Baby Cakes

Just a sample of the 30 cupcakes made for a baby shower.  They were all one flavor, classic yellow butter cake with vanilla butter cream frosting. They had different frosting designs, rattlers, booties & flowers in soft pastel colors.

Best Oatmeal Cookies

BEST OATMEAL COOKIES

3 c. oats (quick cook)
2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter
2 lg eggs
1 teas. B. Soda
2 teas. vanilla
1/2 teas. salt
1 & 1/2 c plain flour 
    Combine 1st 7 ingred. Beat well Stir in flour- Mix by hand- Drop TBLS 2 inches apart
on lightly greased pan.   
Bake 8 to 12 min     4doz.

   These are so good and easy. I have also added raisins, coconut, or chocolate chips to the basic recipe for a different taste.

A Thursday Wedding

It was a bit unusual to have a wedding cake on a Thursday they are almost always on the weekend but it was a a very small reception. I sometimes think the smaller ones come out better, I guess because I don’t seem to stress over them as much as I do the really BIG ones. The bride asked me to place the flowers on so I did. I don’t get to do that very often. Most times it’s the florist job but I love doing flowers too. The 6″ & 10″ square cake flavors were classic yellow butter with raspberry butter cream filling and vanilla/almond frosting. The stripe and dot design is one I’ve done many times but I like the way it always turns out.

 

A Pez Bride & Groom

Seems I’m having a lot of “first” lately and this is another one. A wedding cake with a Pez bride & groom for a topper. The bride and groom are Pez collectors. Alto these are not “real” pez containers, when they found them they knew that’s what they wanted on their wedding cake. The silly faces bring lots of smiles.

 Flavors for the  wedding cake were, marble swirl with raspberry butter cream filling and vanilla butter cream frosting. Each tier was surrounded with burgundy ribbon and a leaf/vine and wave pattern. The fresh fall flowers were provided by the florist.

A close up of the “Pez” couple.

Favorite Cookies

I have collected lots of cookie recipes over the years so I thought I would post just a few of my favorites here. All of these I have baked, usually at Christmas time for gifts. If you have a favorite and it isn’t here let me know I might have it in my collection, also please feel free to pass along your favorites to me. I’ll be updating this post as I fine more of my favorites to share.

CHOCOLATE TIPPED BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups plain flour

1 (6oz) chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

    Cream butter & sugar–beat, add vanilla, and flour. Mix well. Shape into 2 &1/2×1/2″ sticks. You may have to chill dough for easier handling. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the end (three quarters) of each cookie lengthwise with fork to 1/4″ thick. Bake 350 12 to 14 min. cool

Combine chocolate chips & shortening, melt. Dip unflattened end in melted chocolate and roll in nuts. Place on rack. To store, place between layers of waxed paper in air tight container. Makes about 5 doz.

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CHRISCROSS COOKIES

4 cups sifted flour

1 & 1/2 teas. baking soda

2 teas. cream of tartar

1 teas. salt

1 &1/3 cup shortening

2 &1/2 cups light brown sugar (packed)

1 &1/2 teas. vanilla

1 teas. lemon extract

3 eggs

     Mix all together and chill dough.

Roll a level Tablespoon of chilled dough into a ball (like a walnut) Place on greased cookie sheet. Press ball with a fork to get crisscross pattern #. Bake 375 8 to 10. Makes about 8 doz.

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LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon peel or juice

1 &1/2 cups plain flour

 1/2 teas. soda

1/2 teas.cream of tartar

1/4 teas. ginger

  Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons sugar (to roll balls in)

   Cream shortening and brown sugar until fluffy, add eggs and lemon. Beat well. Combine flour, soda, cream of tartar, ginger & salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Roll into 1″ balls -Roll balls in sugar-Place 2″ apart on greased cookie sheet. bake 350 10 to 12 min.  Makes about 3 &1/2 doz.

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OATMEAL-PEANUTBUTTER COOKIES

1 cup butter, soft

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup peanutbutter

3 &1/2 cups regular oatmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1 & 1/2 teas. cinnamon

1 cup raisins

     Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 350 10 to 11 min. Cool. Makes about 9 doz.

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MOLASSES CRINKLE COOKIES

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 & 1/4 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

      Mix 1st 4 ingredients together, cream well. Sift flour and other dry ingredients, stir into creamed mixture and chill.  Roll in large balls (walnut size). Dip tops of balls in gradulated sugar and place on cookie sheet, bake 10 to 12 min. at 375.

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HOLIDAY SNOWBALLS

1/2 cup butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 & 1/4 cups flour

1 cup ground pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla–powdered sugar to roll in.

       Cream butter and sugar, blend in vanilla,flour and pecans. CHILL. Shape in 1″ balls. Bake 350 15 to 20 min. Roll in powdered sugar while warm.

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GINGERSNAPS

3/4 cups shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

 1/4 cup molasses

2 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt—- & granulated sugar to roll in.

       Mix shortening, brown sugar, egg, & molasses. Blend in other ingredients, cover & chill 1 hr. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Dip tops of ball in sugar. Place SUGAR SIDE UP on lightly greased pan. Bake 375 10 to 12 min.  or just until set. makes about 4 doz.

Bride and Groom Bears

     I don’t think I’ve ever seen bride and groom bears until now aren’t they cute. They were going to be used as the wedding cake topper but the couple decided to put them on a small chocolate cake to the side. The base is a wooden disk cut from an oak tree, this seemed more appropriate for the bears.

The Wedding Cake, a yellow butter cake with vanilla butter cream had a vine and leaf design. The fresh flowers had such rich colors, perfect for a fall wedding.

 

 Close up view of the flower topper and  cake table with both cakes.

               

Almost Halloween Birthday

I have done so many Halloween birthday cakes for Joe I am at a lost for new ideas. Each year I try to do a different design not only for him but for myself as well since it’s the decorating I really enjoy and not the baking. The cake is always the same, yellow butter cake with raspberry butter cream filling and almond butter cream frosting. I thought the ghost & pumpkin borders were cute but the guy in the middle I’m not so sure of.

Fresh Berries Wedding Cake

Piled high with fresh strawberries and blue berries, this cake was a feast for the eye as well as the palette.  Decorated with 3 different designs on each tier, dots, scrolls and basketweave.