Tag Archives: Baking

Lemon Lavender Cupcakes

Posted in 2019 Recipes, Adventures in the Kitchen, Inspirations in Life and in the Kitchen by

My inspiration for these cupcakes come from Joanna Gaines!  Every time I pass through Waco I try to stop at the Silos Baking Company and grab a few sweet treats.  I love her lemon lavender cupcakes and wanted to try to make some at home.  While they may not be as good as hers, I think the frosting turned out pretty tasty!

I posted the frosting recipe below.  I may need to eat a few more cupcakes from Joanna Gaines to get it just right…oh well, I will make the sacrifice!

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Lemon Lavender Frosting:
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of butter (2 sticks of butter) at room temperature
4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
3 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon edible lavender (for garnish) or you can add to frosting
pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
~Stand alone mixer use whisk attachment and beat butter for 2 minutes.
~Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream or milk, lemon zest and lemon extract.
~Beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes
~Add salt and if too thick add more cream or milk
~Add lavender and lemon zest to top of cupcakes

Banana Nut Bread

Posted in 2019 Recipes, Adventures in the Kitchen, Inspirations in Life and in the Kitchen by

Don’t let those ripe bananas go to waste!  Make some banana nut bread!  This is so easy and tastes delicious. I found the recipe at Brown Eyed Baker.

You will probably find that you have most of the ingredients on hand already.  So as soon as those bananas turn black, give this recipe a try.  You won’t be disappointed.

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INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 medium ripe bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
~Preheat oven to 350
~Grease 2 8″ loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans
~In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt (set aside)
~In a large bowl  whisk together sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla
~Add the bananas (mashed) and fold into the sugar mixture
~Add the flour mixture and then the walnuts

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes (depending on loaf size and your oven)
Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean
Cool in loaf pan for 10 minutes, then set aside and let cool completely

ENJOY!

(You can go to her website for more detailed recipe)

 

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Posted in 2018 Food, Adventures in the Kitchen by

I love sugar cookies anytime of the year, but there is something special about making them at Christmastime.  These cookies bring back wonderful memories as I have been making this recipe with my mom since I was a little girl.  I helped her decorate these then and I love them just as much today!

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Christmas Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together shortening, sugar and vanilla.  Then add eggs and beat for about 1 minute, making sure all is creamy.

Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.

Divide dough into 4 bowls or separate in large bowl and chill for 1 hour.

Let dough sit out for about 20 minutes.  Then roll out on floured surface and cut into desired shapes.

Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes then put on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Posted in 2018 Food, Adventures in the Kitchen by

Yummy Christmas treats.

I grew up on these at Christmas time as I am sure you did as well.  Who can resist peanut butter and chocolate, right?  I love this combo and I love that these are so easy to make as well.  ENJOY!

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PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

Sift together in small bowl:
1 3/4 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream together until smooth in mixer or large bowl: (I use my stand up mixer)
1/2 cup of butter (room temp)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
Add 1 egg (room temp)
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla

Then blend in the dry ingredients and mix well

Shape into 1″ balls
Roll in sugar (or colored sugar or sprinkles)
Place on greased cookie sheet or on parchment paper
Bake at 375 for 8 minutes each
Remove and top each cookie with candy kiss, press until cookie cracks

Cook for 2-4 more minutes, depending on oven

 

 

Gingerbread Loaf

Posted in 2018 Food, Adventures in the Kitchen by

My daughter came home this weekend from Dallas and we decided to try making a Gingerbread Loaf.  I found this recipe which was fairly easy and quick and I had all the ingredients so it was the winner!

I may have baked it a bit too long, (as it was a bit dry) but other than that, it turned out tasty and it made the house smell amazing.

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Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir well.

  3. In a small bowl, add molasses and boiling water. Stir until combined. Add to wet ingredients.

  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir.

  5. Pour batter into loaf pan. Cover loaf pan lightly with foil (remove foil halfway through baking. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

  6. My oven tends to cook fast, so I only baked for about 40 minutes.  Check it often after 40 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.

Sincerely, The Breakfast Club

Posted in 2016 Travel Adventures, Adventures in the Kitchen, Books I Love by

I posted some the  of breakfast foods I made this week and some I have enjoyed over the last couple months.  I just think that breakfast is good any time of the day.

Sarabeth’s Breakfast Cookbook
(a lovely little gift from my sisters)

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Oatmeal, blueberries, strawberries and walnuts.
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Fried Egg and Avocado

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Greek Yogurt, Flax Seed, Granola and Berries.

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Cronuts in Central Park
Jacob’s Pickle NYC

Fried Eggs and Biscuits
Bouchon Bakery
Chai Tea Latte in subway

Cupcakes taste better in NYC!

Posted in 2016 Travel Adventures, Halloween/Fall by

These little cupcakes went all over New York with me and my sisters.  I carried them in my purse, in a souvenir bag, asked my sister to hold and even dropped some a few times, all for the sake of an iconic photo op.

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PUMPKIN with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
The Food Hall in The Plaza

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COCONUT and VANILLA CUPCAKE
from Citarella Gourmet Market in West Village
(fire escape at 39 Christopher St)
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HAZELNUT with VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
from One-Girl Cookie Bakery
(DUMBO-love the Manhattan Bridge)
if you look close you can see Empire State Building in between

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PURE VANILLA CUPCAKE
from Sweet Revenge in West Village
(one of my faves…and I dropped it right before I took this pic)
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LEMON CUPCAKE with LEMON ICING
Citarella Gourmet Market in West Village
(Washington Square Park)
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PISTACHIO CUPCAKE
Sweet Revenge in West Village
(lovely open window view)img_56691

These are just a few of my favorite cupcakes and bakeries!

When in New York, give one a try.

A look back at October

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen, Halloween/Fall by

I love the fall.  It is a time for baking, sweaters, fires and cooler weather.  Even though I don’t get to experience  the cooler weather here in Texas, I still put on a big comfy sweater as soon as October arrives.

October, 2016

img_54031I love these molasses cookies. The perfect hint of spices that remind me of fall. Click here for recipe for Molasses Cookies.   It would not be Fall without a pumpkin muffin!  These are my favorite!  Click here for recipe for pumpkin muffins.

I love when my sister brings me special Halloween treats she knows I will love.  How cute are these cupcake toppers?

….My friend also brought over Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter!  I feel loved!

Lemon Loaf

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

What do you do when a sweet friend, who happens to be expecting a baby in August, asks for something made with lemons?  You find a lemon loaf recipe of course! I love this sweet treat and I think you will also!  Give it a try.  You can find recipe here.

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This was delicious!

I’m proud to be an American

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

We love baking sweets on all occasions and love celebrating our freedom! 

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Sprinkles shortbread cookies...yummy!  Find recipe here.
Chocolate covered Pretzels…always a winner!  Find recipe here.
Red, White and Blue Chocolate covered peanuts…perfect combo!  Find recipe here.
Rice Krispie Treats…these are so cute!  Find recipe here.

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My daughter found this recipe and thought it was so cute, so she made these as well.

Rice Krispie Treats!

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