Brown Sugar Cookies

I mean...sugar cookies are great and all, but brown sugar cookies take things to a whole new level.

 This recipe from Cook's Illustrated really enhances the deep brown sugar taste by pairing nutty browned butter with dark brown sugar (although I only had light brown sugar for mine, that's why they're a little lighter)

They're crinkly and wrinkly like an old man's face. But they taste just as delightful....just like an old man's face? what. okay.
 
These cookies are rich and sweet.
They came out perfectly squishy in the inside and crisp on the outside.
Every bite is buttery and sugary and heavenly.

They are simple yet very special.

Brown Sugar Cookies

from: Cook's Illustrated March&April 2007

Ingredients:

 

14 Tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and ¼ cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1¾ cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1½ inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet.

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone but take them out anyways!), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Maple Lavender Frozen Yogurt

Ahh lavender. It makes me daydream of spring time.
Not only is it a beautiful flower, it is also a wonderful addition in baked goods and other sweet concoctions.
It adds an extra kick of delicate flavor that's so different than anything else.

Dried lavender pairs beautifully with subtle sweetness like the plain buttery taste of scones or shortbread, or in this case frozen yogurt!

I used Chobani 0% Greek yogurt for my recipe because that is what we eat in the house, but any other kind of plain yogurt will work fine.

The lavender makes the prominent taste in this dessert, but it is balanced well with the sweetness of maple. It is such a pretty taste, and it is like nothing you have ever tasted before, it has such a unique flavor.

Put some flowers in your fro yo!
You won't regret it

Maple Lavender Frozen Yogurt

from: kitchenetteblog

makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

¾ cup half & half  

1 ½ teaspoons dried lavender (loosely packed) 

⅔ cup maple syrup 
 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups 2% Greek yogurt

Directions:

In a small pot, bring the half & half just to a simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in the lavender and steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the lavender, whisk in the maple syrup and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the cooled maple syrup mixture with the yogurt, vanilla and bourbon. Chill the mixture until very cold, at least a couple of hours. Churn according to your ice cream maker's directions. (It was done in about 15 minutes in mine so keep an eye on it!)

Mango Bread

 Mango bread sounds crazy right?

Well it's actually delicious. And crazy.

 This bread is sweet and balances well with the ginger and cinnamon spices.

It's perfect for an afternoon snack with a cup of tea

Fresh Mango Bread

from: Dorie Greenspan Baking from my Home to Yours

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
¾ cup canola oil
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 cups diced mango (from 1 large peeled and pitted mango)
¾ cup moist, plump golden raisins

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8½ by 4½ inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from overbaking).


Whisk the eggs and oil together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, switch to a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix until blended- the batter will be very thick and not easily mixed, but it will soon come together. Stir in the mango, raisins and zest. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake bread for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (If the bread looks as if it's getting too brown as it bakes, cover it loosely with a foil tent.) Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around the sides of the pan and unmolding. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Whole Wheat Challah

Challah is a bread that is traditionally made for Jewish Sabbath.

I am not Jewish.

BUT...I would still like to make a delicious, pretty braided bread when I want. 

So what who cares.

 

 This is a whole wheat version of challah that tastes hearty and firm. 

You break the dough into thirds and braid it to make a beautiful loaf.

 

 It browns so nicely and makes a nice crisp crust

 And it will not last long in a house of bread lovers

Whole Wheat Challah

from: King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking cookbook 

Ingredients:

½ cup lukewarm water
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup honey
2 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast

Directions:

Compare all the ingredients and mix and knead them- by hand, mixer, or bread machine- until you have a soft, smooth dough. Cover and allow the dough to rise until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours
Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper

Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into 3 equal pieces, shape each piece into a rough log, cover the pieces, and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Roll each piece of dough into an 18-inch rope. Place the 3 pieces of dough side by side on the prepared pan, and braid them, squeezing ends together then tucking them neatly underneath. Cover the braid gently with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and allow it to rise until it's puffy, but not doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Uncover and bake the bread for 20 minutes; tent it with foil and bake until it's deep, golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 190 degrees F, 10 minutes more. Remove it from the oven, and after a minute or so carefully transfer it to a rack. Cool the bread to lukewarm before cutting it.