My son doesn’t eat a lot of the stuff I make but he does eat these. Good for kids of all ages.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet.

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy in stand mixer on med/high speed. Add egg, then vanilla and almond extracts.

Lower speed and add dry ingredients until just mixed.

Use about a tablespoon size amount and roll into a ball.  Roll the ball into a plate of sprinkles until well coated.  Place on cookie sheet and use the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly but keeping them thick.  They should be about 2″ apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for bout 12 minutes. No need to let cool too much.  Just start eating them.

Heaven. Pillowy-soft and sweet.  Thank you Food 52 for the inspiration.

Mornings were made for lime and coconut. 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Zest and juice of one lime
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 cup flawed coconut

Drizzle

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 4″x 8″ loaf pan.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, zest and lime juice.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl.  Combine milk and yogurt into measuring cup.

Alternate flour and milk mixtures (finishing with flour) until combined.  Stir in coconut.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for approx. an hour.  Check with toothpick to see if done.

Let cool and then combine powdered sugar and lime juice (use a little at a time to get desired consistency).  Drizzle over loaf.

Another one of Grandpa’s favorites.  Thanks Smitten Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

7 oz almond paste
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup sliced almonds
6 oz. semisweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet.

Grate paste and place in bowl with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.  Add sugar and beat until almond paste cannot be broken up any further, approximately 3 to 5 minutes at a medium-high speed. Add egg white and salt and beat until uniform and creamy.

Place sliced almonds in a wide-shallow bowl or plate. Have another bowl with water to get your hands wet.

Wet hands and scoop 1 tablespoon of dough into your palms. Dough will be soft.  Roll it into a 4-ish inch log and drop it into the bowl of almonds. Wipe your hands dry so nothing sticks.  Transfer the soft almond-covered log to the prepared tray and arc it into a horn shape. Press any loose almonds back on. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until almonds on cookies are gently toasted and horns are puffed. Let cool completely.

Melt chocolate in a small bowl and dip ends of cookies into it, then return to parchment-lined tray to set.

The dried cherries give it that little something extra.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Toast pecans by sprinkling them in an ungreased heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until nuts begin to brown, be careful not to burn them. Remove from heat; cool.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add vanilla. Gradually add flour, beating just until blended. Stir in toasted pecans and chopped cherries.

Divide dough in half; shape each portion into 2 (1 1/4-inch-thick) logs (about 12 inches long). Wrap in cooking parchment paper; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 325°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Unwrap dough; cut into 1/4-inch slices. On cookie sheets, place slices 1/2 inch apart. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Lemon cupcakes with a Lemon-Raspberry Buttercream.

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of one lemon plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Raspberry Buttercream
1 cup butter softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons of cream if needed for consistency

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line cupcake tin with muffin cups.

Cream together butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar one cup at a time,  fully incorporating each cup before adding another. Add zest. Do the same with the eggs.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milks, lemon juice, and vanilla into a small cup and whisk together. Add to butter and shortening mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Evenly distribute cake batter between cupcake tins.  I used two plus 4 more. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and make buttercream while cooling.

Mash raspberries in saucepan and add sugar.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 minutes.  Take off heat and let cool. Cream together butter and ½ cup of confectioner’s sugar at a time. After each cup of sugar has been added, add 1 tablespoon of raspberry syrup and a little of the lemon juice until all mixed.  Add vanilla and then beat on high for a few seconds.

Pipe on to cooled cupcakes as desired.

A brownie cookie with a soft chocolate center and an espresso marshmallow melted on top.

INGREDIENTS

4 dozen 1/2″ cubed espresso marshmallow bits (made ahead of time. See directions below)
12 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
4 dozen chocolate disks/pieces

DIRECTIONS
Melt chocolate and butter over double boiler, whisk and let cool for 5 minutes

In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Add your cooled melted chocolate/butter mixture to your egg mixture and combine.

Slowly add dry ingredients until all combined.

Refrigerate dough for an hour or two.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Chop up marshmallows into 1/2″ cubes and set aside.

Use a small ice cream scoop to get round ball of dough.  Flatten them slightly with your hand. Bake for approx. 15 minutes.  Take out of oven and push down a chocolate piece into the cookie forming a pool for the chocolate to melt.  Top with a piece of marshmallow and put it back in the oven for 2 minutes. When it comes out you can use a kitchen torch to caramelize the top of the cookie.

ESPRESSO MARSHMALLOWS
adapted recipe from Ina Garten.

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup espresso
Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer and let sit.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup espresso in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

With a sieve, generously dust an 8 by 12-inch nonmetal baking dish with powdered sugar. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan, smooth the top, and dust with more powdered sugar. Allow to stand uncovered overnight until it dries out.

Turn the marshmallows onto a board and cut them in squares. Dust them with more powdered sugar.

This is stupid good.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, melted and browned
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana very ripe (approx. 3)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup strawberry jam (equal parts sugar and strawberries boiled for 15 minutes and cooled)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease loaf pan.

Chop nuts and mix with brown sugar.

In saucepan, heat butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown bits form. Remove from heat.

Mash bananas, set aside.

Pistachios, walnuts, lemon, cranberries. BAM!

INGREDIENTS

Cake:
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, (cold is okay)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Slightly heaped 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

Glaze:
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Heat oven: To 325 degrees F. Line the bottom and long sides of a loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper. Coat paper and exposed short sides of loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter.

In the work bowl of your food processor, grind pistachios, walnuts, sugar and salt together until as powdery as you can get them without it turning to paste. Cut butter into small chunks and blend with pistachio mixture. It’s going to be lumpy at first, and then balled for a minute, but keep running the machine until the mixture loosens up into a frosting-like consistency, i.e. smooth and shiny. Add eggs, one at time, blending briefly between each, scraping down sides as needed. Add milk, blend to combine. Add vanilla and baking powder and blend to fully combine, scraping down workbowl. Add flour and pulse just until it disappears.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread top smooth. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan on rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around cake and transfer to cooling rack. Let cool completely.

Glaze: Bring cranberries, sugar, zest, and juice to a simmer in a small saucepan; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes then pour over cooled cake.

I worked with this recipe.

Chocolate and coffee are a good team.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon espresso finely ground
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons  butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate milk

Icing
1-2 tablespoons espresso
2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour insides of 12 muffin cups or insert paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the batter, stirring until incorporated.  Evenly divide batter between cupcake molds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans. Cool completely before icing.

For icing, add espresso slowly to powdered sugar until desired consistency.  Pour over muffins