Desserts, cookies, cake recipes

Shortbread Cookies

Mmmm....

shortbread and chocolate for Valentine's Day!

Need I say more?

1 cup butter (no substitutes)

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in flour by hand until the dough is smooth. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks.

For chocolate dipped shortbread cookies, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of shortening over a double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth. Dip one half of each cookie into the chocolate. Place onto cooling racks until set.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This dense, not-too-sweet carrot cake is irresistible once topped with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting! It's a favorite among my quilty friends.

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2/3 cup milk

3 medium carrots, grated

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, alternately beat flour mixture and milk into butter mixture. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed until completely smooth. Beat in vanilla. Beat in confectioners' sugar until well blended. Place cake on a serving plate. Spread frosting over top and sides and sprinkle with brown sugar and nut topping (below).

Topping

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

Mix together nuts and brown sugar. Sprinkle on top of frosted cake.

Coffee House Coffee Cake

Topping:

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Cake:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Make topping by combining flour with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mixture should have the consistency of moist sand. Add chopped pecans.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to the moist ingredients a little bit at a time. Add milk and mix well.

Spoon batter into a 9x13-inch baking pan that has been buttered and dusted with a light coating of flour.

Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Be sure the topping completely covers the batter.

Bake cake for 50 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn light brown and cake tests done. Cool.

MaMa's Snickerdoodle Blondies

1 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, very soft

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

Topping:

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line a 9x9 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar. Add in the egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in the four mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon in a small bowl. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting.

Two From One!

This is my family's all time favorite Christmas cookie and I like it because I can get two different cookies from one batch of dough!

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups flour

1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Rosenmunnar

I always use raspberry filling for these Swedish thumbprint cookies,

but you can use any fruit flavor that you like.

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 cup any flavor fruit jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Imprint your thumb in the center to make a 1/2 inch indentation. Fill with your favorite preserves. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in vanilla and almond extract. Mix in the flour, and then one cup of the mini chocolate chips.

For Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies:

Shape dough into 2 x 1/2 inch logs. Place logs 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes in preheated oven, or until firm. Let cookies cool completely before removing from pan.

Melt the remaining cup of chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of shortening over a double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth. Dip one end of each cookie into the chocolate. Place onto waxed paper until set.

For Kris Kringle Cookies:

Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball. Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 - 13 minutes in preheated oven, or until firm. Remove from cookie sheets and cool slightly. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and cool on wire rack.