Tasty Tuesday: Orange Shortbread Cookies

ORANGE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

• 1 cup salted butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 T finely grated, fresh orange peel (packed)
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 t orange juice
• 1/2 t butter flavoring
• 2 cups All-Purpose flour

In a medium bowl, beat together butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in orange zest, vanilla, orange juice, and butter flavoring. Add flour, then beat just until well blended. With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom to make sure everything is combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350º, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 2" circular cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place them on parchment-lined cookie sheets until sheet is filled. You may have to re-roll the dough a couple of times and might have a little left over that you can bake later. Chill pan for 10 minutes. Bake cookies until light brown on bottom and just barely golden around edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.

Icing

• 2 T orange juice
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• zest of half an orange
• 2 T cream cheese (melted)

In a medium bowl, slowly whisk together orange juice into the powdered sugar. Add orange zest and cream cheese and beat until well combined. Once cookies are cooled, brush them with icing using a pastry brush.  If you want a harder icing you will probably want to use more powdered sugar. Just start with more at the beginning and do it to taste.  

Tasty Tuesday: Everything Cookies

Everything Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter (softened)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1.5 cups homemade granola*
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 3/4 cup craisins
• 1/4 cup pecans

 Cream the butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and eggs. Next, add the flour, baking soda and salt. Add in the granola and oatmeal. Fold in the craisins and pecans. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. After the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350º. Scoop out tablespoon sized scoops with a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop onto un-greased, not-lined cookie sheets and bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes. Allow to cool on pan for a few minutes (they will continue baking during this time), then move to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

* Here is a link to my recipe for homemade granola

Tasty Tuesday: Red Velvet Biscotti

I was so excited to not only have my recipes in Social South magazine, but to also have one of them featured on the cover! Here is my recipe for the Red Velvet Biscotti. 

Red Velvet Biscotti

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 3/4 cup All-Purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1-2 bags white chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecans (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cake mix, flour, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly with a spatula and if you need to get your hands in there, too, it's okay because the red dye will come off of your hands. On a parchment lined baking sheet, separate the dough in half and mold each half into a 12x2 inch log. Make sure the top is nice and flat. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Then let them cool for 15 minutes. Cut the logs diagonally into 1 inch slices. Arrange the slices, side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for another 10 minutes, then allow to cool completely. Dip the individual biscotti in white chocolate and cover them in chopped pecans.

Tasty Tuesday: Pigskins in a Blanket

Pigskins in a Blanket

• 2 cans Pillsburry crescent rolls
• 1 pack of cocktail-sized sausages
• mustard for topping

Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll both cans of dough and separate into 16 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise into three narrow triangles. Place one sausage on the thin point of each triangle and roll to the other end. Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to serving tray. Cool a couple of minutes. Squeeze mustard on top to make laces of football.

Tasty Tuesday: Apple & Goat Cheese Flatbread

Apple & Goat Cheese Flatbread

• 1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
• TT extra virgin olive oil
• 1 log of goat cheese (crumbled)
• 1-2 Gala apples (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 onion (chopped, caramelized)
• 1/4 cup pecans (chopped)
• 1/4 cup craisins
• TT kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450º. Place pizza dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle on olive oil. Spread goat cheese, apple slices, onions, pecans and craisins over the pizza crust. Top with kosher salt. Bake for another 5-9 minutes, until crust is golden brown.