Dainty pink sparkly cookies are for fairies, princesses and charming people who love pretty, petite treats. These pink shortbread hearts are as cute as a button and so tender and delicious. They’re very simple to make and go perfectly with tea or lemonade. They also make a nice gift for Mother’s Day, baby showers, and especially for Valentine’s Day and Galentine celebrations.
Dainty Pink Shortbread Hearts
by Mari Vasseur
Tender, buttery mini shortbread cookies with sparkling sugar
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour and powdered sugar together until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the extracts until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. The dough may seem crumbly at first, but it will come together.
Divide the dough into 2 portions. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Place the parchment-covered dough onto trays and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Cut out 36 heart shapes with a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place the hearts about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Sprinkle the cookies with sparkling sugar. Bake until the edges start to turn light golden brown, about 8-9 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Since it’s getting close to Valentine’s Day, I created these beautiful, enchanting cookies using flavors which evoke love and romance. Rich, pleasantly bitter dark chocolate and sweet, tart raspberries are a perfectly balanced, elegant combination. I used freeze-dried raspberries in the cookie dough for the most bright, pure raspberry flavor. The raspberries turn the cookie dough a mauve-red color, but if you want a more intense red, you can add a drop or two of red gel good coloring.
Â
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cookies
Beautiful, enchantingly delicious cookies made of rich dark chocolate cookie dough with dark chocolate pieces, swirled together with sweet-tart raspberry cookie dough by Brownie Mischief
13.5-4 ounce (99-113g)dark chocolate bar, chopped into pieces & divided
Instructions
Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Set aside 5 freeze-dried raspberries. Process the remaining raspberries into a powder in a small food processor or a clean spice grinder. Pass the powder through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Coarsely crush the 5 reserved freeze-dried raspberries.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract in three separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
Transfer 1/3 of the cookie dough (about 275g), to a medium-sized bowl, using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Mix the freeze-dried raspberry powder and the food coloring into the smaller portion of cookie dough. Mix the cocoa powder into the larger portion of cookie dough. Set aside 16 of the larger pieces of chocolate. Mix the remaining pieces of chocolate into the chocolate dough.
Divide the raspberry cookie dough into 16 equal portions, about 1 tablespoon each. Divide the chocolate cookie dough into 32 equal portions. Roll all of the cookie dough portions into balls. Divide the dough balls into 16 groups of 1 raspberry dough ball with 2 chocolate dough balls. Place a group of 3 dough balls on the palm of your hand. Place your other palm on the dough balls and roll in a circular motion until the doughs are swirled together. Place the swirled dough balls on the cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart. Top each one with a piece of reserved chocolate. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Bake the cookies until the tops are set and start to puff, about 10-12 minutes. The cookies will spread a bit. Remove the cookies form the oven. Immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies by sliding it around each one in a circular motion a couple of times. Work quickly before the cookies set. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the crushed freeze-dried raspberries onto the melted chocolate on each cookie.
Notes
Make sure to use freeze-dried fruit, not dried fruit. I purchased my freeze-dried raspberries at Trader Joe's. They are also available at large grocery stores or online. Aluminum cookie sheet pans will give you the most success when baking cookies. We used them in culinary school and many bakeries use them. To find my favorite sheet pan for cookies, click here.To find the gel food coloring I used, click here.
Chocolate is the most popular cake flavor, so there’s no doubt that Chocolate Cake Cookies would be well-loved also. These cookies are so tempting that they’ll be the most popular cookies on your cookie platter. These soft, rich cookies have the elements we all love about chocolate cake, without the cake mix. The perfectly silky, smooth chocolate buttercream makes them absolutely delicious! They look so festive and nostalgic with sprinkles on top. They remind me of the popular grocery store cookies, but better. Make sure to make a pot of coffee or grab a jug of milk to enjoy with these chocolatey treats.
Â
Chocolate Cake Cookies
Mari Vasseur
Soft, rich chocolate cookies with silky, smooth chocolate frosting
â…”cup (60g)unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
1teaspoonbaking powder
½ teaspoonfine sea salt
1cup (227g)unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼cups (250g)granulated sugar
2largeeggsroom temperature
2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
sprinklesoptional
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
¼cup (74ml)maple syrup
2tablespoons (30ml)water
¼cup plus 2 tablespoons (34g)Dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
4ounces (113g)bittersweet 70-72%) or semisweet chocolate, choppedsee note below*
10tablespoons (142g)unsalted butter, softened
â…”cup (80g)powdered sugar, sifted
1pinchfine sea salt
Instructions
Cookies
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. On low speed, or by hand, stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Refrigerate the dough just until it's easier to work with, about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Divide the cookie dough into 24 portions, about 2 tablespoons (35g) each. (I used a #30 portion scoop.**) Roll them into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place the cookie dough balls onto the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are puffed and start to darken around the edges, about 9-11 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting
In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the maple syrup, water, and cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Melt the chocolate in a medium-sized bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and pale. Add the powdered sugar and salt and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
Gradually add the cooled maple syrup mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the melted chocolate until well combined. Smooth out any air bubbles by stirring gently with a rubber spatula.
Frost the cooled cookies. Top with sprinkles if desired.
Notes
*For the smoothest results, use chopped bar chocolate for your frosting and make sure the chocolate is completely melted. Do not use chocolate chips. They contain an ingredient which prevents them from melting completely and may make your frosting lumpy.**To find the portion scoop I used, click here.
Sometimes when I imagine a recipe idea, it takes a few tries to get it right. Then, when I finally achieve what I imagined, it’s satisfying to enjoy and share my creation. In this case, I was craving big, soft, buttery ginger cookies, not necessarily gingerbread cookies though. I wanted them to have crisp, golden brown edges with soft, chewy centers. These cookies hit the mark with the warm combination of spices, the rich nuttiness of the brown butter and just a touch of molasses. Baking the cookies until almost done, then letting them finish baking on the baking sheet gives them the perfect texture. They will spread, but don’t panic. Grab a large round cookie cutter or a small bowl and slide it around each hot cookie on the cookie sheet to shape them into perfectly round, cracked, bumpy beauties.
These cookies keep their soft texture for days, so they’re perfect for gift giving. Store them in a covered container at room temperature. You can also make the dough the day before, roll the cookies into balls, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. So helpful during the holidays.
Brown Butter Ginger Spice Cookies
Big, soft ginger spice cookies with crisp, buttery edges
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g)granulated sugar, divided
1largeegg
2largeegg yolks
1 ½teaspoonspure vanilla extract
1tablespoon (15ml)unsulphured molasses
Instructions
In a medium-size light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it's deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to appear, remove it from the heat and immediately transfer the butter with the brown specks to a small bowl. Let it sit until it reaches room temperature, then refrigerate it until firm. (I like to do this step the day before.)
Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves and star anise until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg and the egg yolks in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined followed by the molasses. Stir in the flour mixture by hand.
If your cookie dough is very soft, refrigerate it until it's easier to work with, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the remaining 2 tablespoons (25g) of granulated sugar into a small shallow bowl. Divide the cookie dough into 16 equal portions, about a generous 2 1/2 tablespoons each. I used a #24 portion scoop.* Roll the portions into balls, then roll the balls into the granulated sugar, coating them all over. Place the cookies at least 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.
Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still a bit pale but no longer shiny and just beginning to crack a bit, about 10-12 minutes. The cookies will spread. Remove the cookies from the oven. Immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies by sliding it around each one in a circular motion a couple of times. Work quickly before the cookies set. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack
These buttery, lightly spiced apple cookies with candied walnuts remind me of snacking on fresh walnuts from the tree in my grandma’s garden. Walnuts are delicious right out of the shell but even better toasted and simply irresistible when they’re candied. I always wanted to add my favorite candied walnuts into a cookie, and these apple cookies were the perfect choice. The apples are cooked on the stovetop briefly which adds flavor and helps to prevent soggy spots in the cookies while keeping the crisp edges and soft centers They also make your kitchen smell like the flavors of autumn.
Â
Candied Walnut Apple Cookies
Fresh apple cookies with crisp, buttery edges and soft centers, studded with candied walnuts
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-size non-stick skillet, cook the sugar, water, cinnamon and salt until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla and walnuts. Cook until the liquid is evaporated and the walnuts start to caramelize, about 2-4 minutes.
Spread the walnuts out in a single layer onto the baking sheet. Allow to cool completely. Coarsely chop enough walnuts to equal 3/4 cup (80g). These will be stirred into the cookie dough. Reserve the remaining walnut halves for the tops of the cookies,
Cooked Apples
Melt the butter in small skillet over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the apples, sugar, cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove the apples from heat and let cool completely. Drain any excess liquid from the cooled apples.
Cookies
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, or by hand, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in the cooled apples and 3/4 cup of the candied walnuts.
If your dough is soft, chill it in the refrigerator until it's easier to work with, about 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into 14 equal golf ball-size portions, about 1 1/2 oz (43g) each. Roll them into balls and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the dough balls at least 3 inches apart onto the cookies sheets. Top with candied walnut halves.
Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and the edges are golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. The cookies will spread a bit. Remove the cookies from the oven. Immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies by sliding it around each one in a circular motion a couple of times. Cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Spring is here and it’s the season to eat carrot cake! Many people have strong opinions about which add-ins are best to use in carrot cake. Some popular ones, besides the carrots themselves, include nuts, pineapple, raisins, and even coconut. My Blueberry Carrot Cake came about when I was thinking about making a breakfast carrot cake. I replaced the typical add-ins with blueberries and the results were so delicious. I originally made this cake with a maple-butter glaze which was perfect for a breakfast cake. For Easter brunch, I opted to dress up the cake with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting, fresh blueberries and lilacs. This combination is magical.
Blueberry Carrot Cake
Moist, subtly spiced carrot cake studded with blueberries and topped with blueberry cream cheese icing by Brownie Mischief
1 ¼cups (159g)all purpose flour, siftedplus 1 teaspoon for the blueberries
1teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonfine sea salt
¼teaspoonground ginger
¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
½cup (100g)granulated sugar
½cup (100g)packed brown sugar
â…”cup (148ml)avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
2largeeggs
1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾cup (80g)finely shredded carrots
1cup (142g)blueberriesplus extra for the top of the cake
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
3ounces (85g)cream cheese, room temperature
6tablespoons (85g)unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼cups (150g)powdered sugar, sifted
½teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1pinchfine sea salt
2tablespoons (14g)frozen defrosted blueberries, with the liquidTo use fresh blueberries instead of frozen, see notes below.
1tablespoon (15ml)whole milk or half & half, room temperature
Food-safe or edible pesticide free flowersoptional
Instructions
Blueberry Carrot Cake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil together until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and well incorporated. Stir in the carrots. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Transfer the batter to the cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 37-43 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Smash the blueberries with a fork and press through a sieve into a small bowl.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Add the butter and beat, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the smashed blueberries and beat until smooth. Add milk, if needed, until the desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.
Notes
To use fresh blueberries for the frosting, place the blueberries in a small saucepan with a teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or water. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries start to soften. Smash the blueberries with a potato masher. Press this mixture through a sieve into a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.
If you search loaf cakes on the internet, you’ll find an abundance of “copycat” recipes. For some reason, everyone is trying to copy a loaf cake from a popular coffee shop. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not a fan of the rubbery neon slice. I’d rather have a slice of soft, fluffy cake with a burst of fresh citrus flavor and buttery frosting. If that sounds good to you too, you’ll love this recipe. I used the reverse creaming method to make this cake, which produces a soft, velvety crumb. Brushing the cake with orange simple syrup keeps it moist and flavorful. This recipe is for an orange-vanilla bean cake but it can also be made into a lemon version. See the notes below.
Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake
Soft, fluffy vanilla bean and orange scented loaf cake topped with silky vanilla cream cheese frosting by Brownie Mischief
½cup (113g)unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
¼cup (57g)sour cream, room temperature
¼cup (59ml)whole milk, room temperature
3largeeggs, room temperature
1teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½teaspoonpure orange extract
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
2tablespoons (28g)cream cheese, room temperature
2tablespoons (28g)unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½cups (180g)powered sugar, sifted
1pinchfine sea salt
½teaspoonvanilla bean paste
1-3tablespoons (15-45ml)whole milk or half & half, room temperature
Instructions
Orange Simple Syrup
Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest, with an electric mixer or by hand, until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and beat until well combined. On low speed, beat in the butter until the mixture looks like sand.
In a separate medium-size bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla bean paste and orange extract together until smooth and well combined. On low speed, gradually beat this mixture into the sugar mixture until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not over mix.
Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. Brush the warm cake all over with orange simple syrup. Let the cake cool completely, then frost with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting.
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
In a medium-size bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Add the butter and beat, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of milk and beat until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed, until the desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.
Notes
To find an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, click hereTo make a lemon version of this cake, replace the orange zest with lemon zest. Replace the vanilla bean paste with 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and replace the orange extract with 1 teaspoon of pure lemon extract. For the simple syrup, replace the orange juice with lemon juice.
Little chocolate donuts are a fun, nostalgic treat from my childhood. I’m talking about the ones at the local market that come in a plastic sleeve. I remember sharing the waxy little donuts with a friend, and at the time we thought they were delicious. Now that I’m an adult, I realize that homemade ones taste soo much better and they’re surprisingly quick and easy to make. They’re delicious with either naturally pink strawberry icing or chocolate glaze. I shared the recipe for both options below.
For Valentine’s Day, I used a heart-shaped mini donut pan for the donuts shown in the photo, but a standard round mini donut pan works too. A sprinkle of pink sparkling sugar makes them extra special, especially for Galentine’s Day.
1-2tablespoons (15-30ml)whole milk, room temperature
Chocolate Glaze
6tablespoons (85g)unsalted butter
4ounces (113g)semisweet chocolate, chopped
2teaspoonslight corn syrup
Instructions
Little Chocolate Donuts
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray a mini donut pan with nonstick spray. (I used a heart-shaped mini donut pan** but a standard round mini donut pan***works too.)
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda until well combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the donut pan, using a piping bag or a plastic food storage bag with the corner cut off. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the donuts comes out clean, about 6-8 minutes. Do not over bake or the donuts will dry out. Transfer the donuts to a cooling rack. Clean the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.
In a heat safe bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the butter, chocolate and corn syrup together, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Dunk the top surface of the cooled donuts into the glaze or spoon it over the tops.
Notes
*To find pink sparkling sugar, click here.**To find the heart-shaped mini donut pan I used, click here.***To find a standard mini donut pan, click here.
Have you seen those cute Teddy bear cookies on social media with the bear holding an almond or a heart? I’m not sure where they originated but they’re sometimes called Pinterest cookies because so many people have found them there. I had an idea to have the Teddy bears hold baby bear cookies instead of nuts and I was going to save them for Mother’s Day. But then I thought they would also be so cute for Valentine’s Day. I made them in three different flavors and I just know that you’ll love them beary much!
Teddy Bear Sugar Cookies
Teddy bear cookies with baby bear cookies in vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate variations by Brownie Mischief
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (85g)cream cheese, softened
½cup (100g)granulated sugar
¼cup (50g)packed brown sugar
½teaspoonfine sea salt
1largeegg
1 ½teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼teaspoonpure almond extract
3cups (383g)all purpose flour, sifted
½teaspooncinnamon
1tablespoonunsweetened cocoa powder
Black gel food coloring
Pink edible luster dust
Small candy hearts
Icing or melted chocolate
Instructions
In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth. Add both sugars and the salt and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until well combined then beat in the extracts. On low speed, beat in the flour just until combined.
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions, using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Mix the cinnamon into one portion of dough. Mix the cocoa powder into another portion of dough. Form the dough portions into disks, wrap them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 24 bears using a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter* and 24 mini bears using a 1 3/4-inch or smaller cookie cutter.** (Re-roll the dough scraps as needed, letting the dough rest in the refrigerator until chilled before cutting again.) Place the bears onto the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Top each one with a mini bear. Fold over one or both arms of each bear. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Bake the cookies until set and the edges barely start to brown, about 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Using food coloring and a toothpick, draw the bears faces. With a small food safe paintbrush apply luster dust to make rosy cheeks. Use a dab of icing or melted chocolate to apply the candy hearts.
Notes
*To find the bear cookie cutter I used, click here.**To find mini bear cookie cutters click here.
These star-shaped sugar cookies with pretty butterscotch windows are often called stained glass cookies. The center of the cookies are cut out and filled with crushed hard candy. It melts in the oven, creating a beautiful glass-like effect. They’re perfect for the holiday season.
I named my star cookies after Evangeline from the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. When my mom passed away, my dad used to say that he dreamed of her as a beautiful lady in the stars. Recently, I lost my dad too. I like to think that my mom and dad are reunited up there somewhere. The story of Ray the firefly and Evangeline the star from The Princess and the Frog reminds me of them. I made these cookies as a small holiday tribute to my cherished parents.
Evangeline Butterscotch Star Cookies
Vanilla sugar cookies with butterscotch candy windows
¾cup plus 2 tablespoons (198g)unsalted butter, softened
½cup (64g)powdered sugar, sifted
½teaspoonfine sea salt
1largeegg yolk
2teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2cups (255g)all purpose flour, sifted
½cup (100g)crushed butterscotch hard candies
Sanding sugar
Instructions
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and salt until smooth and well combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. Mix in the flour just until combined.
Form the dough into a disk and wrap it with plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven tp 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface (or between parchment sheets), roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 18-20 star shapes using a 4-inch cookie cutter.* Place the stars about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Cut the center out of each star using a 2-inch cookie cutter.* Place the small star cut outs on a separate cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Fill the cut out section of the large stars with the crushed butterscotch candy. I recommend chilling the cut cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to prevent excess spreading.
Bake until the candy melts and the edges of the cookies start to turn light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet. Bake the small stars for 6-8 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
*To find 4-inch and 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutters, click here.
This moist, fudgy chocolate cake with a generous amount of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate crumb topping and powdered sugar snow is perfect for frosty mornings with a cup of hot coffee or tea. It’s also perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch served with fresh raspberries and/or raspberry sauce.*
Fudgy Chocolate Crumb Cake
Rich, moist, fudgy chocolate cake with melt-in-your mouth crumb topping and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
2tablespoons (12g)Dutch process unsweetened dark cocoa powder
â…›teaspoonfine sea salt
7tablespoons (99g)cold, unsalted butter, cubed
Cake
1 ¼cups (160g)all purpose flour, sifted
6tablespoons (35g)Dutch process unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted
¾teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonfine sea salt
½cup (113g)unsalted butter, softened
â…”cup (132g)granulated sugar
¼cup (50g)packed brown sugar
2tablespoons (30ml)vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
1largeegg
1largeegg yolk
1 ½teaspoonspure vanilla extract
â…”cup (150g)sour cream
â…”cup (118ml)hot coffee or espresso
â…“cup (85g)semisweet mini chocolate chips
Powered sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Crumb Topping
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt until well combined. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks like dirt, with no large pieces of butter remaining. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square cake pan** with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang to serve as handles to lift the cake out of the pan. If you want to serve the cake directly from the pan, you can skip the parchment paper and simply spray the pan with nonstick spray.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil until combined. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.
On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter in 2 additions, alternating with half of the sour cream after each addition. Beat just until combined. Gradually beat in the hot coffee just until smooth and well combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Top the batter evenly with the crumb topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes with a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter), about 28-37 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling on a cooling rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cooled cake.
Notes
*To find my raspberry sauce recipe, click here.**To find my favorite 8-inch square cake pan, click here.
I got a set of the teeny tiniest cookie cutters last year. Ever since, I’ve been coming up with cute ways to use them. Since Christmas is coming, I made the littlest and cutest gingerbread people. They look so cute adorning my full size gingerbread cookies. Working with such small cookies can be challenging but I have a few tips to make it easier. The dough has to be rolled very thin, so I found it easier to manage by rolling it between sheets of parchment paper. Since the dough is so thin and fragile, it has to be kept very cold during the entire process , so pop it into the fridge if it becomes too warm. A toothpick dipped in melted white chocolate was the easiest way for me to draw on their little faces, but a black edible marker would work too. You can also use royal icing if you’re comfortable working with it.
Gingerbread Friends Cookies
Gingerbread cookies topped with white chocolate, mini gingerbread cookies and sprinkles
assorted sprinklesI used candy cane sprinkles and green nonpareils
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together until well blended.
In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, shortening and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, then the molasses until well combined.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two additions. Beat just until combined. Set aside about 1/4 of the dough for the mini cookies. Form it into a disk. Divide the remaining dough into 2 portions and form them into disks. Wrap all of the dough disks in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Place the small portion of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut out 40-50 mini cookies using a 1-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place the cut outs on a parchment paper lined tray. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. this will help the cookies keep their shape when baking.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 3/4-inch or a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 18 cookies. Re-roll the scraps as needed. place the cookies at least 1-inch apart onto the cookie sheets. Bake until the cookies are set and slightly puffed, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Place the mini cookies, about 1/2-inch apart onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake until the cookies are set and slightly puffed, about 5-6 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. Decorate the cooled mini cookies with melted white chocolate, using a toothpick to make the eyes, smiles, etc.
Spread melted white chocolate onto one side of each round cookie. Top with the mini gingerbread cookies and the sprinkles of your choice.
Notes
*To find the mini gingerbread man cookie cutter I used, click here.To find round cookie cutters, click here.
