Monday, September 29, 2008

WHITE Cake Mix Cookies Part 2

In my last post, I made Lemon cookies from a lemon cake mix. So I decided to try the same recipe, with a White Cake mix to simulate sugar cookies, and also to see if this recipe would be better when making sugar cookies with a little add and minus here and there. These cookies came out prefect, they were rich and soft. One review I got said, "the cookies are moist, rich and missing a glass of milk". Now, here is a quick and simple recipe for cookies that can be transformed into any flavored or type of cookie. Pecans, chocolate chip, all chocolate, and hazelnuts are just a few ideas, from dozens. Find all your baking needs at Brilliantcakes3000 ONLINE STORE

LEMON Cake Mix Cookies

Whenever I bought the Pillsbury Lemon cake mix, there would always be a recipe on the side of it. So this recipe that I tried, is called "Lemon Crisps". However I hate dried out hard cookies, so what I did was take a small spoon and shape the dough into balls, instead of flatting them out like the recipe says, I just left them as balls. Also, after mixing the ingredients together, I let the dough rest for about an hour or two. Because when i did attempt to make them right way, the lemon seemed really strong and it was as if you were eating straight sugar. You could taste the granules.

1 pkg Pillsbury Moist Supreme Lemon cake mix
1/3 cup Oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs; stir with spoon until combined into a moist dough. Shape dough into 1-inich balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
2. Bake at 375F for 5 to 10 mintues or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 mintue and remove from cookie sheet.
3. Small bowl, combine powdered suger and lemon juice until smooth and drizzle over cookies. You can also dust the cookies with the powder sugar. Enjoy!
Find and enjoy your favorite baking needs to recreate this recipe and others at THE STORE

Sunday, September 28, 2008

JIFFY Corn Muffin Ideas!

Got any JIFFY Ideas? I do! An all American favorite can be made in so many ways. I love this corn muffin mix, and here's a few ideas I have to make it even better.

Savory Recipe) 1-2 JIFFY corn muffin mixes
1/2-1Tbsp of Cilantro
1/2-1Tsp of Chili powder
Dash of Salt
Dash of Black pepper
1/3 Cup of Red Pepper
1/3 Cup of Green Pepper
1/2 Tsp of Onion powder
1/2-1 Cup of Monteray Jack Shredded Cheese

Mix all dry ingredients together, and then follow the recipe (twice if using two mixes) for the Jiffy corn muffin mix. Then add the shredded cheese and let the mix rest as stated on the box, after that bake at the required temperature in a round or squared baking pan. Enjoy!
Sweet Recipe) 1-2 JIFFY corn muffin mix
1-2 Tbsp of granulated Sugar
5 Tbsp of any kind of Jam
Follow the recipe on the box, plus add sugar, mix and let rest. Place in a round or squared baking pan, and marble the jam of your chose throughout the mix. Bake as directed and Enjoy!
Sweet Recipe) 1-2 JIFFY corn muffin mix
1 can of cream of corn
2 Tbsp of granulated Sugar
1/3 stick of Butter
Dash of Salt

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together the wet ingredients from the box and the cream of corn and butter. Mix in the wet ingredients into the dry gradually, let rest then bake as directed in a round or squared baking pan, and Enjoy!

My Cookie Cutters!
















Mrs.Cookie Cutters

As my passion grew for baking, and experimenting with different recipes, I started collecting cookie cutters. My favorite stores are Marshall's, Ross, Burlington and T.J. Max, where I find great cookbooks and baking items such as many different cookie cutters. I look for and buy all sizes, shapes, and designs. Usually every holiday, there's new cutters to look for. Currently, I have Valentines day, Halloween, and Christmas themes. I use my cutters for sugar cookie recipes. One day I was surfing the home decor isles of Ross, and found this huge gingerbread cookie cutter, I immediately secured it in my shopping kart. The best way to find either the same, different or even the matching piece to an already existing item is to go to all the same stores in different areas, close by. You would find me at almost all the locations closes to me, searching for cutters, dishes for display, and much more. Right now, I am on the search for some vintage cutters, I hope to find a great collection of vintage cutters. You can collect these cookie cutters and others like I have on My Amazon Shopping .

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Hazelnut-Chocolate Chip cookies

Ok, so I found this recipe on Epicurious.com.. as I said on Sunday, I was interested in making either brownies or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. So I decided to make these Hazelnut Chocolate chip cookies that I found and I think the hazelnut added a great taste to ordinary chocolate chip cookies. Even though I make several not so healthy desserts, I do try to shop at Whole Foods, and purchase all my ingredients from them, then everything I bake is organic.

This recipe is great, and it was a hit at my little get together the other night.
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup creamy hazelnut butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semi sweet mini chocolate chips
1. Sift together flour,baking soda, baking powder and salt 2. Beat both butters and both sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla. 3. Beat in the flour mixture and stir in the mini chocolate chips 4. Refrigerate dough for about 2 hours 5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line or grease 2 baking sheets. 6. You can use a tbsp or small ice cream scoop, arranging scoops of the dough 1-inch apart, and bake cookies one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Today's Grocery list & Baking Ideas

Today, I had the idea to make some brownies or chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, I am planning to take a trip to my local grocery store here in Miami,Fl. My pantry is more or less full, but I would like to get in on some Labor Day sales. However I always end up thinking of new or old favorite things to bake and cook. With the exception of a sale, my weekly shopping budget is only $60-$80 usually it consist of meat and poultry, vegetables,cooking oil, rice and etc. And then when theres a sale I buy in bulk so the rest of the weeks, I am only spending money on important items that run out very quickly.

Heres what I plan to buy;
Orange juice (gallon) only $2.49
Cranberry juice (gallon) $5.19 buy 1 get one free
Pepsi/Mountain Dew 4 12pk cans for $10.00 plus get one free
Cereal $4.09 buy 1 get one free ( am a huge cereal fan)
Milk$3.79 (gallon)
Eggs $1.79
Brownie Mix 2 for $4.00 ( this is only for storage, because I love to make my famous brownies from scratch)
Cherries
Walnuts
Chocolate chip morsels
Cocoa powder
Water 24pk $4.00

Luxurious Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

2 Cream Cheese pkgs (8 oz.)
Sour Cream (16 oz.)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
3/4 Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/3 Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
1 Cup of Cherries (dried)
1 Teaspoon of Mint Extract (optional)
2 Tbsps of Flour
3 Tbsps of Butter (melted)
3 Tbsps of Sugar
Chocolate Fudge cake mix (plus required ingredients)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two deep pans with foil or parchment paper, with ends extended over pans.

2. Mix graham crumbs, 3 tbsps of sugar, and 3 tbsps of butter well.
3. Pack firmly into the bottom of pans and bake for about 10 minutes.

4. Cream cream cheese and sour cream, then add 1 cup of sugar and eggs. Then add flour, mint extract, walnuts or pecans, cherries and blend well.

5. Mix together the chocolate cake mix and its ingredients, then pour half (or even less then half)of the cake mix into one of the pans, and the other half in the other pan, (which has the baked graham crumbs). Eye ball it, because the chocolate cake has a tendency to run over.

6. Pour the cheesecake batter over the chocolate fudge cake batter of both pans.

7. Bake for 1 to an hour and a half, until center is set. Cool completely, lift cheesecake out with foil or parchment handles and serve.


* Not recommended for people on diets!

This was a very rich chocolate-cheesecake I created for Christmas and it was wonderful. You get the best of both worlds, its like ice cream and cake. Prep time might be an hour, but give it a try and enjoy.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 oz) Pkgs of Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 Cups of Butter, softened
2 Cups Sifted Confectioners Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter until creamy.
2. Mix in vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners sugar.

*For an all white frosting, you can use the clear imitation vanilla extract.
This frosting goes good with some pecans or almonds sprinkled on top of cupcakes or on the side of your cake.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti Recipe

1 Cup of Almonds
3/4 Cup of Gramulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon of Almond Extract
1 Cup Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Whisk eggs and vanilla extract together, then set aside.
3. Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until combined.
4. Gradually add the egg mixture, chocolate, and almonds, then beat until a dough forms.
5. With floured hands and surface, divide dough in half.
6. Roll each dough into a log.
7. Transfer logs to a lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, let cool and enjoy.