Day 3: Red Velvet Cookies

Red velvet cake has always been a requested and well-received dessert in our household. (That has only been established for about 5 months... haha.) Our love for all things red velvet has gone back way before my Business Man and I were married.

My Business Man's birthday is on Flag Day. (June 14!) So, every year while he was growing up, his mom would make him a red velvet cake, one layer red and one layer blue. How cute!

I also have a killer red velvet cupcake recipe, that I have used on many separate occasions. One of those being when one of my BFF's from college got married last summer! I made cupcakes for her wedding, and red velvet was one of her choices. With homemade cream cheese frosting. Yumm... that was such a great weekend! Now she's off in South Korea... visit her here!

Anyways, when I saw this recipe for Red Velvet Cookies, I immediately thought "Christmas!" What doesn't scream Christmas more than red-tinted cookies? 'Tis the season!

Little red cookies, all lined up in a row.

Yes, I took my cookies outside to take a picture. The lighting is so much better.

These cookies were SO. GOOD. Definitely of the chewy variety, with a light cocoa taste. Not overwhelmingly chocolatey. And not so red that your tongue turns funky colors. Perfect with a mug of hot cocoa.

And I had another idea: Make half with red food coloring, half with green! Red and green Christmas cookies! (Or would that be a little too out there?)

Red Velvet Cookies

Ingredients

½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. red food coloring
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips, white, milk, or semisweet

Method

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Blend in red food coloring. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. (Caution: Don't overbake! You want these to be a bit chewy.)

Oh, by the way, if you were wondering, I made it to the store to stock up on all my necessities for the rest of my cookies.

And that's not even everything. I couldn't find the molasses or peppermint kisses. And I forgot the marshmallow fluff. And I'm sure I will be going back at some point this month to re-stock on flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and all that...

Tonight, my Business Man and I are headed to a Christmas function for his business. A great start to the weekend!

Quality control: Yup, they're safe to eat!

Question: What dessert do you associate most with Christmas?

Day 7: Buried Cherry Cookies

I don't remember where my mom & I got this recipe... we started baking these about 8 years ago. And haven't stopped since! The name says it all - there is a 'buried cherry' in each cookie. The cookie itself is chewy and chocolatey, and inside there's a surprise cherry! It's all topped with a unique type of frosting; it is poured over the cookie before it's baked. It's like a cookie version of a chocolate-covered cherry! (Without all that nasty sweet white goo inside...) Here's a step-by-step break-down: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Make an indentation in each ball. Place a cherry in each indentation. Make the frosting. (And don't forget to lick the spoon. And scrape the sides of the pan.) Top with the frosting. Bake! And then wonder what to do with the leftover 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk. (What kind of recipe only calls for 1/2 cup?) I guess I could be like my friend Jen , as she tol...

Hot Off the Press... [Chicken Bacon Bleu Panini]

So I totally forgot to post a panini recipe last Thursday... whoops. I'm sure you were all waiting with bated breath and were very disappointed. Well, never fear, because I've got a fabulous panini recipe tonight! Tangy bleu cheese and salty bacon come together to form a delectable sandwich. It comes from the panini cookbook I received for Christmas, 200 Best Panini Recipes (thanks Mom!) . The Chicken Bacon Bleu panini : grilled chicken, crisp bacon, and bleu cheese on sourdough with a spread of barbecue sauce and sliced red onion. I had never thought of putting bleu cheese on a panini before I saw this recipe. I feared there wouldn't be enough ooey gooey cheese! But bleu cheese actually melts pretty nicely. It's no Velveeta, but it added a great tang to the sandwich. First, spread the bottom piece of bread with a bit of barbecue sauce, and top with some grilled chicken. I actually used my panini press to grill my chicken for the first ti...

The Arrival of Something New...

Woo hoo for the last Friday of the school year! And only one more day of school next week. (And then a couple teacher workshops...) Another reason to be excited? Our fridge came today!! Isn't she a beauty? It is so nice to have a fridge again. You don't realize how much you miss a full-size refrigerator until you go a couple weeks without it. A bit bare... but that can be solved easily. Bottom-drawer freezer, containing the essentials: moose tracks & Diet Dew trying to get cold asap. Anyways, I'm just popping in to share my beautiful new appliance. The baking monster has taken over, and I'm in the midst of making 150 cupcakes for a graduation party tomorrow. First big baking project in the new kitchen! I'm loving all the counter space. Mmm... chocolate buttercream! Making good use of the baking nook! :) Adios!

Livin' the Dream in Lima

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