffins

I recently picked up Tieghan Gerard’s latest cookbook: Half Baked Harvest – Every Day and was inspired by her blueberry lemon poppyseed muffins. They’re so delicious, you can’t stop at one muffin. I wanted to try something similar to her recipe, but with a different flavor profile. Raspberry and lime! I was pleasantly surprised with how well they turned out that I couldn’t keep this recipe to myself. That first bite tastes like key lime pie with fresh raspberries on top. Absolutely delicious!

Recipe:

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 single serve Greek yogurt (plain)

1 1/2 limes

1 3/4 cups of GF flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 cup of fresh red raspberries

1/2 cup of fresh blackberries (optional)

3 Tbsp raspberry jam

Mix wet ingredients (minus the jam) in a bowl, add juice of 1 1/2 limes and zest of one lime. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. With mixer going, slowly add dry ingredients to wet. When dough forms, add jam and berries until just combined. Drop into parchment lined muffin tins and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 25-35 minutes.

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as our family does!

Happy Baking!

-Lauren

Spritz Cookies

As promised! Another cookie recipe! These are, by far, my all-time favorite cookies. Ginger bread cookies are my second favorite. The boys always prefer home made cookies over store bought. So I’m always baking. Which is completely fine, because I love baking. Here’s my favorite Spritz recipe:

I purchased this cookie press from Target about 8 years ago. You can find them online or in any cooking store.

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1tsp almond/vanilla extract

Optional: food coloring and/or sprinkles

Helpful hint: Make sure your butter and egg are the same temperature. It helps with the cookie press. If the butter has been microwaved to soften, the dough becomes too runny. If the egg and butter are too cold, the dough doesn’t go through the press. I pull my egg and butter out of the fridge and leave them on the counter for a few hours prior to starting the cookies.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400. Cream butter and sugar, add salt and extract. Slowly add flour until incorporated. Fill cookie press with 1/4 dough at a time and press cookies onto a clean, dry cookie sheet (I make this mistake every year, I try to press the cookies onto parchment, it doesn’t work). Bake 6-9 minutes, until cookies are set, but not brown.

Traditional Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2tsp ground ginger

1tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp all spice

1 cup packed brown sugar (can substitute dark brown sugar)

1/2 cup soft butter

3/4 cup molasses

2 eggs

Preparation:

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, add butter, molasses and eggs. Mix until completely incorporated. Cover and refrigerate 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes.

Note: wait until the cookies are completely cooled before decorating.

Shortbread Crisp

It’s fall y’all! Everyone’s got some kind of pumpkin spice something in their home and baking season is just beginning! This season, I was blessed to be able to work on this project with the lovely Megan and Naomi over at Happily Dwell. Cooking/baking is my love language. I absolutely love sharing recipes and my kitchen know-how with anyone who asks.

Clearly, he was ready to try apple crisp.

We love baked goods in our house. Whether it’s cookies, bread, pie, or crisp; we just love everything there is about baking. The time we all spend in the kitchen as a family, putting our recipe together, baking it in a warm oven (heating the house at the same time), the aroma of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg slowly creeping through the house, the joy and laughter we have sitting at the table enjoying the warm dessert fresh from the oven. Fall doesn’t get better than this!

This Shortbread Crisp recipe is so easy to make, and delicious, you’ll be wanting to make it every week.

I like to use the bottom of my measuring cup to level the crust prior to baking, giving the filling a flat surface to rest.

For the crust:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup (two sticks) chilled butter

For the filling:

6 cups sliced fruit (apple/peach/pear work great for this recipe)

1/2 cup sugar

2-3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Topping:

1 1/2 cups oats

1 cup flour

1 1/4 sticks of softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients. Use a piecrust cutter until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Press into uncreased 9×13 cake pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Prepare fruit, add spices, and
pour over baked crust. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Combine crumb topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over fruit. Place back into oven for 35-45 minutes, until sides of topping brown and filling is soft.

There you have it. The easiest Shortbread Crisp recipe out there. Enjoy Lovelies!

Homemade Beef & Broccoli

2lbs Sirloin or chuck roast, sliced

12oz raw broccoli

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp minced garlic

4tbsp cornstarch

4tbsp water

In a crock pot, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic.

Place sliced beef into liquid and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low about 5 hours. *Can be cooked on high for 2 hours.

When meat is cooked, wish cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Pour into crockpot and mix well. Add to broccoli and optional veggies. Stir to combine. Cook and additional 30 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.

For this recipe, I love to add 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (if using sesame oil). I also add sliced shivaji mushrooms and 1 cup of shredded carrots. I’ve substituted the sesame oil for walnut oil. It works just as well. Instead of adding sesame seeds, add 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts (adding a lovely crunch).

Simple Guac

Guacamole my way is healthy and simple. I want to taste all of the fresh ingredients. This one is Keto friendly too. It helped me out a lot when I tried that. Avocado price fluctuates a lot, so I save this for when they’re on the lower end. I prefer to make a good amount when I have time to cook. So with this recipe, there’s plenty to share or sack on throughout the week. You’ll need:

8 avocados
5-7 limes
3 or more jalapeños
a handful of fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon salt
3-5 tomatoes (optional – makes it milder and creamier)

I’m not a fan of using onion or garlic. Their potent flavors can easily overwhelm everything else. They also give me indigestion and bad breath.

You’ll need a food processor. A juicer is also handy for the limes.

Remove the tops of the jalapeños and extract the seeds. Jalapeños aren’t the hottest, but still use caution. Wear gloves or wash your hands.

Prep the avocados extracting the nuts. I usually just cut them in half and scoop them out.

Juice the limes. I love to keep some pulp for an extra tangy batch.

Blend it all together for a nice creamy texture. Keep refrigerated, and it should last about a week. Guac is always a hit. Plus there are all kinds of health benefits from these ingredients. Delicious and guilt-free.

Spicy Apple Mango Salsa

I’ve just planted my deck garden. I love to plant less common or more expensive hot peppers that are not as likely to be found in grocery stores. I particularly enjoy super chilis and thai dragons. In celebration of this and my recent reintroduction of raw plant carbohydrates, I wanted to share my mango salsa recipe. Either of the peppers I mentioned are a zippy substitute for the habañeros I used this time. It’s not for everyone, but it’s super healthy. I’ve found the bold combinations of spicy, sour and natural sweetness liven the palate and help overcome urges for junk food.

You only need 7 ingredients:

2 mangoes (mid-ripe, not hard, not soft and runny)
8 apples (I love pink ladies for this recipe)
5 lemons
1-4 habañeros
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon salt

I recommend a food processor. I’ve never tried hand-chopping everything, but it would take a lot longer and not get the desired consistency. Useful but not necessary: juicer for the lemons, slicer for the apples, potato peeler for the mangoes.

Do the peppers first. If you’ve never worked with very hot peppers before, remember that they can be a little dangerous. Work in a well-ventilated space. Don’t get the juice on your skin. Gloves are helpful.

Remove the tops and extract the seeds – that’s where most of the heat is. Rinse the peppers inside and out in COLD water – warmer water can create a cloud like pepper spray. Pour the salt evenly into each pepper, place them in a small cup and add the vinegar. Let it cure for at least an hour. Longer cure time (and of course fewer peppers) will reduce the burn of the final product. You can prep the other ingredients while you wait.

Juice the lemons. Watch out for seeds. Get them all out so they don’t damage the food processor or crack a tooth. I like to get a good amount of pulp with the juice, really brightens the flavor.

Peel the mangoes. Extract the flesh discarding the nuts. Then slice the apples. I suggest leaving the apple skin on. It improves the texture giving the final product a little crispiness.

My processor needs two runs to fit everything. If you find the same, evenly distribute all of the ingredients – including the cumin. It’s definitely good to not have all of the liquid elements in the same run, can be a big mess. Blend thoroughly.

The salsa should be perfect for scooping up with chips. I also use it as a salad topping, Mexican food condiment and just eat it with carrot sticks. This recipe probably serves 6 to 10. I love to make it for football games with my harvest in the fall. The guys don’t even know I’m giving them health food. Salt, lemon and vinegar are natural preservatives, but I wouldn’t push the shelf life beyond a week. Keep refrigerated. Enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Disclaimer: Originally, I’d gotten this recipe off the side of a chocolate chip bag, but I’ve changed it a bit to get the best textured cookies.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups butter, melted – This is very important for getting the cookie texture just right. Melt the butter in a pan on the stove top.

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar – I’ve experimented with both dark and light brown sugar. Dark brown gives a richer more molasses flavor. Typically dark brown sugar is used in ginger bread cookies, but sometimes it’s fun in a chocolate chip cookie.

2 eggs

4-5 tsp vanilla extract – I’ve used 5 tsp when using dark brown sugar

1 pkg of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (this will take a few minutes, as the butter will melt the sugars some, but as it cools in the bowl, it will fluff a bit). Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoon full about 2″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Parchment paper (can be found at any grocery store) helps protect the bottoms of the cookies from burning. It also makes it easier to remove the cookies when they’re cooled. If your parchment does not lay flat, try spraying the baking sheet with a little cooking spray first, then lay the parchment on top. You’ll find it won’t roll up or slide around that way.

Bake the cookies at 375 for 8-10min. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks or (my favorite) brown paper grocery bags. The brown paper soaks up any left over butter, keeping the cookies from being too greasy on the fingers when eating them.

Flourless Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients:

1 apple

1 banana

1 cup carrots (chopped)

1/3 cup raisins

1 egg (optional)

1/4 cup of your favorite nut butter

1/4 cup honey or real maple syrup

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

2 tbsp flax seed (milled or whole)

1 cup rolled oats

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 and grease your muffin tin if not using paper muffin cups. Combine ingredients in a food processor or Vitamix until desired texture is reached (I’ve tried just chopping everything up and mixing with my hands, but that does take some time. If you like a lot of texture in your muffins, but like saving time, try a pie crust cutter to blend ingredients). Pour/spoon batter into muffin tins. If your batter seems a bit thin (some apples are more juicy than others) add an additional 1/4 cup of oats. Bake at 375 for 20-25min (until firm) and allow to sit 10 minutes before removing. I personally love to top mine with walnuts or chopped almonds before baking. The added crunch is really nice.

Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

3-6 sweet potatoes peeled and sliced length-wise
2-3 Tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sea salt

Take peeled and sliced sweet potatoes, place in large bowl of salt water to brine 20-30min. This process pulls excess water out of the potatoes giving them a firmer feel after baking. Once out of brine, place on a towel and pat dry. Place in a freezer bag with coconut oil, black pepper, cinnamon and sea salt. Shake in bag until fries are coated. Place on a baking sheet and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40min. Additional salt and pepper to taste.

Cranberry Wild Rice Bread

4 cups all purpose, unbleached, white flour

1/4 cup wild rice

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 packets of active dry yeast

1 Blue Moon or Sam Adam’s Winter Lager

In a large bowl, place flour, wild rice, and cranberries. In a large measuring cup, combine beer and 2 packets of yeast. Stir together so that the yeast does not stick to the bottom of the cup. Pour over dry ingredients. Placing one hand to steady the bowl, use the other to fold the beer and dry ingredients together in a round ball of dough. If mixture seems too dry, add a few tablespoons of water, if too wet, sprinkle with additional flour.

Once dough is formed. Place plastic wrap over top of the bowl and let rise until doubled in size. Punch down and kneed dough to activate the gluten for about 1-2 minutes (this brings out the flavor). Place back into bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Do this about 2 more times. After dough has raised the final time, gently place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in oven at 425 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Bread will be done when crust is golden brown and sounds like a drum when tapped on the bottom.