Lemon Sugar Cookies

LEMON SUGAR COOKIES
makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large lemons, zested
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

preheat oven to 350°. line at least two baking sheets with parchment paper & set aside.

in a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt. set aside.

using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer, beat the butter & sugar together at medium speed until creamy & smooth. add the lemon zest, egg, vanilla & lemon juice & continue mixing until well combined. gradually add in the flour mixture until combined.

roll dough, by the tablespoon-full, by hand into little balls, then roll through the reserved granulated sugar. place on prepared baking sheets & bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the cookies are set & slightly golden. let sit on the baking sheets for a few minutes to firm up before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Soft Brown Sugar Cookies

Soft Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sour cream

Directions:

Blend together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time; blend well. Add vanilla; beat until light. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto non-stick or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; cool. Frost with Browned Butter Frosting. Makes 2 dozen


Browned Butter Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter $
• 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk $
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. 1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan immediately from heat. Pour butter into a bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.
2. 2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with sugar. Beat at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Cajun Shrimp

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
3 tablespoons water
Juice from 1 lemon
12 tablespoons Salted Butter, cubed

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, Cajun seasoning, garlic, water, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and cook shrimp, turning once, just until pink and liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat and stir in butter, a few cubes at a time, until butter is melted and incorporated into sauce. Serve immediately.

Serve over rice or with French Bread for dipping.

Serves 4.

Homemade Thin Mints

Homemade Thin Mints
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp peppermint extract

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you can put them quite close together.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Coating
10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt on high power in the microwave, stirring every 45-60 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating.
Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.

Makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips (I used Ghirardelli white chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Sopapilla Cheescake

Ingredients:

3 cans pillsbury butter crescent rolls
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon & sugar

Instructions:
Unrolled and spread 1 & 1/2 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Lemon Meringue Custards w/ Butter Cookies

Serves 4-6

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar for custard plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar for meringue
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from 6-8 lemons)
3 eggs, whites and yolks separated, both reserved for use
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold water
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla

Custard:
Have four 6 oz. custard cups at the ready, or six 4 oz. custard cups.

In a medium saucepan whisk together 1 1/4 cups sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 1/4 cups water. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. After 7-10 minutes, the custard will start to thicken. Remove from heat when bubbles have disappeared and mixture is thick. Stir in butter until melted. Divide between custard cups. Chill in refrigerator while preparing the meringue.

Meringue:
The meringue is browned in the oven or with a kitchen torch. If using the oven, go ahead and preheat to 400 degrees. Skip this step if using a kitchen torch.

Fill a medium saucepan 1/4 to 1/3 full of water and bring to a simmer. Combine egg whites, remaining sugar, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla in a heat-proof glass bowl. Have ready your hand mixer and a candy thermometer. Place bowl over simmering water and beat with hand mixer on low speed until temperature reaches 160 degrees on the thermometer - this won't take long! Remove from heat and beat until stiff peaks form.

Remove custards from refrigerator and top with meringue. Place on a baking sheet and brown meringue in oven for 6-8 minutes (keep a close eye on this) or brown with kitchen torch.

Serve at room temp. or chilled - delicious either way!