Pecan Sandies for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Bo has declared these to be "the best cookies in the whole world."  Every time he snags a cookie from the container, he says those exact words.  So we've got it on good authority that these little guys are yummy and perfect.

But why ask him?  I mean, I am kind of a cookie queen, am I not?  Well, today's recipe is a new one for me on so many levels.  It's my first time making these cookies, my first time eating these cookies, and my first time seeing what these cookies are even supposed to look like.  Yeah.

And while I'm being honest here, I'll admit that I'd always assumed that Pecan Sandies were named after some woman named Sandy, back in the 1950s.  You should've seen Bo's face when I told him that part.  He laaaaaughed at me and then said it had something to do with the sandy cookie texture.  Turns out he's right!  (I totally googled it last night.)

These cookies have a deliciously buttery, crisp texture and the hint of roasted pecans is such a perfect match.  They're the best kind of crumbly cookie, but the addition of a Dove milk chocolate Promise just puts these cookies at the top of the list.  Bo's list, that is.  I'm still a tried and true chocolate chip cookie fan.

Wishing You Heart Smiles,

          

Pecan Sandies
adapted from Allrecipes

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. (100g) sugar
1/2 c. (109g) brown sugar
1 c. (115g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. (512g) flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
2 c. roasted, chopped pecans
48 Dove chocolate hearts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a separate bowl. Beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, 1/4 at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the pecans.  Dough will be a little sticky.

Chill the dough for an hour, then scoop dough into balls and place 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Keep remaining dough refrigerated. Bake cookies for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Press chocolate hearts into centers of cookies, and remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.  Makes 4 dozen.

         

Vanilla Pound Cake Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

Ok, I'm about to share some of my favorite recipes with you here.  Favorite.

Favorite.

Favorite.

This little cupcake was dreamt up when a friend and I were testing recipes for her wedding.  And these babies made their debut at her wedding reception.  They're that good.

You start with a Pound Cake Cupcake.  We chose a pound cake recipe because my issue with standard cupcake recipes is that they end up a little on the dry side, and don't even think about trying to eat them the next day - you'll need 4 glasses of water to get them down.  Not so with pound cake.  It maintains its moisture over a couple of days, and the flavor is just so buttery and delicious.  Another thing that makes my heart flutter is the easy measurements for the recipe.  It's a cinch to 1/2 or 1/3, or even 2/3 the recipe!  When I made these last weekend, I made 2/3 the cupcake recipe below to end up with 2 dozen cupcakes.

The Raspberry Filling is perfectly raspberry-punched without being overly sweet.  I choose to leave a few of the seeds in (rather than strain them all out) so that the filling doesn't look imitation.  I like it to look a little jammy and definitely homemade.

And, that Cream Cheese Frosting is a hybrid of a standard buttercream frosting and a full-on cream cheese frosting, like you'd expect on a carrot cake.  It adds a little bit of tart to contrast with the sweetness from the cupcake and filling, but it isn't so tangy that it overpowers the rest of your cupcake.

I'm seriously so excited to share these recipes with you.  They're so pretty and just perfect for Valentine's Day.  They're a bit over the top, but definitely have that homemade, homestyle flavor that I think is essential for baking up treats to share.  I hope you love them just as much as I do!

Sugar Rush!!!!!

         

Vanilla Pound Cake Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 c. (603g) sugar
6 eggs
3 c. (336g) cake flour
1 c. milk (2% or whole)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in one cup of the flour, then 1/2 cup of the milk. Continue alternating (flour-milk-flour), ending with the last cup of flour. Beat on medium-high for two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Place on middle rack of cold oven and set temperature to 275 degrees. Set timer for one hour, and bake until cupcakes pass the toothpick test. Makes 36 cupcakes. (Half recipe yields ~19 cupcakes, third recipe yields ~12 cupcakes.)

Raspberry Filling for Cakes and Cupcakes

12oz. package of frozen raspberries
2/3 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 c. water

In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the raspberries have broken down. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain with a fine mesh sieve. Return the strained mixture to the heat. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the raspberry mixture. Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool completely. Will thicken like a jelly as it cools. Makes about 1 ½ cups and fills 48 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2, 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large mixer bowl and using the whisk attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth, scraping the bowl often.  Will generously frost 24 cupcakes.

         

 To fill cupcakes:

I've used those cupcake filling tools, but my favorite tool is an apple corer.
They work better, and you probably already have one on hand.

Place end of apple corer over the center of the cupcake and twist downward, to about 2/3 of the way down the cupcake.  Twist back upward and push the cake plug out of the corer.  Optional:  Snack on all the cupcake centers until you feel woozy from the sugar overload. (Just me?)

Pour your room temperature raspberry filling into a disposable pastry bag or large ziploc.

(You can store the filling for about a week in the fridge, so it can be made ahead.)

Fill cupcake centers just until level with their tops.

Frost, and then take a bite and swoon from the amazing creation you just put together.

Creme Brulee

Wooooeeeeee, this week has been a doozy.  These long, stressful work days have been taking their toll, and I keep daydreaming about that amazing Creme Brulee I made on Saturday.  You know - the recipe I only got five bites of because of my body's ridiculousness with dairy.  Le sigh.

But, now it's time to shift our focus to Valentine's Day treats!  February is my favorite month for treats (hint), and one of my favorite traditions is making Creme Brulee for Bo.  I made it for the first time for our first Valentine's Day together, because it's his favorite dessert.  But, I love it because anything that reminds me of "Amelie" is worth squealing about :)

I'll be honest - the first time I made Creme Brulee, I was freaked out about it.  But really, you just whisk a few ingredients and bake it in ramekins set in a water bath.  After they're chilled, bust out your trusty kitchen torch and give it a crunchy topping.  Done!

Tap Tap on the Sugar Top,

         

Crème Brûlée
adapted from Elegantly Easy Creme Brulee

8 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
1/4 c. sugar (for the caramelized tops)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/3 c. sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow.  Add cream and vanilla, and continue to whisk until well blended.  Strain into a large bowl, skimming off any foam or bubbles.

Place a paper towel into a large baking dish and arrange 6 ramekins in it spaced evenly apart.  Divide egg custard mixture among the ramekins.  Place baking dish on middle rack of oven, and fill the dish with warm water, until the level reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake until custards are set around the edges, but still loose in the center, about 40-50 minutes.  (Longer baking time may be necessary for larger or deeper ramekins.)  Remove baking dish from the oven and leave ramekins in the water bath until cooled.  Remove from water bath and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar over each custard.  Use a kitchen torch to melt sugar, or place under a broiler until the sugar melts.  Re-chill custards for a few minutes before serving.  Makes 6 individual custards.

         

Ingredient Lineup:

When you first mix the sugar into the egg yolks, it's a dark yellow color.

After whisking, the mixture will turn pale in color and become thicker.

Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve to strain.

Place a paper towel into a large baking dish and arrange ramekins evenly spaced.

Pour custard mixture into ramekins to half full.

Place the baking dish onto the middle rack of your oven and pour in warm water so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Divide sugar among the 6 ramekins and use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar.

Super Bowl Snack Ideas

Have you ever noticed that when it comes to Super Bowl food, it's all about cheese and bacon and cream cheese?  Oh, and throw in some sour cream and more melted cheese for good measure.  Yikes!  Aside from the fact that I have to avoid dairy, just thinking about all of that makes me feel bloated, and visions of buttons popping off my jeans start floating through my head.  Booooo!  I've been working hard at running and yoga and trying to keep my treats to a minimum, and I don't want to blow it all this Sunday!  So, I've thrown together a list here of some potential ideas for your Super Bowl snack spread.  I'm actually making a few of these for our party, and I'm so excited.  (That Cookie Dough Dip made from chickpeas is gonna blow. their. minds.)

Are you making snacks and treats for Super Bowl Sunday?  If so, got any ideas to share with us?  We'd love to hear them!

Touchdown,








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