Tag: Vanilla Extract

Coconut Matcha Muffins

Note: I was sent a package of Matcha Green Tea from Tenzo Tea in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

I’ve been on a bit of a muffin kick recently. I’m trying to make sure we have as many “quick meals” as possible on hand during the busy fall season!

 

I was recently contacted by Tenzo Tea, a matcha green tea company that is based in Los Angeles. They were kind enough to send me some Tenzo Matcha to try in a recipe.

 

Matcha is finely powdered green tea leaves. To make into a tea, you just add a teaspoon of matcha powder to hot water and whisk until frothy. Because you ingest the whole tea leaves (rather than just steeping leaves in normal tea), there are a bunch of health benefits attributed to matcha.

I have never tried matcha before, but my sister is a huge fan, so I figured it was worth my time. Coconut matcha lattes seem to be quite a popular way to enjoy matcha, so I decided to turn that into a muffin I could enjoy during the week.

 

I based this recipe off of Smitten Kitchen’s Double Coconut Muffins, with a few tweaks.

 

Tenzo Tea was kind enough to provide a promo code for I Can Cook That readers. Use code cancook to receive 15% off a one-time purchase!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons matcha powder
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Coconut Matcha Muffins

Pistachio Muffins

Note: I was sent a box of various Bob’s Red Mill products to make the below recipe. Opinions are mine alone.

I love pistachios. So when my friend and I were determining what freezer-friendly recipes to make for a cooking marathon last weekend, I immediately suggested we make pistachio muffins.

Luckily, my friend was willing to make a batch with me!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Bob’s Red Mill sent us a goodie box of ingredients to help with our cooking day, which included their Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour.

We used a recipe I found on Food.com to make these muffins.

Ingredients (makes one dozen muffins):

  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill unbleached white all-purpose flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

Continue reading Pistachio Muffins

Old Fashioned Cupcakes

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.

Ingredients:

Vanilla-Orange Cupcakes: (adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe)

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • vanilla bean, split and scraped out
  • the zest of 1 navel orange
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached All Purpose White Flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Bourbon-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • the zest of 1 navel orange

Other ingredients:

  • peels from 1 navel orange
  • 12 maraschino cherries

Continue reading Old Fashioned Cupcakes

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

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)
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon coffee grounds
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup heavy cream, or to taste

Continue reading Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

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
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
  • 1/4 cup key lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon key lime zest

Key Lime Curd:

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup key lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp grated key lime zest
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Frosting:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • key lime curd
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk

Continue reading Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Continue reading Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Eggnog Cupcakes

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.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1 can whipped topping
  • ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Continue reading Eggnog Cupcakes

Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Cookies)

It’s time for my annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap post!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted is by Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. For the past five years, the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap has helped raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease.

 

In the past, I’ve made Hot Cocoa Cookies and Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. This year, I went for something completely different: Kourambiethes!

Kourambiethes are Greek Christmas Cookies, but also show up for really any celebratory event, so they are an all-year kind of treat. They are nut butter cookies, typically made with almonds or walnuts, which are then rolled in confectioners sugar. The result is a shortbread cookie that melts in your mouth!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 tablepsoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons orange flower water
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Continue reading Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Cookies)

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Spice French Toast Casserole #DelightfulMoments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DelightfulMoments #CollectiveBias

It’s no secret that I love all things Pumpkin. I have over 20 posts on my blog including pumpkin/pumpkin spice, but haven’t posted a pumpkin-themed recipe yet this year, what an oversight!

To make up for my lack of pumpkin posts, I’ve got a pret-ty awesome recipe for you today that can be used as a super decadent breakfast (perfect for snow days or holiday mornings with family!) or a really delicious dessert.

This recipe for Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Spice French Toast Casserole is flavored with International Delight’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer, which I picked up at my local Walmart. (It can be found in refrigerated bins near the milk, or at the end of an aisle in a refrigerated case.) The creamer adds a swirl of seasonal spice flavors into your coffee (and recipes), inspired by pumpkin pie. Yum!

This recipe pairs wonderfully with a cup of hot coffee flavored with International Delight’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer; Walmart also sells single creamers as well. I picked up some of the French Vanilla Single Creamers, which I added to my coffee to enjoy with this breakfast.

As family gathers for the holidays, this recipe is the perfect addition to breakfast or brunch. It’s simple to make and uses the slow cooker to keep your oven and stove free for preparing the main holiday meal!

International Delight wants to hear about your holiday spirit by sharing a video, photo or story through their website. You can win a $5,000 holiday brunch  with all your favorite International Delight products! Learn more here.

 

Ingredients:

French Toast Casserole:

  • 1 lb challah bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups almond milk (or regular milk)
  • 1 cup International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer
  • 1 (8 oz) can pumpkin puree

Crumble:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted margarine or butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Continue reading Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Spice French Toast Casserole #DelightfulMoments

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies #OXOGoodCookies

Each year in the fall, OXO adds a little sticker to select baking items to help spread the word and raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. A portion of the proceeds from each product sold with the sticker is donated to the cause.

 

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a recognized 501c(3) public charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.

 

 

In addition to the proceeds from sold stickered products, OXO will be donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blog post dedicated to this campaign in October (up to our $100,000 commitment*.)

*In 2015, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through product proceeds, bake sale matches and other fundraising efforts

 

I’ve done posts the past couple of years, including a recipe for Spritz Butter Cookies and Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.

OXO was kind enough to send me a “cookie kit” to help me make another batch of cookies for this cause. The kit included:

 

So, here is this year’s blog post for #OXOGoodCookies! I have been in a chocolatey mood since participating in #Choctoberfest last week, so why not add a bit more chocolate to our lives?

 

These cookies really bring the chocolate: dark chocolate cocoa powder gives the cookies their dark color, espresso granules enhance the chocolate flavor, and chopped hazelnuts add some crunch!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), at room temperature
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses added)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used mini)

Continue reading Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies #OXOGoodCookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Hemp Muffins

Note: I received products to use in this recipe from Just Hemp Foods. All opinions are my own.

Today is the last day of #Choctoberfest! If you haven’t already, be sure to go enter the giveaway now!

Because it’s Sunday, I have my mind on the week ahead. I really struggle to have an on-the-go breakfast option that actually tastes good and doesn’t load on the calories. I love making homemade muffins because then breakfast is set for the week, but it’s kind of tough to justify much nutritional value in most muffins.

But these little guys are amped up with Just Hemp 50% Protein Powder, which is a plant-based protein powder with essential amino acids vitamins and minerals. The powder is gluten-free, soy-free, and lactose-free, and can be added to just about anything! Each 4 tbsp serving contains 0.7g omega-3’s, 2g omega-6’s, and 6g of fiber.

You can connect with Just Hemp on their social media pages:  Facebook  | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Hemp protein powder is a great substitute for some of the flour in a baked good, up to 25%. I also happened to have some overripe bananas on hand, and still have some dark chocolate chips leftover from my #Choctoberfest baking, so I made these yummy gluten free banana chocolate chip hemp muffins for my fiance and me to enjoy all week! (This recipe can be made with normal flour instead of almond meal as well, it just won’t be gluten free.)

Ingredients: (makes 12 cupcake-sized muffins)

  • 1 1/2 cups almond meal
  • 1/2 cup Just Hemp 50% Hemp Protein Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup Imperial sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips

Continue reading Banana Chocolate Chip Hemp Muffins

Black Forest Cupcakes

When I think of all things chocolatey, no list would be complete without Black Forest Cake, which is traditionally made of layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream, and cherries. My Black Forest Cupcakes version for #Choctoberfest uses dark chocolate cupcakes stuffed with cherry filling, topped with fresh whipped cream frosting, chocolate shavings, and maraschino cherries.

As the Gold Sponsor of #Choctoberfest with Imperial Sugar, Imperial Sugar was kind enough to send quite a bit of sugar my way to use in my recipes, including these Black Forest Cupcakes. (Speaking of #Choctoberfest, don’t forget to enter the giveaway!)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder brewed in 1 cup water
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups Imperial Sugar
  • 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:

  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Other Ingredients:

  • 1 can cherry pie filling
  • Jar of Maraschino Cherries
  • Chocolate Shavings

Continue reading Black Forest Cupcakes

Overnight Iced Coffee

This post is sponsored by Equal. All opinions are my own.

I love coffee. No,  I need coffee. And in the summer, I crave iced coffee, but don’t want to have to go to a coffee shop every time I have a hankering (that can really add up!)

 

Really solid iced coffee is made strong enough to stand up to the ice as it melts. I also prefer a really strong brew so that I can add sweetener and half and half to make the perfect iced beverage. So overnight iced coffee is a simple and awesome option, plus it’s ready for you in the morning!

 

Overnight iced coffee is cold brewed; the ground coffee “brews” in the water overnight to give a rich deep flavor, and is really easy to make. I was sent a summer beverage kit from Equal to get ready for all the delicious drinks of summer and thought this would be the perfect time to try out an overnight coffee using the kit and Equal 0-calorie sweetener!

 

 

Equal 0-Calorie Sweetener pairs wonderfully with a strong brewed iced coffee. Equal packets are concentrated (1 packet = the sweetness of 2 teaspoons sugar) while Equal Spoonful measures cup for cup. Equal is a great option to sweeten recipes without adding calories! (For more recipes using Equal, check out their recipe page.)

 

 

The summer beverage kit includes:

  • Equal® 0-calorie sweetener 115-ct boxes
  • Equal® Spoonful 4-oz. “Easy Pour” Container (226 servings)
  • Takeya Flash Chill Tea Maker
  • Republic of Tea Green tea sachets
  • Blended iced coffee packets
  • Cool Peach Iced Tea Recipe Card from The Diabetic Chef® Chef Chris Smith
  • Equal® Recipe Guide Booklet
  • Equal® iPad holder

 

 

I decided to use the Takeya Flash Chill Tea Maker to make the overnight iced coffee and sweetened my coffee with Equal Spoonful. The Tea Maker has a built in Tea Infuser which also works great to hold the coffee grounds. (Equal is also providing one reader with a kit of their own! Details after the recipe…)

 

Ingredients:

  • 10 tablespoons coarsely ground coffee
  • ~2 quarts water
  • ice cubes (or coffee ice cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons Equal Spoonful 0-calorie sweetener (or 4 Equal packets)
  • 1/4 cup creamer or half and half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Continue reading Overnight Iced Coffee

Spritz Cookies

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Annually, OXO highlights this month with a program benefiting Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, founded by two OXO employees who’s son battled pediatric cancer. 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 show support, OXO will donate up to $100,000* to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through the sales of specially marked items, bake sale matches, and other fundraising efforts.   And that’s where this post comes in! OXO sent me a set of cookie-baking tools including specially marked OXO baking products with this Cookies for Kids’ Cancer sticker:

 

OXO is donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blog post dedicated to this cause in September. (I made these Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies and these Gluten Free Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes last year in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer as well.)

But they aren’t stopping there. For every stickered item sold, OXO will donate 25 cents in support of pediatric cancer research as part of its $100,000* pledge to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Look for specially marked OXO products at participating retailers in September. (Here’s a list of OXO products that include the sticker.)
* In 2014, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through specially marked baking tools, bake sale matches and other fundraising efforts. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a recognized 501c(3) public charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Your donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.
So my cookie-baking set came with a Cookie Press with Disk Storage Case, as well as a Cookie Spatula and a 3 Piece Spatula Set. OXO was even kind enough to send over their newest Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons! I have never made Spritz cookies before so I was really excited to try the Cookie Press out. Although Spritz cookies are typically thought of as a holiday cookie, OXO’s Cookie Press comes with plenty of other non-winter shapes, including a Leaf, Daisy, Sunflower, Buttercup, Fleur-de-lis, Butterfly, Shell, and Heart! (More winter-y shapes include a Bear, Snowflake, Tree, and Wreath)

For my first attempt, I stayed traditional and made a traditional Butter Spritz Cookie Dough using a recipe adapted from the Food Network to make these Spritz Cookies!

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Sprinkles or colored sugar, for garnish
  • Food dye (optional)

note: to make Spritz cookies you need a cookie press Continue reading Spritz Cookies

Blueberry Breakfast Bars

I have a coworker who absolutely loves blueberries. She is retiring this week, and I wanted to make her a blueberry treat before she left. I adapted this recipe for Blueberry Breakfast Bars on The Kitchn, with the original recipe coming from the Whole Grain Mornings cookbook by Megan Gordon.

My version uses quite a bit of substitutes and including using sprouted spelt flour instead of whole wheat flour because I could not find my whole wheat flour when I went to make these (I guess I need to clean out my pantry!) I also have more blueberry filling in my version, and used a different sized pan. Be sure to check out the original version on the kitchn to see if you prefer their method!

Ingredients:

Blueberry filling:

  • 4 cups fresh blueberries, divided
  • 1/4 cup natural cane sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon water

Crust:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup original wheat germ
  • 3/4 cup sliced raw almonds
  • 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
  • 1 cup sprouted spelt flour (or whole wheat flour)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Continue reading Blueberry Breakfast Bars

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