Red Velvet Cookies

Today I made my children these Red Velvet Cookies which were just delightful, I had worked the night before making cupcakes and cake pops for all four classes, I had no help which I usually have from my husband but this week he is in training away from home with the US Army.  Yes, I missed my hubby dearly on this very special day but specially last night when I had to do all the work myself.  Well, I decided just to make a simple but delicious treat for my four beautiful Valentine's and I have to say these cookies did the job, as soon as they walked in the house from school they couldn't stop eating them.
I definitely have to make them when my husband comes back I know he will love them as much as we did.


Red Velvet Cookies


Recipe:

1 box red velvet cake mix  (Duncan Hines preferred)

1 egg plus 1 egg white

1 stick butter melted

1/2 bag white chocolate chips

2 Tbsp of sugar 

Directions:

1.  Mix the cake mix, eggs, butter and  sugar with a spoon 

2.  Add the chocolate and mix 

3.   Spoon 1 Tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper.    

4.  Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until right before the edges start to brown.    

5.  Cool for 10 min.

Almond Linzer Cookies with Guava Filling

I am completely excited to let you guys know that I am part of a group of bakers from "Have the Cake" havethecake.blogspot.com/ and this is my first posting on the site.  The blog puts a new recipe every month and everyone that is that's part of the blog can do it and they have the whole month to complete it.  This month challenge is Black and White, Linzer Cookies or Lace Cookies, I decided to do the Linzer Cookies because I just think they taste amazing, whether you use almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans either way they taste wonderful.  I have to tell you making the dough was easy but the rolling and cutting was a  bit stressful.  At first, the dough would brake if the pin did not have enough flour, it would also stick to the pin and I really did not want to over due it with the flour.  I decided to use a technique I saw on http://thedecoratedcookie.com/ where you roll out the dough on wax paper and it worked perfect.  I got the recipe from the Martha Stewart Website but I modified the recipe a little instead of pecans I used almonds and instead of Cherry Filling I used Guava.  The best thing is that you can fill them up with your favorite flavor of jam.

Almond Linzer Cookies (Martha Stewart)
Recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup almonds
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup of your favorite flavor jam (I used Guava)


Directions:
1.  Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse almonds, confectioners' sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

2.  Add butter and granulated sugar; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

3.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out squares with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; re roll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake squares and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

4.  Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes; let cool.

5.  Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days

Lemon-Lavender Shortbread Cookies

A few years ago when I went to Las Vegas with my husband we went to a bakery where they had this delicious cookies (do not remember the name of the bakery).  These cookies were amazing.  I was kinda hesitant to try a cookie that taste like flowers, since lavender has a very powerful scent.  Well I have to say that I don't regret tasting it, because like my daughter would say "it was like heaven in my mouth" The taste of lemon and lavender were just a great combination.  A couple of weeks I order a pound of French Culinary Lavender and I have to tell you when I received the package which was completely sealed in a bag, you could still smell it, I knew right away what it was.  I took the lavender and put it in a container and still, my whole kitchen smells like the lavender... I love it!
These cookies are just amazing , I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.



Lemon-Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Cookie Recipe:
1 cup butter, unsalted at room temperature
1/2 cup powder sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp of dried culinary lavender
1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice (can also substitute with lemon extract)

Directions:
1.  Cream together butter and sugar until smooth.

2.  Sift together flour, cornstarch and salt and add it to the butter mixture.  Mix until the flour coats the butter but isn't completely worked in.
3.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and the lavender.

4.  Using your hands lightly rub the ingredients together forming a ball.  Do not over work mixture.

5.  Flatten the dough out into a disc and cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

6.  Preheat oven at 325° F
7.  Once chilled, roll out the dough on a lightly flour covered surface so that its 1/4 inch.

8.  Cut dough into shapes
9.  Place cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

10.  Bake for 15 minutes

Icing Recipe:
1 cup powder sugar
3 tsp dried culinary lavender
2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (preferably Meyer lemon)
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
1.  Mix sugar, lavender, lemon zest together
2.  Add lemon juice little by little until you get the consistency that you want

Enjoy!!

Valentines Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

February is here and I have to say that is one of my favorite month of the year as is December and July because they are the months when my babies were born.  Ana was born February 11, 1999 so she is turning 13.  I know the BIG "13", she reminds me of it everyday for the past 2 weeks.  She is a fire cracker she has such a great personality and great qualities of a leadership.  She is a miniature Donna Summer look alike.  Since February is her month her favorite cookies are sugar cookies, so she asked for heart shaped sugar cookies for her birthday party.  I have to say that I have tried many recipes of sugar cookies and I finally found one that I truly love from The Martha Stewart Cook Book/Collected Recipes for Every Day.

This is Ana my new Teenager to be

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 Ts salt

1/2 Ts baking powder

1/4 Lb (1 Stick) butter, softened ( I used unsalted)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 Tb brandy

1/2 Ts vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Sift together the dry ingredients.

2. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light.

3. Add egg, brandy and vanilla and beat well.

4. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until well blended.

5. Wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. On a lightly floured board, roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time.
8. Roll to 1/8 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters.
9. Put shapes on parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 10 min. ( Do not allow to brown, I left them for 8 min)

10. Cool on racks.
11. Decorate with Royal Icing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.
Enjoy!!!

Alfajores

I just love Alfajores!!! I was born in Lima, Peru and I remember when I was little my grandmother making them and the whole house smelling like pastry and my cousins and I running to the third floor where my grandmother had her kitchen and just waited until the cookies came out of the oven and watch my grandmother put them together with manjar blanco (Dulce de leche).  It was just amazing, every single bodega (store) in Lima sold alfajores wrapped individually in parchment paper for an equal or lesser amount of a US quarter.
But many people think that Alfajores originated in Latin America...well, that is incorrect.  The 'alfajor' is actually a traditional Arabic confection called 'Alaju' that was brought to Spain by an Arab general named Musa Ibn Nusair during the conquest of Medina Sidonia, Alcala de Guadaira and Carmona.  The name Alfajor originated from the Nebrija-Spanish Dictionary as 'alfaxor' or alaxur'.
Alfajores presence became known in Southern Spain during the 12 and 13th centuries being developed in Andalucia 'Cuidad de los Gitanos' (City of Gypsies).  Alfajores were brought to Venezuela and Peru first by the Spaniards and then made itself known through out all Latin America.
I do hope that you have enjoy this bit of history and that you will also enjoy this great recipe.

Alfajores

Recipe:

3/4 cups of sugar

1 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (2 1/2 stick)

2 tsp lemon zest

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups of corn starch

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

dulce de leche

shredded coconut

powder sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350° F 

2. Line cookie baking sheet with parchment paper

3. Mix sugar and butter until light and fluffy

4. Add lemon zest

5. Sift all purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda together

6. Add sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture, do not over mix 

7. Roll out the dough, using as little flour as possible, about 1/4 inch thick 

8. Cut with a small round cookie cutter

9. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet

10. Bake for 8-10 minutes

11. Remove cookies immediately to cool on a wire rack

12. Once cookies are cooled, spread cookie with a teaspoon of Dulce De Leche, then sandwich together      with another cookie

13.  Roll the sides in the shredded coconut

Enjoy!!!