black and white cookies

I fully intended on taking these cookies to share with my Bible study, but I waited too long to ice them, and then they weren't dry in time.  Then I bought some cute cellophane bags to package them up and deliver them to some friends around town, but the bags were too small to fit one of these giant cookies in.  I tried to convince Lane to take them to work so they'd be out of my reach, but he decided to eat 6 for dinner instead.  I tried not to eat these, I really did.

Apparently these cookies are a New York City tradition, but I've only been to the city once, and my 18 year old self was just focused on cheesecake at the time.  And musicals.  I missed out on these!  They are soft and cakey- amazing with an afternoon cup of coffee, or apparently for a 7am dinner if you work the night shift.  The icing does make a mess, but it's not nearly as difficult as it looks.  Lane said he only ate the chocolate half because he had to, but I couldn't decide which side I liked more!

Black and White Cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

2 cups cake flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool

¾ cup sugar

1 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. lemon extract

½ cup milk

For the glaze:

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine

¼ cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup water

2½ cups (20 oz.) confectioners' sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Milk, as needed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.   Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk to combine.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.  Add in the sugar gradually, increasing the speed to medium-high and beating until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Blend in the egg, vanilla and lemon extracts at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  With the mixer on low speed, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, mixing until just combined.

Using a ¼-cup measuring cup and a spoon, place six ¼-cup mounds of dough a generous 2 inches apart on each baking sheet.   With moistened fingers, gently press each mound of dough into a disk ¾ inch thick.  Bake until the centers of the cookies are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking pans halfway through the baking time.  

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Use a wide spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.  Let cookies cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.  In a medium saucepan, combine the corn syrup and water and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until combined.  Transfer ¾ cup of the vanilla icing to the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to combine.  Add milk as necessary to make sure the icing is spreadable.

To glaze the cookies, place the cookies on wire racks set over waxed paper or foil.  Use a small offset spatula or knife to spread about 2 tablespoons of the vanilla icing on half of the flat side (bottom) of each cookie.  Tilt the cookie and run the spatula around the edge to scrape off excess icing.  Allow to harden slightly, about 15 minutes.  Using the offset spatula, spread the chocolate icing over the other half of each cookie, scraping away excess icing from the edge.  Allow the glaze to set at least 1 hour before serving.  

Source: Annie's Eats

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turkey meatballs

When I first started dating Lane, he was exasperated by how many times I'd say I didn't like something when in reality, I'd never tried it.  What seemed perfectly reasonable to me (I know what I like!) was totally illogical to him.  And that included meatballs - I'd never had one but I thought there was no way I'd want to.  In an attempt to impress him, I eventually tried a recipe, and it's now one of our favorites.  I make these at least once a month - with whole wheat spaghetti or on a sandwich, they're worth a try!

 

Italian Turkey Meatballs 
Ingredients: 
1 pound ground turkey (I use the leanest I can find)
¼ cup grated parmesan
1 egg
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 jar marinara sauce or 1 batch quick marinara sauce 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine turkey, cheese, egg, and breadcrumbs.  Roll meat mixture into 1½ inch balls and transfer to a plate.  

Heat the oil in a large skillet (that has a lid) over medium heat.  Working in batches, brown the meatballs on each side for 1-2 minutes. Once all the meatballs are browned, transfer them all back into the skillet and cover with the marinara sauce.  Cover the skillet with the lid and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through.  Add the shredded mozzarella on top for the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Top with extra parmesan if desired.

Source: inspired by Giada De Laurentiis

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strawberry cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes

This year, I'll be celebrating Valentine's Day with the LUV Airline on my way to Houston!  I'm going to see my family for a fun-filled weekend that will include stops in Waco to see one sister teach a class and Abilene to see the other sister... sing an a capella medley and do some very crisp choreography on risers while dressed as a Christmas present. Yeah, you'd have to be there. :)  I'm excited to get to see both of their apartments and hang out with their friends!  Lane comes on Sunday and we'll get to spend the week there, soaking up some above-freezing weather and seeing both of our families.

Last year I celebrated Valentine's Day in a warehouse.  I made cupcakes for my team, and I think I overdid it by doubling both of these recipes.  I made a lot of friends all over the building that night, handing out cupcakes to anyone who looked at me.  I was going through my picture archives and decided, why not one more Valentine's dessert? (Or two)

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
2 ¾ c. all-purpose flour 
½ c. cake flour (or cake flour substitute)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
2¼ c. sugar
3 large eggs
1 egg white
1 c. buttermilk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 lb. strawberries, pureed
A few drops of red food coloring, optional
½ c. strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line two metal muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating after every addition.

Reduce speed to low. Combine buttermilk and vanilla together and set aside. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture; end with the dry ingredients. Fold in strawberries. If desired, add a few drops of red food coloring until a pretty pink color is reached. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed in. 

Divide batter among muffin cups (about 30), filling them almost all the way to the top.  Bake cupcakes until a knife inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool in muffin tins.

For the frosting, puree strawberries in food processor. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove seeds, and set aside. Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice, vanilla and strawberry puree. Adjust the amount of puree to achieve your desired consistency.  Frost cupcakes when completely cool.

Source: Cake - Our Best Bites, Frosting - Annie's Eats

Chocolate Chip and Mascarpone Cupcakes
Ingredients:

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2¼ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Preheat to 325 degrees F.
Combine the unsweetened chocolate and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth.
Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and 1 tablespoon vanilla in a large bowl for 30 seconds. Stir in the mascarpone mixture. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and 1 cup chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir until just blended.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with no crumbs attached. Cool the cupcakes completely before dipping, about 1 hour.
Place the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips in a small bowl. Combine the heavy cream and ½ tsp vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Using a fork, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Dip the tops of each cupcake in the ganache and transfer to a baking sheet. Place the dipped cupcakes in the refrigerator to set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to return to room temperature before serving.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network Online

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