My mom and I just had a weekend of cookie baking. We ended up making ten different types of cookies!
We actually ended up making these thumbprint cookies because I misinterpreted what type my mom wanted to make. She mentioned wanting to make cookies with hard candies in them, and I decided that meant thumbprint cookies. Oops.
Anyways, who doesn’t like thumbprint cookies? They are really easy to make, and the shortbread combined with preserves is so tasty!
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
your favorite preserves, jam, or jelly (I used apricot and berry preserves)
Every year, I have two responsibilities for Thanksgiving: make Bloody Mary’s as everyone arrives and show up with a dessert that is chocolate and/or pumpkin.
This year, I decided to make a dessert that is both pumpkin-y and chocolatey: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake!
This recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is adapted from a Country Living recipe, and uses my cinnamon cream cheese frosting from my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes recipe.
Ingredients:
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
¾ cup low fat buttermilk
1 (15 oz can) pumpkin purée
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (2.25 sticks), at room temperature
This past Sunday was crum-my. It rained ALL day. So I was in comfort food mode. Along with making another batch of Lemony Red Lentil Soup, I decided to make a rice pudding recipe in my slow cooker, heavily inspired by Phyllis Good’s Stock the Crock recipe for Coconut Rice Pudding.
My version for Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding uses a different flavor profile, so be sure to check out the original in the cookbook as well as the below. (I made another recipe from this awesome cookbook as well. Go check my post on Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala here.)
Rice Pudding is found in different forms around the world. It is eaten as a breakfast, dessert, or sometimes even dinner. Many countries have a version of rice pudding that is traditionally served for Christmas.
My version adds some of my favorite flavors to one yummy dish: coconut, rose water, cranberries, and pistachios.
I almost always have pistachios in my house, they are a favorite of my husband and me. We both love them on their own, as a garnish, or incorporated into different recipes.
The flavor of pistachios is buttery and sweet, so they work really well in a number of different recipes. They are great in savory recipes sprinkled on top of a meal, or added to baked goods.
October is National Cookie Month, so what better time to try out a new cookie recipe?
This Pistachio Sugar Cookies recipe incorporates one of my favorite nuts into a chewy sugar cookie.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shelled pistachios, divided
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Note: I was sent a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Pan, Silicone Baking Cups, and a Baker’s Decorating Tool from OXO. All opinions are my own.
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, so I’m sharing this recipe a bit ahead of time. Every year, OXO donates up to $100,000 to support an organization called Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. The organization was founded by two OXOnians (OXO employees) who were inspired by their son Liam’s battle with pediatric cancer, a disease which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer provides inspiration and support to allow anyone to easily get involved in fundraising to find a cure for pediatric cancer.
To help reach their goal, OXO donates $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blogger who posts a recipe to bring awareness, up to their $100,000 commitment. I’ve posted twice a year for the last few years to help bring awareness to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Click here to see some of my past posts.
This year, OXO sent me Silicone Baking Cups, a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Pan, and a Baker’s Decorating Tool to make this post.
Here’s a little about each product:
The Non-Stick Pro Muffin Pan (paid link) features a unique micro-textured pattern that ensures even baking and adds structural rigidity. It’s made with a ceramic-reinforced, two-layer, commercial-grade coating that provides ultimate non-stick release and is scratch-, stain-, corrosion- and abrasion-resistant.
The BPA-free Baking Cups have handy tabs to help remove them from muffin tins without making a thumbprint, and the inside of each Cup is smooth and non-stick to release your treat easily. With a fill line, your cupcakes will be consistent every time.
Our easy-to-use, easy-to-fill Baker’s Decorating Tool is designed to give you complete control while decorating. The unique trigger provides a smooth stream of icing for clean lines, and the comfortable handles ensure a steady grip and protect icing from warm hands.
I wanted to make a new, fun, and different cupcake to try out all of these cool tools. My husband and I are huge fans of Old Fashioned Cocktails, so I decided to turn those flavors into Old Fashioned Cupcakes! Note: the frosting contains alcohol so this is not a kid-friendly recipe.
To bring in the flavors of an Old Fashioned, I made a Vanilla-Orange Cupcake and topped it with Bourbon-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. To finish it off, I added a maraschino cherry and some orange peel.
Note: I was sent some coupons for Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk in order to make this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake. Opinions are mine alone.
Last weekend, I had friends over for dinner. Planning what to eat dinner was pretty easy, until I realized I hadn’t thought of a dessert!
Luckily, I had picked up some Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk the last time I was at the supermarket and had the remaining ingredients on hand as well so that I could make this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake.
Not only is this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake super tasty, it can be made with pantry items without needing to make another trip to the supermarket. So it’s the perfect “just in case” recipe to make when needed!
It’s no secret that I love dessert, especially ice cream. And I love toppings on my ice cream: sprinkles, chocolate chips, and most of all, hot fudge!
When I was young, my family and I would vacation in Vermont. There is a confectionary store (Mother Myrick’s) in Manchester, VT that makes THE BEST hot fudge. I love it so much that from time to time, my family will still buy it for me when they visit Vermont. Last time they brought me some, I dropped it and the jar broke into a million pieces. Sigh.
So. I’ve been craving their fantastic hot fudge sauce for a while now. I didn’t necessarily try to recreate Mother Myrick’s, but this Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce is pret-ty darn good. Best part? It only takes 15 minutes to make!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (I used Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk)
My husband absolutely loves peaches, specifically peach desserts. However, peeling and slicing a bunch of peaches is kind of a pain. So, hooray for frozen cut peaches! Also hooray for slow cookerdessert recipes, like this Blackberry Peach Slow Cooker Crumble!
This recipe, adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, is really simple. Just mix together a few ingredients, add to your slow cooker, and wait.
Three hours later, your house will smell fantastic, and you’ll have enough Blackberry Peach Crumble to feed a crowd! Just top with ice cream and dig in!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #BlueBunny#CollectiveBias
Spring has finally sprung and this past weekend was absolutely beautiful. Warm weather has me dreaming about frozen treats, especially ice cream.
For more than 80 years, Blue Bunny® has been offering yummy ice cream made with fresh ingredients for families. Blue Bunny® Ice Cream just came out with their new 2017 lineup of ice cream flavors and treats, including two awesome Ice Cream Cakes: Bunny Tracks and Vanilla Bean Blondie. Bunny Tracks is made with the Blue Bunny® signature flavor: vanilla flavored ice cream with caramel and fudge swirls, chocolaty covered peanuts, and peanut butter filled chocolaty bunnies.
Their other new flavors include: Mint Cookie Crunch, Monster Cookie Mash, Toffee Brownie Twist™, and Rockin’ Rocky Road™. Also worth mentioning, Cherrific Cheesecake, which used to be seasonal is now officially available year-round!
One of my favorite ice cream treats are ice cream sandwiches. So what could be better than a cake sized ice cream sandwich like this Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich Cake? I decided to make large peanut butter cookies to make the Blue Bunny® Bunny Track Ice Cream Cake into an Ice Cream Sandwich Cake.
I went to my local Walmart to pick up the ice cream cake and the ingredients I needed for the cookies. The ice cream cakes can be found in the same aisle as other ice cream.
We’ve been pretty lucky weather-wise in Philadelphia recently, but are back to it feeling like actual winter. Blah.
I’ve been dreaming of warmer weather (and warmer weather recipes)! I must not be the only one, because the Florida Keys & Key West are hosting an awesome event tomorrow night to help the Philadelphia area dream of the sun and sand.
Tomorrow, 24 of Philadelphia’s top food writers and influencers are getting behind the stove to face off “Iron Chef style” at Walnut Hill College. The influencer who creates the best Keys-inspired dishes within the time limit will win a trip to the Florida Keys and be named an honorary Keys Chef. Guest judges from the Keys will include Chef Bobby Stoky and Philadelphia’s favorite son Pat Croce. The sold out event includes an evening of food, cocktails, fun and friendly competition.
How awesome would it be to win a trip to the Keys? The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands off the southern tip of Florida and are known for their awesome fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. In fact, the Keys have the only living coral barrier reef in the U.S., not to mention awesome food and drink. The most well known dish from the Florida Keys is Key Lime Pie.
I was bummed that I wouldn’t be able to attend, but still wanted to get in on the fun, so I decided to make a spin on Key Lime Pie — Key Lime Pie Cupcakes!
Key Limes are smaller than “normal” limes and are a bit more tart. These little guys don’t give off a lot of juice though, so it takes quite a bit to make this recipe. Key Lime Pie is made with key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk to make a smooth, tangy pie filling with a graham cracker crust.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Note: I was sent a holiday cookie decorating gift basket from De’Longhi, and one to give away. All opinions are mine alone.
With the holidays upon us, it’s always nice to find extra ways to give back. This season, De’Longhi, an international leader in household appliances, is helping to give back by donating 10% of its delonghi.us sales site-wide until December 20th to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a national non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for safer, more effective treatments for pediatric cancer, the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. For the first time, CookiesforKids’ Cancer has launched a Challenge Gift Campaign where all of the money raised from now to December 31st will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $250K. Visit Delonghi.us to purchase products and see all of the great holiday gift ideas De’Longhi has to offer. Visit Cookiesforkidscancer.org for more information on ways to donate!
To help spread the word, De’Longhi sent me a holiday cookie decorated gift basket to help make some yummy cookies which included The Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Cookbook.
The gift box includes:
set of holiday cookie cutters
3-pack of holiday colored icing
pair of cappuccino glasses
coffee
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer: Best Bake Sale Cookbook
I decided to make the cookie that started it all, a recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies that was developed for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s first bake sale.
This recipe is legit. They are the perfect balance of chewy, buttery, and chocolately. It’s no wonder the recipe is so popular!
De’Longhi was generous enough to also make a holiday cookie decorating gift basket for an I Can Cook That reader! More details on the giveaway after the recipe.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Note: I was sent a Glass 9″ Pie Plate, a Steel Pie Server, a Double Pastry Wheel, and a 1″ Pastry Brush from OXO. All opinions are alone.
This time of year get’s crazy busy doesn’t it? I feel like December always flies by! Before you know it, the holidays are here. And prepping for them can be tough; it’s difficult to figure out what can be made ahead of time without sacrificing quality.
This Very Berry pie recipe is here to save the day! It can be prepared ahead of time and frozen.
I call this a Very Berry Pie, because it has 5 (!) different types of berries in it: Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries and Cranberries. It uses frozen berries to make prepping even easier.
When ready to bake, thaw in your fridge overnight and then bake. Simple right?
Making it even more simple is the use of an OXO Glass 9″ Pie Plate. All OXO Glass Bakeware is made of thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass, so you don’t need to bring it to room temperature before adding it to your oven! (The other glass baking dishes are perfect for pre-made sides for your holiday dinners as well!)
Source: OXO.com
OXO has many other tools that help make preparing for the holidays even easier. You’ll see quite a few of them pop up throughout this post.
Ingredients:
For the pie crust:
1 1/3 cups cold butter
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water
Note: You can also buy pre-made pie crusts. I won’t tell.
For the pie filling:
2 (16 oz) bags frozen mixed berries (mine had blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)
1 (16 oz) bag frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of the pie
Philadelphia has so many wonderful winter holiday events and traditions. Some of my favorites include the Christmas Light Show at Macy’s (originally Wanamaker’s), seeing the neighborhood lights in South Philly, checking out the Holiday Railroad at Reading Terminal, and of course, going to Christmas Village.
Source: Russ Brown Photography
Every year my husband and I make sure to pick up a new ornament for our tree at Käthe Wohlfahrt or at one of the other amazing Christmas Ornament vendors.
This year, the Christmas Village has moved back to City Hall. The open-air German market is one of the largest in the country. Every year, I love walking through the stands to see the eighty international and local merchants and artists.
Source: Christmas Village in Philadelphia
Naturally there are quite a few food stands as well as stations to pick up hot mulled wine and other beverages served in a snazzy 2016 Collectors Mug.
This year, the Village also as a Carousel that you can purchase tickets to ride. (Check out my Instagram feed to see video of me enjoying the carousel maybe a little too much.)
Source: Christmas Village in Philadelphia
While walking around the Christmas Village, I snacked on Pretzelphoria’s Peppermint Party, which are pretzel balls coated in white chocolate and crushed candy canes.
The peppermint coated pretzel balls were an awesome combination of minty, sweet, and salty. I wanted to make my own spin at home!
Ingredients:
2 (12 oz) bags of white chocolate chips (I used mini)
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
1 (8 oz) bag mini pretzel balls
Note: You’ll need a few tools to make this recipe: double boiler (or a metal bowl on top of a pot with some boiling water in it), wax paper, cookie sheet
With Thanksgiving behind us, I was ready to get in the holiday spirit and wanted to incorporate eggnog into a baked treat; the flavor of eggnog translates so well into dessert!
These Eggnog Cupcakes are vanilla cupcakes with eggnog substituted for milk. They are topped off with a dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
I love love love pomegranates. The burst of tanginess is awesome in both sweet and savory dishes.
It is once again pomegranate season (the season runs from ~October through ~January), so I am thrilled to be cooking again with one of my favorite ingredients.
POM Wonderful must have heard about my love of their products, because I was contacted to try out their POM POMS Fresh Arils and pomegranates. I will have a few recipes over the coming weeks, but lets start with something a little sweet.
This recipe for Pomegranate Olive Oil Cake is from the POM Wonderful website. It is topped with a Vanilla Crème Anglaise, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh pomegranate arils.
