Time for some baking!
Texas cookies
1 box chocolate cake mix
2 eggs (whisked)
1/3 C oil
Frosting:
1/2 C butter
2 TBS cocoa
3 TBS milk
2-1/2 C powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cookie ingredients in large bowl and mix until completely incorporated. Note: Dough will be thick.
Using a medium sized cookie scoop (or heaping tablespoon), scoop cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes and then remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 4-5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Repeat until all of the dough is baked.
Frosting: Combine first three frosting ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until mixture has melted. Remove from heat, add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour frosting over cookies. Use a knife or spoon to move excess frosting and be sure that each cookie is completely covered.
Let frosting set and serve. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Lemon cookies
½ C unsalted butter, softened
¼ C sugar or powdered sugar
1 egg yolk (no whites)
½ TBS grated lemon zest
1 TBS lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
1¼ C all-purpose flour
½ C lemon curd
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment sheet. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until smooth and pale, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. With mixer on low, beat in flour just until moist clumps form. Gather dough with your hand and make a ball. Do not knead it – just get everything together handling it very lightly. Shape 1 tablespoon of dough into 1-inch ball. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
Using a floured finger, make a deep indentation in center of each ball, just enough to hold 1 tsp. of lemon curd. Bake cookies until firm and lightly golden on bottom, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. If depth of indentation seems to have reduced, using a spoon, press it lightly again when it is still hot and immediately fill indentations with curd. Bake again for a couple of minutes just to set the curd. Or if serving fresh, you can skip baking the curd.
Lightly dust cookies with icing sugar before serving.
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Lemon blondies
Blondies:
2 sticks (1 C) unsalted butter
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 C lemon juice
2-1/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C fresh strawberries, diced
Icing:
1 C confectioner’s sugar
1 TBS strawberry puree
1 TBS lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat until incorporated. Add lemon juice and stir.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add to wet ingredients and stir until completely mixed in. Fold in strawberries. Pour into prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Place into preheated oven and bake until set, 30-35 minutes. Let cool on rack. Cut in small bites.
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She said, “Never leave home without a kiss, a hug and an ‘I love you.’ Then remove the dog hair from your mouth as you go to the car.”
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)