Peppermint White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I have a delicious cookie that is perfect for Christmas.  I have wound down my baking to nothing, but these were the last batch of cookies before I packed up my stand mixer.  When you move, you kind of have to clean out the refrigerator.  I like to slowly finish off whatever is in there until we are down to nothing, or almost nothing.  Interestingly enough, it is a little difficult to time this.  For example.  Fruit.  Now, I love fruit, and 2/3 of my meals consist of fruit, but I may have accidentally overbought.  As in 5 lbs of oranges, 10 lbs of grapefruit, and two different kinds of apples...about 4 lbs each.  Did I mention that this is for me, a 6 year old and a 2 year old?  Oops.  Sorry kids, it's fruit for dinner.  On the flip side, I had about three cookies left.  WHAT!  There is no way that we can survive for a whole week with only three cookies.  Although for some families this is a fantastic ratio.  


Back to the cookies.  These cookies are so delicious.  The white hot chocolate pairs well with the peppermint, and the ground oatmeal gives them a warm nuttiness that brings you back for more.  The filling is super a soft white chocolate peppermint marshmallow cream filling that is a little bit addicting.  The filling recipe makes only enough filling for about 13 sandwich cookies, but you can easily double the recipe.  


Peppermint White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies


Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
4 envelopes (1.25 ounces each) white hot chocolate mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips


Filling:
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 envelope (1.25 ounces) white hot chocolate mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4 teaspoons very hot water
1/2 cup Andes peppermint Crunch Baking Chips


Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.


In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.  In a blender, process the oatmeal until it is in powdered form.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground oatmeal, hot chocolate mix, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating until all of the ingredients are well blended.  Add the peppermint chips and mix on low until evenly distributed.


Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are very slightly browned on the top and edges.  Remove the cookies from the oven and let sit on the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.


For the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, hot chocolate mix, vanilla, salt, and hot water.  Beat the ingredients together until light and fluffy.  Add the peppermint chips and beat until incorporated.  


To assemble, drop a spoonful of filling onto the bottom of a cookie.  Lightly press another cookie on top of the filling.  Repeat with remaining cookies.  Makes 3 dozen single cookies, or about 13 sandwich cookies with about 10 cookies left over.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Lime Coconut Cake

What happens when you are A) Completely out of recipes to post on your blog, and B)moving in one week, and don't have time to bake from scratch?  You bust out your emergency cake mix and dress it up!  I usually don't use cake mixes, because I think that scratch is way better, but if you are in a pinch, you can usually play with a mix and create something better than the box.  


With this cake, I simply substituted lime juice for the water, butter for the oil, and threw in some coconut.  Add some lime zest and coconut extract to store bought cream cheese frosting (I know, strike two!!) and you get something a little better than store bought.  Super fast, super easy, and super yummy!


Lime Coconut Cake


Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup lime juice
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
3 eggs
1 cup coconut


Frosting:
2 containers cream cheese frosting
1 Tablespoon lime zest
1/4 to 1/2 coconut extract


Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and lightly flour 2 9-inch round cake pans.


In a medium bowl, beat together the cake mix, lime juice, melted butter, eggs, and coconut, until well incorporated.  Divide the batter between the prepared  cake pans, and spread evenly.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.  Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.


For the frosting, stir together the frosting, lime zest, and coconut extract until blended.  Spread the frosting between the cake layers and over the top and sides of the cake.  Makes about 12 servings.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Wrapping Up

So I thought I would keep you posted on my final photography food portfolio (due today...wish me luck!). Recipes will be coming soon! Enjoy the pictures. Happy finals week and merry monday!

Mahlzeit!

-Coriaunty

In the Meantime

You may have noticed that Cardamommy has been carrying our blog for quite some time now. And I have to say that she's been doing a pretty fantastic job! But on the off chance that you happened to notice my absence, here's what I've been up to: school. Exciting, right? Papers, tests, projects, books, photos, papers, photos, photos, photos, papers, photos...well, you get the idea. It's been a pretty crazy semester, but I think the light is finally beginning to make it's long-awaited appearance at the end of the tunnel. Anyway! Here are a few examples of what I've been doing in the meantime for my photography class. Enjoy!

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Triple Chip Chocolate Cherry Cookies

I came across something amazing at the store the other day.  Chocolate extract.  Why amazing?  Because I have been unable to find it for the past oh, 6 years or so.  Honest.  Short of ordering it online, it has been strangely elusive.  Until now!  I found Watkins brand chocolate extract at Walmart!  I also bought the cherry extract, and it is a good thing too, because I used them both in these cookies.


Triple Chip Chocolate Cherry Cookies


1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon chocolate extract
1 Tablespoon cherry extract
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.


In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and shortening, and beat on medium speed until blended.  Add the brown sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla, chocolate, and cherry extracts.  


In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.  Slowly add to the creamed mixture, with the mixer on low speed, beating until just combined.  Turn off the mixer, and stir in the chocolate chips.  Scoop the dough into balls using a cookie scoop, and drop onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the pan for a couple minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.  Makes about 48 cookies.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Apple Fritter Muffins

I  really like apple fritters, however, I am not such a fan of fried things... Occasionally I suppose it is okay, and for certain things, but when I came across a recipe for apple fritters in muffin and baked form, I jumped all over it.  Twice.  In one week.  They totally reminded me of apple fritters, too!  My hungry puppies were so upset when they were gone, not to mention my husband, so I had to make them again.  

These muffins are flavorful and moist and studded with apples.  The muffin top is slightly crunchy at the edges with a wonderful glazed flavor (like...apple fritters, maybe???)  I thought that these muffins were even better the next day.  After several days they were still moist and delicious.  

Apple Fritter Muffins

Apples:

2 large granny smith apples, diced into 1/4 inch pieces

3 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 Tablespoons water

1/3 cup flour

Muffins:

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

Glaze:

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 to 2 Tablespoons hot water

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line 15 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a skillet, combine the diced apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and water.  Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender, about 7 to 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the flour.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Whisk together until combined.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated, then add the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain, being careful not to over beat.  Gently fold in the apples.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups (they should be filled almost to the top).  Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.  Remove muffins from the oven and let sit in the pan for about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let sit for about 5 more minutes before glazing.

While the muffins are cooling, combine the melted butter and hot water.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and whisk together until smooth. The glaze should easily drizzle off of a spoon.  Dip the muffin tops into the glaze, then return to the cooling rack while the glaze hardens.  Repeat with all of the muffins.  When the glaze has hardened, dip the muffins a second time.  Let the glaze harden before serving.  Makes 15 muffins.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Eggnog Ice Cream

Since it is eggnog season, I thought that it would be a great idea to make some eggnog ice cream.  Perfect over warm pumpkin bread pudding, sandwiched between gingerbread or gingersnap cookies, scooped into a mug of steaming hot chocolate, or just by itself in all its yummy goodness.  How does it taste?  Like eggnog...ice cream.  Delicious.  Please note: Do  Not Boil the eggnog ice cream base!  You will have scrambled eggnog, and that is not so delicious.


Eggnog Ice Cream


4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
4 cups half and half
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla


In a saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and nutmeg.  Slowly whisk in the half and half.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is slightly thickened and steaming, and reaches 160F.  Do not boil!  When the eggnog has reached 160F, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.


When you are ready to make the ice cream, pour the ice cream base into the ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  When the ice cream is finished, transfer into a freezable container and store in the freezer until ready to serve.  Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy