Category: Recipes

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::Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie Crust::

I know, I know–this isn’t a sugar cookie, it’s Fruit Pizza. We take it with us EVERY, SINGLE time we go to the Balloon Festival in July. But since last year, we’ve been trying our very best to make a few healthier choices, and one of those includes phasing out white flour. After all, it was my mom that used to say, “The whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead,” with a smile on her face. Yeah, ignore that if you can.

So, if you’ll be so kind as to look closely at our crust this time around. Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh–that’s right. You are looking at genuine whole wheat sugar cookie crust for our magnimonious creation. Yes it’s a word…I swear. But the best part is–it was really good…great even.

Best part is–it totally fooled the kids. We made two pans this year and brought home…

exactly

zero.

Now, that’s a hit.

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie Dough

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In small bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar; beat mixture until combined. Stir in egg, and vanilla; beat mixture until well combined.

Stir in the flour mixture and milk just until combined.

If using for Fruit Pizza– press into ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees, or until golden brown. Cool.

If using for cookies- Shape into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake cookies in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

I found this original recipe from the Kansas Wheat website. It is, however, tweaked…by me.

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
  1. In small bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar; beat mixture until combined.
  3. Stir in egg, and vanilla; beat mixture until well combined.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture and milk just until combined.
  5. If using for Fruit Pizza- press into ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees, or until golden brown.
  6. Cool.
  7. If using for cookies-shape into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
  8. Bake cookies in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

 

 

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::Popcicle Cupcakes Toppers::

Seriously now, have you ever seen anything so adorable in all your life? Popcicle cupcakes toppers–just in time for your summer barbeque dessert.

And best part of all–they don’t melt, but they sure do look like they could help you beat the summer heat, even if they are just pretend frozen pops.

Here’s how you do it~

Find flat toothpicks and snap 24 of them in half–you are only using the bigger of the two halves. Throw the other ends away.

Choose whatever color Mike & Ikes that suite you. I got Tropical Typhoon because I simply HAD to have the color blue in my Popcicle pile.

Now take the stick and very carefully…

push it into the flat end of each candy piece.

And there you have the sweetest little Barbie-sized, no drip “popcicles.”

In fact, if you’re like me, you’ll have a hard time stopping yourself once you get started.

I actually couldn’t keep myself from playing with all those pretty, bright colors!

These would make a perfect Summer Birthday party treat. But be sure to help younger children take the sticks out before they eat their cupcake.

So simple and fun and summer-y and most of all–

totally cool.

Heh.

PS– Gracious Rain is in 2nd place in the KSL Best Local Blogger Contest!! If you’d like to vote go right here and register…then vote. Thanks- thanks!!

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Chocolate Banana Freeze

We’ve been trying to eat more fruits and veggies around here instead of all the sugar that’s been kicking around these days–and it’s actually been fun. Don’t get me wrong, I can eat a Symphony bar with my lips glued shut, but right now, I’m trying not to.

So when this little recipe popped up on Pinterest, it would have taken a Mack truck to keep me from making it. Simple. Chocolaty. Frozen.

Save me.

No don’t.

Here’s how it goes…

Freeze 2 or 3 peeled bananas in a ziploc bag. Once they are frozen, cut them into pieces and whirl in the blender with 2 Tablespoons of cocoa. Work quickly and pour the mixture into a chilled bowl. This is a fabulous–no sugar added–fruity, frosty treat that is best eaten very cold.

In the time it took me to run for the camera, it was more thawed out than I wanted it to be. So I took one last taste and popped it back in the freezer, where it will stay until…

tomorrow…

for

breakfast.

Go fruit!

Heh.

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Chocolate Buttermilk Texas Sheet Cake

In honor of my Daney boy–who’s away in Texas for the summer…we made CAKE!

And the only thing missing from this picture is a big, old, scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Maybe later.

Right now…I just have to eat this piece…like right now…before anyone catches me.

Cake Ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups *all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup water
6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*I actually used whole wheat flour and 1 Tablespoon of Dough Enhancer. Nobody even knew. It was fabulous.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup)  butter
6 tablespoons of milk
4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jellyroll pan with butter or non-stick spray. In a measuring cup, measure out 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Add 2 eggs and beat until well blended; set aside. Whisk together in a large bowl, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 sticks of butter, the 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup of water and bring to a near boil. Remove pot from the heat and whisk in 6 tablespoons of cocoa, until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and add this mixture to the sugar and flour mixture; stir until well blended. Slowly add in the buttermilk and egg mixture and stir well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until the center is set, about 20 to 25 minutes.

When cake is about 5 minutes from being done, prepare the frosting. Do not do the frosting ahead of time because it will quickly stiffen. Heat the stick of butter and 6 tablespoons of milk in a saucepan just until it comes to a boil. It will need to be very hot. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Mixture will thicken. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.  If mixture thickens too quickly just warm it on the stove again. Immediately pour the frosting all over the cake. Use a spatula to gently push the frosting out to the edges and to cover the cake evenly. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

Oh. My. Goodness.

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Rootbeer Float Cookies

Now, I must admit, we aren’t very big on carbonated drinks at our place. Once the kids got started in sports and their coaches advised them to lay off the soda–it worked for all of us. In fact, some of my younger ones thought that anything with that fizz was a “hot drink.”

That said, if I had to confess, I’d tell you that every now and then I get a huge craving for Fresca–that I resist with all my might. But my one summer naughtiness is to buy one–only one 2 liter bottle of A&W Rootbeer and squeeze as many floats as humanly possible from it. Then I can move on.

But then we found and tweaked this lovely piece of work. It’s positively like drinking a Rootbeer Float…without the mug. Sort of. Well, that and it’s a cookie.

Dang good at any rate.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt                                                                                                                                                              12 oz. white chocolate chips


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract.
Combine dry ingredients; slowly add to creamed mixture. Add chips and mix well.
Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp. milk
2 tsps. root beer extract

In a mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth.
Frost cooled cookies.

 

Rootbeer Float Cookies
 
Print
:
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt 12 oz. white chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract.
  5. Combine dry ingredients; slowly add to creamed mixture.
  6. Add chips and mix well.
  7. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
  8. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
  9. Remove to wire racks to cool.
  10. Frosting:
  11. cups powdered sugar
  12. /4 cup butter, softened
  13. Tbsp. milk
  14. tsps. root beer extract
  15. In a mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth.
  16. Frost cooled cookies.