Muffins

Felicia's Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Baking Temperature: 400°F
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 C AP flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
grated zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1 C milk or cream
2/3 C packed brown, or white sugar
4-8 TB melted butter
1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
1 1/2 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)
or 12 oz chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In secondary bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and zest.
2. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, butter and blossom water.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet but do not overmix.
4. Fold in berries or chips.
5. Pour into greased muffin tins (or lined with paper cups)
6. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar (maybe demerara).
7. Bake 15 mins or until stick comes out clean.

Tip: Use lesser quantity of butter for muffins that will be eaten right way; more butter means longer life.
Tip: In absence of lemon zest and orange water, substitute 2-3 tsp of vanilla essence.
Source: Felicia Bock.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Yield:  about 24 cupcakes
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 20 min 

Ingredients

2 ½ C AP flour
2 C sugar
½ C powdered baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
5 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1-4 tsp red food coloring

Instructions

1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift dry ingredients three times.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs on eat a time, beating well after each egg.
4. Add 1/4 of dry ingredients and 1/4 of the buttermilk and mix well. Continue in this way.
5. Mix in vanilla, add food coloring to desired redness.
6. Line cupcake tin with paper cups, fill them halfway with batter.
7. Bake for 20 min at 350°F.
8. Cool for at least 5 min in pan before transferring to wire rack.
9. Cool completely before frosting.
10. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Notes: You can make a buttermilk substitute. For each cup, put in 1 TB lemon juice or white vinegar and fill with milk to 1 C, let stand 5 min. However buttermilk has a flavor and lightness that is worth buying a carton. Try buttermilk pancakes or fried chicken to use the rest of the buttermilk.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield:  a double layer cake or full batch of cupcakes

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
½ stick butter (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 C powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Sift or at least whisk lumps from sugar.
2. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended.
3. Add sugar gradually, beating until well blended after each addition.
4. Use right away or refrigerate and bring back to room temp before using.

Notes: Try pink frosting: add a few drops of red food coloring and 1 tsp rasberry essence in place of vanilla.
Used On:  Red Velvet and Carrot cake.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Yield:  3-4 dozen cookies
Baking Temperature:350°F
Baking Time:  12 min

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, softenened
1 C firmly packed soft brown sugar
½ C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ C AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
3 C old fashioned oats
1 C raisins
1 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy.
4. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
5. Add in flour mixture, beat well.
6. Stir in oats, raisins, and nuts using wooden spoon, mix well.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto silpat cookie sheet.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
9. Cool one minute on sheet and move gently (using frosting spatula) to wire rack to finish cooling.
10. Serve warm with a glass of milk.

Notes: Refrigerated and frozen cookies can be briefly microwaved for a warm-up, but refrigerated cookies are also good. Perfect for a quick morning snack.
Occasions Used:  Serve these cookies in colder months.
Source: Quaker Oats

Rolled Sugar Cookies

From Sweet Things: Food Pics!

Sugar Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 C sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1C unsalted butter, slightly firm
3/4 C superfine sugar
1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
2. In large bowl cream together butter and sugar.
3. In small bowl, beat egg and vanilla together with a fork.
4. Beat egg/vanilla into butter/sugar.
5. Add half of dry ingredients, mix, then other half mixing only until it begins to form a mass.
6. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until just smooth.
7. Divide into quarters and press into 4 discs.
8. Dust each disc lightly with flour and wrap in plastic.
9. Chill 15 min; heat oven to 350°F.
10. On a lightly floured surface working with one disc at a time, roll the dough out very thinly (1/16").
11. Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to silpat on cookie sheet.
12. Bake 10-14 min or until edges begin to brown, rotating sheet within oven at least once.
13. Let stand 2 min then transfer to wire racks to continue cooling.
14. Let cool before decorating.

Sugar Cookie Icing - Ingredients

1 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp almond (or other) extract
food coloring

Sugar Cookie Icing - Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir sugar and milk until smooth.
2. Beat in corn syrup and extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If too thick, add more corn syrup.
3. Divide out to color.
4. Dip or paint cookies.

Tip: go to the Polvorones de Naranja recipe for some rolled cookie tips.