Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookie

The orange flavor is a great addition to the traditional cranberry shortbread in this recipe. It is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter - 1 cup, softened to room temperature

Confectioners' sugar - ½ cup 
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Orange zest - 1 TBSP
Salt - ¼ tsp
All-purpose flour - 2 cups
Dried cranberries - ½ cup, chopped

Steps

1. Cream the butter and sugar together using a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add vanilla, orange zest, and salt and beat until incorporated. Add flour and cranberries and beat until mixture forms into a dough.
3. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Then, roll the dough into a log, 2-inches in diameter or to your preference. 
4. Wrap the log tightly with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a half sheet baking pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Cut the dough into ¼-inch to ½-inch slices, and place on the baking sheet about ½-inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just starting to brown on the edges.

7. Allow cookies to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Snowflake Cream Puff

An easy Christmas desert.

Ingredients

Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets - 1 box
Heavy cream - 1 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Makes: 10-20 puffs depends on the cutter size

Steps

1. Whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract together to until firm peak.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Defrost the puff pastry sheet and carefully cut out the snowflakes. Bake 10-12 minutes.

4. Allow the snowflake to cool for 1-2 minutes before slicing them in half, pipe whipped cream in-between, and sprinkle with powdered sugar on top.

Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Cookie that taste like brownie. How could you not like it. I adapted recipe from Sally's site to make them egg-free.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour - 1 cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Unsalted butter - 1 stick (1/2 cup) at room temperature
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup packed
Apple sauce - 1/4 cup (to replace 1 egg)
Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Semi-sweet chocolate chips - 1 cup
ROLLING
Sugar - 3 TBSP, for rolling
Powdered sugar - 1 cup, for rolling

Steps

1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and creamed, about 2 minutes. Beat in apple sauce (or egg) and vanilla on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
3. On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined, then beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

4. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
6. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, into balls. Roll each ball very lightly in granulated sugar, then generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.

7. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. If the cookies aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3 times. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven for a couple more minutes. The cookies will be thick regardless, though– they deflate a little as they cool!

8. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Soft Sea Salt Caramels

Caramels for holidays following this recipe.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup
Heavy whipping cream - 1/2 cup
Water - 3 TBSP
Light corn syrup - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp
Coarse or flaked sea salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Yield: 60 caramels

Steps

1. Line a pan/mold with parchment paper, lightly spray oil on parchment paper. My mold is about 9" x 7".
2. Cut butter into pieces then combine with heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until butter has melted. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan combine the water and corn syrup. Then, add the sugar, but try your best not to splatter the sugar up the sides of the pan. Now, use a spoon to gently stir the sugar into the water and corn syrup, just moistening the sugar.
4. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has come to a boil. Then, cover with a lid for 1 minute. This adds steam/moisture to the pan, so any sugar that may have stuck to the sides of the pan melts and falls back into the boiling sugar.

5. Remove lid then attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Then, cook sugar for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar reaches a temperature of 320°F. At this temperature, the sugar will take on a light amber color around the edges of the pan.

6. The moment the sugar reaches 320°F, carefully pour about a sixth of the butter and cream mixture then stir, using the base of the candy thermometer to incorporate it. Repeat with the remaining cream and butter. The sugar will bubble violently as you add the butter and cream – so do this carefully and slowly to prevent the mixture from bubbling over the sides of the saucepan.
7. By adding the cream and butter, the temperature will drop. Now, continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the caramel reaches a temperature of 240°F. This will create a soft caramel, if you want slightly harder caramels, bring the temperature closer to 245°F.

8. The moment the caramel reaches your desired temperature, pour into the prepared pan/mold. Cool 20 to 30 minutes then scatter the salt over the caramel. Then, let the caramel cool 3 1/2 hours.

9. Remove the caramel from pan/mold. If the caramel is too soft to work with, place into the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes to firm up. Then, use a large sharp knife to cut into your desired shape. I followed the grid on my mold and cut them into 1.5" x 0.7" rectangles.
10. Wrap caramels in plastic wrap or waxed paper and enjoy immediately, or you can refrigerate or freeze for enjoying later. I used this 4.5" x 5.5" wrapper, divided into two.

Note:

Double the recipe and use the 8.25" x 8.25" square mold can get a thicker caramel pieces. 

Swiss Roll with Pattern

This is a simplified recipe for the Marbled Swiss Roll. I added the pattern using decor paste recipe from this Patterned cake roll.

Ingredients

【Pattern - decor paste】

Butter - 1/2 cup
Powered sugar - 2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp
egg whites  - 3
Flour -  1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp plain flour
food coloring
【Cake roll】
Eggs - 8, separated
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cake flour - 1 cup

Oil - 1/2 cup

Milk- 1/3 cup

【Filling】

Your choice, I used Swiss Meringue Buttercream mixed with Strawberry Jam

Steps

1. To make pattern paste, cream together butter and icing sugar using electric mixers until they are well combined. Add egg whites and beat well then stir in the flour. Color mixture according to the pattern.
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking tray. Make the desired pattern by piping it, spreading it or stenciling it onto the parchment paper. Then freeze it for about an hour or until firm.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. Separate the eggs into egg yolk and egg white. 

5. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat egg yolk, oil, water, salt together. Then sift in the cake flour. Mix well until there is no lumps in egg yolk batter.

6. In an mixing bowl, add egg white, and sugar. Use a electrical mixer to beat it to soft peak.

7. Pour 1/3 of egg white foam into egg yolk batter. Gently fold with a spatula to mix them. 

8. Pour the egg yolk batter into the egg white bowl in a thin stream. Gently fold the batter into the egg whites. Use a spatula to cut down vertically through the mixture. Move the spatula across the bottom of the bowl; bring it back up the other side, carrying some of the mixture from the bottom over the surface. Repeat this process, rotating the bowl, until the ingredients are combined.

9. Pour the mixture over the frozen pattern and spread it right to the edges. Bang the tray on the bench a few times to make sure the mixture gets all around the pattern.

10. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the surface is golden.
11. Once your cake is ready take it out of the oven and immediately trim off the edges using a serrated knife.  Cover in parchment paper, add another flat baking tray or chopping board on top and flip it over.
12. And then you will be able to just lift off your tray, the edges will stay in the pan and you’re left with a neat cake. Peel off the paper straight away while it is still hot. Then leave it to cool.

13. Place a clean sheet of baking paper over your cooled cake and flip it over again.

14. Spread your chosen filling over the cake. Then starting at one end using the paper to help you roll up the cake up and transfer it to your serving platter.

Hot Chocolate Cup Cookie

This is one of the cookies featured in GMA 25 days of cookies. It is so cute.

Steps

1. Make egg free sugar cookie dough. Measured about 30 g dough to fill each mini-muffin cup. Use thumb to press down the middle.  Bake at 375°F for 12-14 minutes.

 2. Make chocolate Ganache and decorate the top of cup with hot chocolate and mini marshmallows. Use white candy melt as glue to put on handle cut from mini-pretzel.

Cinnamon Roll Wreath

A good Christmas holiday recipe from Sally's site. Eggs were replaced by apple sauce for food allergy reason. I simplified the steps by using bread machine.

Ingredients

【Dough】
Whole Milk  - 1 cup, make lukewarm with microwave
Sugar - 2/3 cup
Active dry yeast - 1 and 1/2 TBSP
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup, melt
Large eggs - 2, at room temperature (substituted with 1/2 cup apple sauce)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
All-purpose flour - 4 and 1/2 cups
【Filling】
Unsalted butter - 6 TBSP, softened to room temperature
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Ground cinnamon - 1 and 1/2 TBSP
【Vanilla Icing】
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Milk - 2 TBSP

Steps

1. Pour yeast and all wet ingredient (except butter) for dough in bread machine, then add all dry ingredients. Let bread machine complete a kneading process; add melted butter, then restart and complete a full dough cycle. The dough should double in size.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour the parchment paper. Place the dough on top and roll it to roughly form a 10x20-inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick.

3. Spread the softened butter all over the dough. In a small bowl, toss the cinnamon and sugar together until combined and then sprinkle evenly over the dough.

4. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 20-inch long log. Cut into 20 1-inch rolls, only slicing ¾ of the way through so they are still connected at the bottom. Use kitchen shears if you need to.You can trim off the ends and bake them as individual buns.

5. Turn one of the end cinnamon rolls on its side. Turn the next one so that it slightly overlaps the first. Repeat with each roll, forming into a circle and overlapping each.

6. Place a ramekin in the middle of the wreath. This will help it hold its shape. Cover the wreath loosely with plastic wrap and slide a baking sheet (I used a pizza tray) underneath the whole thing. Allow to rise again in a warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes - 1 hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

8. Whisk all of the icing ingredients together in a medium bowl. Drizzle over wreath.

Overnight option (done that, works great):
Prepare the rolls through step 5. Instead of allowing to rise in a warm environment in step 6, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and allow the wreath to rest for up to 14 hours before baking. When it’s time to bake the next day, allow the rolls to come to room temperature and rise for 1 hour on the counter, or until almost doubled in size. Then bake as directed.
Freezing instructions (have not tried this)
Let the wreath cool completely on the parchment paper that you baked it on and transfer to a large Tupperware (along with the parchment). Then cover with a layer of aluminum foil and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer to a baking sheet and heat in a 350°F (177°C) oven until warmed throughout, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with icing and serve.

Mint Oreo Truffles

This kids friendly recipe is easy and the truffles taste like chocolate-covered Oreo cheesecakes.

Ingredients

1 (15.25 oz) package Mint Creme Oreos
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
12 ounces candy melt or chocolate for coating

Steps

1. Process the Oreos in blender until crumbs are formed.
2. Using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the Oreo crumbs with the cream cheese until combined.
3. Using your hands, roll into 30-35 balls. Place balls on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze the truffles for about 30 minutes.
4. Coat the truffle balls and placed them on a lined baking sheet.

5. Refrigerate truffles for at least 10 minutes so the chocolate sets. Truffles must always be chilled and will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
6. Make ahead tip: For longer storage, freeze the finished truffles up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.