It is Christmas cookie baking time. Some adore this season and try to make the fanciest of the fanciest cookies and as many varieties as possible. I’m here to tell you that it can be easier. There is no need to hyperventilate before the next cookie exchange party. Make these classic beauties and you’ll be just as popular as all of the insane bakers.
THUMBPRINT COOKIE RECIPE:
1 cup butter (or two sticks)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
If making chocolate filled: Chocolate thumbprint filling (recipe below)
If making jelly filled: 8 ounces raspberry (or your fav) jelly or jam – don’t use preserves
Preheat oven to 350F. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg & salt, then flour. Combine until a nice dough. Scoop using a cookie scoop onto baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Press down centers with thumb or back of cookie scoop while taking care to not let edges crack (so that filling will remain in the middle later) or for “thumbprint” to go down to deep (to prevent cookies from breaking easily from being too weak in the middle). Bake for about 10 minutes or until you can see they’re turning light golden brown on the bottom. Make chocolate filling while waiting.
CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIE FILLING RECIPE:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Hershey’s dark cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons hot water
Stir ingredients until smooth. If needed add fourth tablespoon of water. Place in a decorating bag and squirt into centers of cookies when they’re done baking. Use care as to not overfill.
Fill with jelly or chocolate frosting right after they come out of the oven. Jelly is easier to work with when stirred first. Allow to cool & box up to deliver Christmas joy.
For more Christmas: Before pressing down, roll cookie dough balls in candies or glitters or nuts or… oh wait. Starting to sound like one of those insane bakers. I’ll stop now.
Ever since we were featured on Evening Magazine, this has been my most requested recipe. It simply whisked across the screen for 30 seconds and people were in love. I don’t blame them.
I figure I’ve frosted 58,923 of these in my lifetime so far. They were popular at Scandia Bakery when I worked there many years ago and I made it one of my life goals to try to recreate them. You know, because I missed frosting them every day. My goal has been achieved and I am regifting them to you this Christmas.
You’re welcome. I’m sorry. You’re welcome.
DANISH RECIPE:
5 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110F or cooler)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar (divided)
3/4 cup of instant mashed potatoes stirred together with 3/4 cup of warm water
1 1/2 cups warm milk (110F or cooler)
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
About 7 cups all-purpose flour
Place 1 tablespoon of sugar, yeast and warm water into a large bowl. Give a little swirl and let sit for about 10 minutes to become foamy.
After foaminess has developed, whisk in remaining 1 cup of sugar, instant mashed potatoes (mixed with the 3/4 cup water), milk, eggs & shortening. Mix until well combined and shortening is about the size of peas. Finally, stir in salt.
Continue mixing with a wooden spoon and add a couple of cups of flour.
Slowly continue adding a cup or two of flour at a time. When you can no longer stir the dough easily with a spoon, begin kneading in the remaining flour. You can keep it in the bowl while doing this or on the counter – whichever you find easiest for you. Knead by hand for about 5 minutes or until dough is somewhat elastic.
Cover with a clean warm, damp towel and let dough sit in a warm place for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size. This can sometimes take longer in the winter because of the weather so be sure to place dough in a warm place.
Turn happily risen dough onto flour covered countertop. Coat dough with a little bit of flour so it’s easier to work with and punch down. Form into circles or long ovals. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Use fingers to press down and spread out dough into shape and size you would like them to be. Makes up to 24 regular-sized danishes depending on what size you make them. You can also make minis for parties, brunches & teas. They make a lovely spread when filled with different kinds of toppings. Minis are my favorite.
If baking on same day, let sit on tray in a warm place for an hour or doubled in size. If making the night before, cover with non-stick spray coated saran wrap and place in fridge. After removing from fridge, allow to sit out for about 20 minutes before filling.
Press centers of danishes down to make room for fillings, then brush each danish with a well-beaten egg.
You can use homemade or store-bought pie fillings or jelly.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING RECIPE:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon
1 cup powdered sugar
Blend together until smooth and creamy. Apply to danishes using a pastry bag.
TO FINISH DANISH:
After danishes are formed, add filling or fillings of choice to each one. Top with streusel.
STREUSEL RECIPE:
1 stick of butter cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cup of flour
2/3 cup of powdered sugar
dash of salt
1 egg
Place streusel ingredients into food processor and press pulse until combined but still crumbly (about the size of peas). Sprinkle onto filled danishes generously.
Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 20-30 minutes or until light golden brown.
Remove danishes from oven when done baking and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Drizzle frosting over danishes and add extra on edges of danish.
FROSTING RECIPE:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
Stir together until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Here’s to the next 58,923 perfectly frosted danishes. Merry Christmas.
Sometimes things look good for you but they’re not. You know, like Caesar salad and sledding from the back of a SUV. And, now, marzipan treats made to look like fruits and vegetables.
I talked my mom into reliving one of my childhood memories this week by remaking these candies that I remember her making when I was little. To color the marzipan, you simply work a bit of food coloring into the marzipan.
Momma’s hands… I had forgotten how messy it is to do.
For the potatoes (my favorite) you make little eyes with a toothpick.
Then roll them into cocoa powder.
Slice just like you would a potato, and then form a pat of butter from the yellow marzipan.
Tips
Strawberries: We added mini white bead candies for the speckles. You can also use a bit of sugar instead.
Pears: We used a little green and a little yellow food coloring for a nice, light yellowish-green.
Stems: We used cloves – which way we placed them in depended on which side looked the most like the stem of the fruit or veggie.
Citrus: We used a small grater/zester to create the texture on an orange, lemon or lime.
Coloring: Use a wee bit of food coloring on a wee painting brush to create a blushed look on peaches or pears.
If the marzipan sits out too long, it will dry out and not be easy to work with. Keep extras in a Ziploc bag until you’re ready to use.
The possibilities are endless. Here is our assortment which includes mini plums, limes, strawberries, lemons, cherries, potatoes, oranges, grapes, apples, peas and pears. They’re an adorable addition to the Christmas table or in a pretty box for a gift. Healthy. But not.
Family is over for the Thanksgiving weekend and bless-ed Bismarck doughnuts are the answer. They are, in fact, the answer to more things than one might even think. So while your family piles up on the sectional sofa to re-watch Star Wars – the good ones, not the new ones – for the gazillionth time, make this dough and chill the pudding tonight and make sure you have enough Crisco to fill your deep fryer tomorrow.
The answer, bismarks are.
BAVARIAN CREAM FILLING INGREDIENTS (The easy, puddingy version):
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time) whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low; still whisking, cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat; immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding.
Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding (to prevent skin from forming); chill at least 3 hours. Before serving, whisk until smooth.
CHOCOLATE ICING INGREDIENTS:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (or 1 stick)
3 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons hot water
Heat chocolate and butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl in 30 second intervals – stirring in between each interval – until melted. When finished melting, stir until creamy. Add powdered sugar and hot water. Stir again until smooth. Set aside until ready to frost doughnuts.
DOUGHNUT INGREDIENTS:
2 packages of yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup warm water (not over 110 degrees)
1 cup warm milk (not over 110 degrees)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour (approximate)
Enough oil for deep fryer
Make Bavarian cream filling and place in fridge as instructed to chill. Dissolve yeast and sugar into warm water and give a quick stir. Cover with a clean towel and allow to sit for about 20 minutes or until foamy. This will give yeast a good start.
Whisk in milk, eggs butter and salt until well-mixed. Slowly stir in flour one cup at a time until dough becomes medium-firm.
Kneed until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Only add flour as needed during this process the dough should be able to be formed into a ball easily. Cover and allow to sit in a warm place again for about an hour or until dough ball has doubled in size.
Remove towel and when dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Let it rise again for about an hour in a warm place covered by the towel again. (or covered with saran-wrap in the fridge overnight).
After dough has doubled in size again, use about 1/2 cup of dough at a time to form into balls. Flatten the dough balls a bit and place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Allow to sit for about an hour in a warm place until doubled in size for one last rise.
During last half hour of waiting for dough balls to rise, place shortening in deep fryer and turn on to 325F to preheat. Make chocolate icing and set aside.
After dough balls have doubled in size, place two at a time into deep fryer to cook. Fry the first side for about 3-4 minutes until deep golden brown then flip to cook other side until it is also a deep golden brown (about 3 more minutes).
Place cooked doughnuts onto a baking sheet that has been lined with a few layers of paper towels. Allow to cool.
Using a pastry bag and a pointed decorating or pastry tip, squirt the chilled Bavarian cream into the middle of each doughnut. Frost the tops of each doughnut with chocolate icing.
Recipe makes about a dozen large doughnuts. You can stretch the recipe to make more if you’d like to make them smaller.
Present thee with an opportunity to win Trophy Cupcakes, I must.
I’m giving away a Trophy Cupcakes gift card to three different winners. Each card is worth one dozen cupcakes (a $42 value).
Ways you can enter:
Comment on this blog post with your favorite Star Wars quote. If you’ve never seen Star Wars just post your favorite movie quote – we’re nothing if not flexible.
Mention @TrophyCupcakes AND @theoldhen in the same tweet. Creativity may earn you more entries. Retweets of this post from @theoldhen count).
Share our Bismarck post with your friends on Facebook.
Winners will be chosen using random.org on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 and announced Monday morning. The Force is strong with this one.
P.S. It may or may not be truth that I have never seen Star Wars (any of them) for I am a geek from a different universe. I am a kitchen geek. But I solemnly swear that I will watch all of them before my next birthday on February 7th. If you’ve never seen Star Wars, join me. Won’t you? More on my Star Wars commitment later.
I love a gorgeous treat. I love cake. I love almonds. I love chocolate. I don’t love apricots but I do love apricot jam. These little sweets are another Scandia Bakery memory brought to life via my happy memories. These are perfect treats for the holidays. Or just because.
Place eggs in mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat on high setting for about 3 minutes or until well combined and frothy. Lower setting on mixer and add flour slowly. Add butter. Mix until butter is completely mixed into batter. Add almond extract, baking powder and salt. Place cake in two 9X13 baking pans that have been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Bake until fork poked into center of each cake comes out clean – start checking at about 20 minutes.
When cake done baking, remove from oven and allow to cool. Heat apricot jam for about 45 seconds in microwave (not necessary but helpful for spreading). Spread jelly evenly on top of cakes. Chill cakes in fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up jelly and make cake easier to dip into chocolate. Make mini cakes but cutting with a 1 1/2 inch circle cookie cutter. Push the cookie cutter into the apricot topped cake and gently push the cake up through the top to remove from cookie cutter so that the jelly topping stays nice. Place on a parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Dip each mini cake into chocolate up to jelly (coating bottom and sides) using a fork or a chocolate dipping tool. Place dipped cakes back onto the tray covered with parchment paper to cool. When finished will all the cakes, place tray in fridge to set for about a half an hour.
Place in mini cupcake liners or candy liners on a pretty platter to serve.
This recipe makes about 60-70 mini cakes.
Place in a pretty box for hostess gifts, little gifts when going to luncheons or any other reason you can find to bless someone else with almonds, apricot jam, cake and chocolate.
Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy. That’s how I feel every time I make pecan glazed danish for breakfast.
Sweet. Nutty. So many adjectives. Adjectives people have used to describe me to be perfectly honest. Still trying to decide how I feel about that.
DANISH INGREDIENTS:
5 teaspoons of yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees or cooler)
1/2 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon
3/4 cup of instant mashed potatoes stirred together with 3/4 cup of warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm milk (110 degrees or cooler)
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
7 cups flour (approximate)
A large Tupperware bowl works perfect for this recipe from start to finish to make the dough.
Place 5 teaspoons of yeast into mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of warm water at about 110 degrees and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Give a little swirl and let sit for about 10 minutes to create the sponge for your dough.
After yeast is foamy, add all ingredients listed above except flour. Mix well.
Keep mixing and add a couple of cups of flour at a time. Dough will get firmer as you finish adding the rest of the flour. Seven cups is usually the right amount. Dough should become somewhat elastic. Kneed dough for about 5 minutes by hand.
Cover with a clean warm, damp towel and let dough sit in a warm place for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
If baking on same day, place oven on 350F to preheat.
If making the night before, cover with non-stick spray coated saran wrap and place in fridge.
PECAN GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (one stick) melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
3/4 cup honey
2 cups chopped pecans
Stir all pecan glaze ingredients in a bowl. Spread glaze onto half sheet pan, coating entire pan.
Divide dough into 15 equal pieces. Flatten each piece of dough and form each into a square. Place on baking sheet on top of the pecan glaze in rows of 3 by 5.
If making for the next morning, cover with saran wrap and place in fridge overnight.
If baking same day, let sit in a warm place loosely covered with saran wrap for an hour or until danishes double in size.
Place a larger baking sheet on bottom shelf of half sheet pan to catch any drips. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until danish is baked all the way through (but not dry).
When finished baking, place a baking sheet on top of danish pan. Carefully flip danishes over onto new pan so that the pecans are on top.
Serve hot or warmed. With butter if you like.
Pecan glazed danish. Entirely appropriate for the holidays. Entirely excusable because pecans are good for you.
I’m sure we can all agree that there’s nothing quite like a sweet, moving experience. If all of the movies in the world were made for me, they would all have happy endings. As a matter of fact, I’m sure we could all use more happy endings in our daily life. And, with that, I present thee with a basic bran muffin recipe. A romantic comedy, if you will, where everything comes out alright in the end.
Preheat oven to 325F.
BRAN MUFFIN INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1/2 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup milk
Mix until well combined. Line muffin tins with cupcake or muffin liners. Use just more than an ice cream scoop full to place into each liner. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until fork poked into the middle of one comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.
Sweet. Moving. If you enjoy a little twist in your romantic comedies, just add a few fresh blueberries coated lightly in white flour before gently stirring into your batter and the good news is, you can still enjoy the happy ending.
In high school, I worked at Scandia Bakery in Stanwood, Washington. One thing that impressed me most while working there was watching the lunch counter ladies make homemade cabbage patch soup. There’s just something about little tiny ladies lifting very large pots of ground meat and slicing vegetables by hand that just says love. Add to that bakers dressed in white with huge pot holders in hand pulling trays of hot Swedish Rye Bread out of the oven – an oven that was the size of Rhode Island – and you have, what I decided, would be my home forever. And it is. In my heart.
Thankfully, I have the ingredients listed on a guest check that is straight from the bakery in the 1980s.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
20 ounces ground chicken, turkey or beef
1 – 32 ounce box of organic chicken broth (Imagine brand is awesome)
1 – 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 – 46 ounce can V8 Vegetable Juice
1 – 12 ounce can tomato paste
2 – 15 ounce cans kidney beans
1 – 15 ounce can black beans
1/2 a head of green cabbage, shredded
1 cup frozen (or fresh) peas and carrots
1 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Freshly ground sea salt & pepper
Seasoning salt like Johnny’s, Spike or Lawry’s (optional)
Heat olive oil in medium-large soup pot. Cook onions over medium heat until light golden or translucent. When onions are done cooking, remove & set aside. Add meat to the pot and cook until done. If using ground beef, drain excess grease a bit if needed before moving on with the recipe. Add remaining ingredients and allow soup to simmer for up to an hour, depending on how cooked you enjoy your cabbage. If soup doesn’t seem flavorful enough, gradually add salt until you can enjoy all the flavors.
Through the years, I’ve tweaked the recipe here and there but this is the version my family adores. Hopefully when they see this tiny lady making cabbage patch soup in a medium-large pot, it says love.
Warning: This recipe is to be reserved for the most special of days. The splurgiest of the splurges. The over-the-top occasions. Like, you know, when you read this blog post or somethin’.
And, afterward, thou shalt eat a large, leafy green salad made of kale – not that fakey lettuce – to make up for the indulgence you are about to partake of. For, you see, when one eateth a truffle one must speaketh in King James version for awhile to make up for all of thy calories. To hence forth bring balance back into the world once again. Or just simply because it’s so much fun to speak in King James. Amen.
Place eggs in mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat on high setting for about 3 minutes or until well combined and frothy. Lower setting on mixer and add flour slowly. Add butter. Mix until butter is completely mixed into batter. Add almond extract, baking powder and salt. Place cake in two 9X13 baking pans that have been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Bake until fork poked into center of each cake comes out clean – start checking at about 20 minutes.
When cake done baking, remove from oven and allow to cool. Heat raspberry jam for about 45 seconds in microwave (not necessary but helpful for spreading). Spread jelly evenly on top of cakes. Chill cakes in fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up jelly and make cake easier to dip into chocolate. Make mini cakes but cutting with a 1 1/2 inch circle cookie cutter. Push the cookie cutter into the raspberry topped cake and gently push the cake up through the top to remove from cookie cutter so that the jelly topping stays nice. Place on a parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Dip each mini cake into chocolate up to jelly (coating bottom and sides) using a fork or a chocolate dipping tool. Place dipped cakes back onto the tray covered with parchment paper to cool. When finished will all the cakes, place tray in fridge to set for about a half an hour.
TRUFFLE TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher sea salt (optional for sprinkling)
Melt chocolate and heavy cream in a double boiler on low heat until melted together and chocolaty. Place chocolate in a shallow dish in fridge or freezer until semi-firm. Place truffle in large decorating bag with a large decorating tip. Swirl truffle on the top of each cake. Sprinkle each truffle topping with a few grains of kosher sea salt if desired.
So good it should have been in the Bible. This recipe makes about 60-70 cake truffles. I beg thy forgiveness. Tis with great gladness I share with thee. I beg they forgiveness.
Every once and awhile you happen upon something you never needed to know but are oh so glad you found out. I am still grieving the closure of Paper Zone. I’ll never forget when I discovered this crazy, amazing paper supply store. I would never settle for generic, fake marble office paper again. Hallelujah. If you, too, love paper more than you should, you are probably grieving with me. I miss it so much it hurts. I’m pretty sure this is a separate blog post waiting to happen. In the meantime, we’ll get though this. Together.
Back to amazing. Dawn’s Candy and Cake is just that. For me, a cake decorator’s daughter, Dawn’s was like walking back in time – to the days when I used to take naps on bakery shelves and play with plastic cake decorating toys. I was five again. And it was lovely.
We all know that when it comes to people and to cakes, it’s the inside that counts. Hello flavors and fillings and fondants.
Vanilla. Butter. Peppermint. Yep. Yep. Yep.
It’s the little things.
Fun and fanciful muffin or cupcake & candy liners.
My favorites are the dark brown minis. Adorbs.
You need food colors? How about in pen form?
And in case that isn’t enough options, there’s more. Oh, sweet baby Jesus.
And my favorites – the boxes. Completely perfect for the holidays. Fill with treats and you will win friends and influence people. No. I’m not kidding.
You’re more of a cake pops person? Oh, okay. They have you covered too with a rainbow supply of candy melts. Go now and don’t look back. Well, okay, do look back if you’re handing me a streusely, frosted something. I will accept. It’s fall after all – the perfect time of year to accidentally discover Dawn’s and to happen upon some streusel. You’re welcome.
And, Dawn, I will be bringing my five year-old self next time so please clear a shelf for my nap and open a package of plastic ballerinas so I can have play time. We’ll call it cake decorator’s daughter therapy.
Deanna’s love for baking and cooking began as she sat upon a baker’s stool as a little girl. Her love for people grew in the midst of church potlucks. She expresses her loves today creatively through speaking, writing for her foodie blog as well as hosting guests, including celebrities, at her award-winning B&B in Snoqualmie Valley, Washington.
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treats made to look like fruits and vegetables.
