Hermits

Apricots, figs, and raisins... oh my! These ingredients are all jumbled into this fabulous recipe! I had always heard of Hermits but since Miami isn't very Americanized, I was never able to find out what hermits were. Imagine my surprise when I saw that hermits were the third recipe in Great Cookies: Secrets To Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter. As I was reading the ingredients, I saw that these hermits included apricots, figs, and raisins. At first, I thought that these would be too chunky or just too fruity for my taste. Boy, was I wrong! These ended up being perfect: chewy, great texture, and amazing taste (you could taste everything, as opposed to just having all the tastes blend together and then not be able to distinguish the individual tastes).

First, I mixed apricots, raisins, figs, and walnuts together in a bowl. Then, I poured some Grand Marnier into the bowl, so that the fruits and nuts can absorb the flavor.

In a separate bowl, I combined the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and baking soda.

With my electric mixer, I beat the butter and orange zest until it was creamy.

I then added the brown sugar...

...granulated sugar...

...eggs (one at a time)...

...molasses and the vanilla.

After adding most of the wet ingredients, I added the flour mixture.

Even though the directions said to add the flour mixture simultaneously with the sour cream, I decided to add the sour cream after the flour. As I was adding the flour, I noticed that the batter wasn't dry, so I didn't see it necessary to mix in the sour cream with the flour.

I then folded in the fruits and nuts.

The batter was then refrigerated overnight (even though the directions said 1 hour... I made these late at night, so that's why I left it overnight).

Each cookie was about 2 teaspoons of batter.

Here they are fresh out of the oven! Yes, I know some of them are bigger, but those were the final ones. I was testing out to see how they'd turn out if bigger.

I really like how you can see the fruits from on top. It adds some prettiness to the cookies.

These were a hit with my family and co-workers. They all liked the flavor and texture alot. The nut lovers really liked them also for the crunchiness of the walnuts. None of the people that tried these had ever tried hermits before, but I'm sure they'll be wanting them more from now on.

Hermits
*makes about 6 dozen 2 1/4-inch cookies*

Ingredients:
2 cups diced mixed dried fruit, such as apricots, raisins, and figs, plumped
1 cup coarsely broken walnuts
1/2 cup Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
2 tsp grated navel orange zest
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup light unsulfured molasses
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:
1) Combine the plumped dried fruits and walnuts in a medium bowl. Pour in the Grand Marnier and stir to coat the fruit and nuts. Set aside to macerate for at least 30 minutes.
2) Strain together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and baking soda. Set aside.
3) In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and orange zest on medium-low speed until creamy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then the granulated sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Blend in the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing to combine. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the molasses and the vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute longer.
4) Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, three parts flour to two parts sour cream, blending just until combined.
5) Drain the fruit and nut mixture, blot dry on paper towels, and using a rubber spatula, fold into the batter. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
6) Position the shelves in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 375F. Line the jelly roll pans with baking parchment.
7) Drop by rounded teaspoons onto the baking sheets, placing the mounds about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back toward the end of the baking time. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes before loosening with a thin metal spatula. Transfer to cooling racks.



Recipe from Great Cookies: Secrets To Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter

Four-Seed Muffins

These muffins just seem to be getting healthier and healthier! The first recipe from 100 Magnificent Muffins & Scones by Felicity Barnum-Bobb was one that was whole-grain. Now, the second recipe is one with four different types of seeds: poppy, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower. From these four different seeds comes the name Four-Seed Muffins. My dad, who has been eating healthier lately, really liked these muffins. He eats them as snacks or for breakfast, because he says they fill him up (but not in a bad way).

I mixed together the self-rising flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, the four kinds of seeds, raisins, and brown sugar.

In another bowl, I combined the oil, egg, and milk.

I mixed everything together to get a kind of liquidy batter.

After putting the batter into the paper liners, I sprinkled them with remaining seeds.

Here are the muffins, fresh out of the oven...

...and here they are on the cooling rack.

I thought that they were going to become a bit more golden. Either way, they're unique!

They look like a mess when cut in half, but that's because of the seeds and raisins. They didn't allow for a clean cut.

These weren't moist, but they weren't dry either. They had a nice taste to them, which I still haven't been able to pinpoint. Just as my dad said, these are perfect as a snack or as a breakfast accompanied by milk or orange juice.

Four-Seed Muffins
*makes 12 muffins*

Ingredients:
generous 3/4 cup self-rising white flour
2/3 cup stone-ground whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 oz (50 g) mixture of poppy, sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds
2/3 cup raisins
generous 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
scant 1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 egg
2/3 cup skim milk
extra seeds, for dusting

Directions:
1) Heat the oven to 400F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin liners.
2) Sift the self-rising flour into a large bowl. Add the whole-wheat flour, baking powder, all the seeds, raisins, and sugar.
3) Mix together the oil, egg, and milk, and pour into the dry ingredients in the bowl. Stir together with a large spoon until just combined.
4) Spoon equally into the paper muffin liners and sprinkle with a fine dusting of your chosen seeds.
5) Bake for 15 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen, firm, and springy to the touch. Serve warm.



Recipe from 100 Magnificent Muffins & Scones by Felicity Barnum-Bobb

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

I love the name of these cupcakes because they really relate to what happens when they're eaten. When someone takes a bite out of these, they really are surprised! Want to know the secret? There's a melted marshmallow right in the middle of these cupcakes. This great idea is the sixth recipe in 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson: Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes.

I mixed together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt.

In another bowl, I combined the sugar with the oil.

Egg whites were added to the batter.

Vanilla and the melted chocolate were also added to the batter.

I added the flour and buttermilk simultaneously to the batter.

Chocolate cream liqueur was folded in at the end.

12 cupcakes are now ready for the oven...

...and here they are fresh out of the oven.

While still being warm, the tops of each were cut out and filled with large marshmallows.

They're cooling off as the marshmallow is melting.

These were frosted with Chocolate Fudge Frosting.

These were really good. The marshmallow really added a special touch to these cupcakes. Since the actual cake part wasn't that sweet, the marshmallow filled in that void. It was then complemented by the frosting. You know how when you eat marshmallows, that they happen to disappear alot faster than other sweets? That's how these cupcakes were. No lie, these disappear from in front of you in 2 or 3 bites because of how lightly textured these are.

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes
*makes 12 cupcakes*

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp chocolate cream liqueur
12 large marshmallows

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) Line muffin pan with paper liners.
3) In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4) In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and oil until well combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until smooth. Beat in chocolate liqueur.
5) Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan.
6) While cupcakes are still hot, using a spoon, scoop a hole in the top of each cupcake, scooping down to the center. Push a marshmallow into each hole. Don't worry if the marshmallows stick up a bit from the top of the cupcakes. The warmth of the cupcakes will soften the marshmallows and they will smoosh down. (Discard scooped out cupcake or save to nibble on.) Let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting
*makes enough to frost 12 to 18 cupcakes*

Ingredients :
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp chocolate cream liqueur
1 tbsp strong brewed coffee or milk
pinch salt

Directions :
1) In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, butter, chocolate liqueur, coffee, and salt until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary.
2) Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.



Recipes from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson

Spiked Apple Cookies

I should've updated this blog at some point earlier in the week, but having tests for all my classes really took up alot of my time. This week was the last hell week of mine for a while (trust me, I've already checked my syllabi). I was feeling so guilty about not posting, but now I'm doing much better. I'll be posting alot more frequently, so I hope you all will enjoy reading and trying everything out.

For this cookie post, I made the second recipe in Great Cookies: Secrets To Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter. This recipe was Spiked Apple Cookies. I had never heard of these cookies before, so I was really excited to try these out.

First, I put some dried apple slices into hot water (this lets them soften up a bit).

I then chopped them up and mixed them with some applejack liqueur.

I mixed together flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

The unsalted butter was beaten until it was creamy.

Brown sugar...

...granulated sugar...

...an egg...

...sour cream...

...and vanilla were all added to the unsalted butter.

The flour mixture was then added to the batter.

Chopped walnuts and the liquorized (does that word exist?) apple were folded in.

Here are the cookies before the oven...

...and here they are after the oven.

I drizzled some Vanilla Glaze (recipe to follow) on top of the cookies.

These cookies weren't crispy nor chewy. They were just soft enough to be right in between those two levels. The glaze really gave them some extra flavor that complemented the apple flavors really well. The walnuts add an interesting texture to it. I don't think I'd like the cookies as much without the walnuts, but to each his own.

Spiked Apple Cookies
*makes about 4 dozen 2 1/4-inch cookies*

Ingredients:
1/2 cup firmly packed dried apple slices
3 tbsp Calvados or applejack liqueur
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup broken walnuts

Directions:
1) Place the apple slices in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes to soften. Drain well and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Toss the apples with the Calvados in a small, deep bowl and let macerate while preparing the cookie dough.
2) Position the shelves in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat the oven to 350F. Moderately butter the cookie sheets.
3) Strain together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
4) In a large bowl of an electric mixer, on medium-low speed, using paddle attachment, mix the butter until creamy and lightened in color. Add the brown sugar, then the granulated sugar, and mix for 1 to 2 minutes. Blend in the egg, then the sour cream and vanilla.
5) Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing just until well combined. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the apples and walnuts.
6) Drop from the tip of a teaspoon, making walnut-size mounds of dough (about 1 1/4 inches), onto the cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Toward the end of baking time, rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back. Remove from oven and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Loosen with a thin metal spatula and place on wire racks set over wax paper.
7) Using the back of the spoon, apply 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Glaze to each warm cookie.

Vanilla Glaze
*makes enough for 4 dozen 2-inch cookies*

Ingredients:
2 cups strained cofectioner's sugar, spooned in and leveled
2-3 tbsp hot milk or water, plus additional as needed
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch salt

Directions:
Place the confectioner's sugar in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir with a small whisk or spoon until very smooth. The glaze should pour from a spoon in a steady stream. Use additional liquid sparingly. A little bit goes a long way.



Recipes from Great Cookies: Secrets To Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter