Cornmeal Cookies with Jam

 I made a batch of delicious jalapeno jelly. And it was pretty to look at to boot. I love it on cornbread, grilled cheese, cream cheese and hamburgers. Then I got a wild idea... Why not make cornmeal sugar cookies and put some jalapeno jelly on top? 

I did it. And I love them! I love spicy sweet! I love cookies! Yum!!!

3/4 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cup flour

Cream butter and sugars in mixer until fluffy. Mix in egg, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Add cornmeal and flour and mix until smooth. 

Scoop into balls and then roll in sugar. Lightly press in center with thumb.

Bake at  350 for 10-14 minutes or until light golden brown on edges. 

Cool 10 minutes on baking tray before removing to cooling rack. 

After they have cooled, top with jelly just before serving. 

Triple Berry Macaroons

In Montana I had huckleberry macaroons made from desiccated coconut. After a bit of research, I made a batch of my caramel toffee macaroons with a combo of flaked and desiccated coconut. They were a bit dry. But I messed with the ratio and the triple berry macaroons are delicious! I never thought I'd say this but I think I like them even better...

1/2 cup condensed milk

1/3 cup triple berry jam

1 egg white

1/4 tsp salt

Mix well in mixer bowl with paddle attachment.

Add:

2 1/2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup desiccated coconut

Mix until well combined.

Pack tightly into a cookie scoop (I used a#60) and drop onto a lightly greased silpat mat.

Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes or until bottoms and tops begin to turn slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place baking tray on cooling rack. Let sit 5 minutes. Then remove to rack to cool completely.

Store in zipper bag or airtight container in fridge.

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Overall I am not a huge fan of cake. But I like some cakes more than others and carrot cake is pretty high on that list. But cookies are my favorite dessert, so how could I not love carrot cake cookies? Turns out, I do... 

2 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg and cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar and brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups finely grated fresh carrots (do not use pre-shredded)

walnuts or pecans (optional)

dark or golden raisins (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and carrots. Mix well.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in small bowl with whisk. Mix into carrot mixture until just combined. 

Fold in nuts and raisins, if desired.

Scoop onto lightly greased parchment paper on baking trays. 

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until edges turn golden and tops look dry. Cool on racks but let sit on trays for 5 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely. 

Sandwich two cookies with your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. I threw a bit of well-drained and patted dry crushed pineapple into some of my frosting. Delicious! 

Blackberry Orange Cake

 My lemon blueberry coffee cake inspired this cake. I love the blackberry and orange combination and this buttery streusel-topped cake ticks all the boxes for me... 

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Mix in...

1 egg, beaten

3 TBSP melted butter

1 tsp vanilla 

orange zest

Mix with wire whisk until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased and sugared 9" round cake pan.

Toss some dry fresh blackberries with a spoonful of sugar. Use enough berries to cover the top of the cake but not be tightly packed. Gently press into batter.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven. Start streusel as soon as it goes into the oven.

Streusel:

1/3 cup each: sugar, brown sugar & flour

orange zest

5 TBSP butter, softened

Cut butter into sugar, flour, zest mixture.

Remove cake from oven and quickly place streusel on top of cake and return to the oven. 

Bake cake for a total of about 40 minutes or until pick comes out clean when placed in center of cake.

Cool a bit on a rack. When it's cooled on top, drizzle with glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

pinch salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

5 tsp fresh orange juice

Blueberry Coffee Cake

 Not only did I get to make this from blueberries we actually grew in our garden but Chris said it was one of the five best things I've ever made! 

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 TBSP baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

5 TBSP butter, softened

3/4 cup buttermilk or thin yogurt

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

lemon zest

2 cups fresh blueberries

Cream butter, lemon zest and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. 

Mix dry ingredients together in small bowl with whisk. Remove a spoonful of the flour mixture and toss into blueberries.

Add half of flour mixture into creamed butter and egg. Mix in buttermilk. Then mix in rest of flour. Fold in blueberries. 

Pour into greased and sugared square baking pan. 

Bake at 375 for 55-60 minutes, or until pick comes clean. 

Immediately start making streusel topping and put on top of cake as soon as it is ready. Then continue baking.

Streusel: 

1/3 cup each: flour, sugar and brown sugar

 lemon zest

5 TBSP butter, softened

Cut butter into remaining ingredients.

Cool cake on rack until it's cool enough to drizzle on glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

pinch salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

5 tsp lemon juice

Eat slightly warm. 

Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies

I love spicy chocolate anything! And these cookies perfectly fit that bill... Delicious!

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

grated zest from 1/2 of a large orange

2 1/4 cups flour

Beat sugar, butter, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in cream of tartar and baking soda. Mix in cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne and orange zest. Mix in flour.

Scoop dough into balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Bake on parchment lined baking sheets at 350 for 9-10 minutes, or until edges are set. Let cool a bit on sheet before removing to racks to cool. 

Raspberry Linzer Bars

 This Christmas I made real raspberry linzer cookies. I rolled the dough, cut them out, layered them with jam. They were adorable, delicious and a lot of work! 

This recipe makes all of that so much simpler and still taste yummy!

1 cup flour

3/8 cup almond flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix in large bowl with whisk. 

Cut in 1/2 cup of room temperature butter.

Press 2/3 of dough into an 8" square baking pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with baking spray.

Spread dough with raspberry jam.

Crumble remaining dough on top of jam layer. 

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until base is light golden brown. 

Let cool. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.