Christmas Cake Pops

Ingredients:

Cake:
1/2 and 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tbsp baking soda
1/2 and 1/4 tsp salt
3/8 cup vegetable oil
1/2 and 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 and 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 and 1/4 cups hot water

Buttercream:
4-ounce(110g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2-pound (225g) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate coating bark ou candy melts
Sprinkles, for garnish

Directions:

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and dust with cocoa powder; tap out any excess; set aside.
Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, beat in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and hot water, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish, reserving any remaining batter for another use, such as cupcakes. Bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before inverting to remove. Let cool completely on rack before using.

Buttercream:
Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until creamy, about 30 seconds.
With the mixer on low, slowly add sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowls as necessary.
Add vanilla and increase mixer speed to medium. Blend until frosting is fluffy, about 1 minute.

Cake Pops:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Trim about 1/2 inch from the perimeter of the cake. Working in batches, crumble cake into the bowl of a food processor; process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl and add 1 cup of frosting; blend together using the back of a spoon, until well combined, 5 to 10 minutes. Roll mixture into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch balls; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with parchment-paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to refrigerator until chilled, about 2 hours or to a freezer for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate in heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Remove cake pops from freezer. To make lollipops, insert a lollipop stick into the bottom of each cake pop. Let chocolate set, 15 to 20 minutes.
Dip the cake pops into the chocolate and place right-side up on prepared baking sheet or stick lollipop sticks into a Styrofoam square. Let dry completely.

Santa Hats
Hats: Red Candy Melts and White Candy Melts
Fur: white sugar crystal sprinkles
Balls: white coated expresso beans, gumballs, yogurt covered peanuts will work
Paper Lollipop Sticks

Make the Hats: Make a cone shape instead of a ball. Put in the freezer until firm. Then, holding the top part of the hat, dip the bottoms in white candy melts, insert the lollipop stick and set in a styrofoam block to dry. Once dry, dip the tops in red candy melts so that it meets where the white ends. Gently place the balls to the top of the hat while still wet. Let them dry. Then, use a toothpick to generously dab more white candy melts all around the bottom of the hat. While still wet, sprinkle the sugar crystals on.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Banana Cupcakes:
2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
1/2 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs, and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again and add the bananas. Beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on the rack to cool completely.

Frosting:
To make the frosting, in a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, salt and milk; bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil 1 minute or until thickened; remove pan from heat and strain mixture into a small bowl. Cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer.
Beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute, in a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed. Beat in “chocolate pudding” mixture until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in melted chocolate until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread or pipe frosting on to cupcakes.

Lemony Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of almond flour (if you don’t have any, just use the same amount of all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of 2 large lemons
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rolling ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Zest of one lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar. Using your fingertips, run the zest into the sugar until the sugar becomes moist and aromatic. Set the bowl aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or any large bowl, if using a hand held), beat the butter just until it’s smooth. Add the lemon sugar mixture and beat until creamy.
Add the egg, almond extract, and lemon juice. Mix to combine.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Beat only until the streaks of white have disappeared. Turn off the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, give the dough a few more stirs.
Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rolling ingredients.
In a large, shallow bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Using the same technique that you used for the dough, rub the zest into the sugar.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, using a rounded tablespoon per cookie, roll the dough into balls. Roll each ball into the lemon sugar mixture to coat.
Leaving about 2-inches between each one, place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Snickerdoodles Cookies
Yield: About 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 and 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat and put in refrigerator to chill.

Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until the flour is blended. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Scoop 1-inch balls of dough and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat. Place on chilled cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Chill the dough and cookie sheets between batches. Let cookies set on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

Apple sauce:
3 large apples, peeled and cut into thick slices
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
5 cups bread cubes
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Caramel Sauce:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter cut in small cubes
4 tbsp water
1 cup whipping cream

Directions:

In a medium skillet melt the butter and then add the cinnamon and the sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly. Add the apples and sauté until the apples are just fork tender but not mushy. Remove the apples from the sauce. At this point, depending on the juice content of your apples, you may have to continue to boil the sauce to reduce it to a slightly thickened consistency, then toss in the apples again.

Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish well. Toss in 1/2 the bread cubes in an even layer. Sprinkle the bread cubes with half the sautéed apples and the nutmeg. Repeat the layer with the remaining bread cubes and apples.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the cream andour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing down slightly to make sure all the cubes are soaked. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes until the custard is set and no longer liquid in the center. Let the bread pudding stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve with Caramel Sauce.

Caramel sauce:

Begin by mixing the sugar and water in a large saucepan. Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light amber color. It is very easy to burn this mixture which can happen very quickly once the proper color is achieved, so have your butter and cream at the ready, as timing is crucial for this recipe.

When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth. Cool completely. Store in an airtight plastic container or in a mason jar. This sauce is fantastic with almost any apple dessert or for great caramel sundaes.

Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup oil
1 cup bread flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup old fashioned oats (I lightly toasted mine in the oven for 10 minutes)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

Process coconut and oil in a food processor until very finely ground.

In a medium bowl, sift together bread flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together ground coconut and sugar until well combined. Beat in vanilla and eggs until combined – about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips and oats until well combined.

Chill dough in refrigerator or freezer for 20 minutes or until firm. Using a cookie scoop, place scoops of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool.

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil (al Limone)
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons finely grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 3 lemons
1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons shredded basil leaves

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to water. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1 3/4 cups of pasta water, drain pasta and set aside.

In the now-empty Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cooking until shallot has softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved pasta water and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add pasta, tossing to coat. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, lemon zest and juice, cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Cover and allow pasta to stand for about 2 minutes, tossing halfway through, so that the sauce can thicken and pasta can absorb the sauce. If needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup of pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce. Stir in basil and add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, drizzle each individual portion with olive oil and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
About 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups chopped Snickers candy bars (about 4 regular size bars)
¾ cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the milk and the vanilla extract and mix again. Add the flour mixture and beat until flour disappears. Stir in the chopped Snickers and chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. (I weighed mine out to about 2 ounces of dough per cookie.) Gently flatten each cookie ball with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on the edges. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 to 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Creamy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

450g dried Fettuccine
2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, in cubes
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 garlic clove
2/3 cup mushroom, chopped
250g cream cheese, in pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 to 4 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Parsley

Directions:

Cook the fettuccine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until “al dente”. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken with olive oil and season with garlic, salt and pepper. Reserve.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in the same saucepan you cooked the chicken over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute until tender. Add cream cheese and cook until it melts. Add heavy cream, mushrooms, milk and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in, set over medium-high heat along with the reserved cooking liquid. Add the chicken. Add the butter-cream mixture and toss to combine thoroughly. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Cream Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 stick butter (4 oz) (cold, cut into pieces)
1 cup (8 oz) heavy whipping cream (cold)
1/2 – 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (depending on preference)

Topping:
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp sanding sugar or granulated sugar

Directions:
Preheat over to 390 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients.

Using a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers , cut in the butter. Add whipping cream and chocolate chips. Blend together quickly. Do not overmix. Shape into a round or square. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into shapes. Place on parchment or Silpat covered baking sheet.

Bake for 14-16 minutes until golden brown and delicious.