Day 17: Snickerdoodles with Megan

I know what you're thinking, we've already seen this recipe! Well this is from a different guest baker, and it was just too cute to pass up. Take a look and see how Megan and her little helper make these tasty treats :)

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Merry Christmas!! 

My name is Megan from {And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson}. I'm really excited to share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you all today for Margot's Christmas Cookie Countdown. I always loved making Snickerdoodles with my mom and being her special helper to roll the dough in the cinnamon & sugar. Now I love that I can pass on the tradition with my son and we can make those memories together.  

This recipe is adapted from the Lion House Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 T. water
6 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

+ plus one cute little helper! 

DIRECTIONS: 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside. 
3. In large mixing bowl, combine butter and 2 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, vanilla, and water; beat until fluffy. 
5. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, turning mixer on and off in quick bursts at low speed until flour is nearly blended in. Continue mixing at medium speed until well mixed.

 6. Make sure your helper approves of the dough

7. Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls & roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. 

8. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 5 dozen 3-inch cookies.

And makes for one happy boy! 

Thank you for letting me share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you today!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of love, memories, and sugary treats. :)

Day 13: White Chocolate Chai Fudge

So I originally thought this recipe would go next week, as part of the 'other' category, but I just couldn't wait to try it. And then once I made it, I just couldn't wait to share it - it qualifies as a square, right? If you like creamy fudge and chai then you will LOVE this recipe! And it is super simple :)
 

This recipe is from Canadian Living Magazine, December 2012. And can be found on their website, here.

Ingredients

1 lb white chocolate, chopped

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp each cinnamon & allspice

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 1/2 cups chopped cashews (I totally forgot about this until I was enjoying a piece and saw the bag of cashews on the table - still delicious!)

Directions

1. In bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, heat chocolate with condensed milk, cinnamon, allspice and cardamom, stirring often, until smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cashews.
2. Scrape into parchment paper–lined 9-inch square cake pan; smooth top. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
3. Transfer to cutting board; remove paper. Cut into squares. 

Day 13 might be my favourite so far, but I am overly fond of chai. Be sure to check in again tomorrow. There will be another link-up for this week's creations. And I'll be introducing you to some the guest bakers :)

Happy Baking
xox

Cinnamon Roll Cookies: With Bake What Your Momma Gave You

I’m thrilled to be guest posting today. I’m not a huge fan of the holiday season myself (regular ol’ scrooge), but if there is one thing that makes it bearable, it’s the copious amounts of delicious food and baked treats. So, being part of a cookie countdown is one thing I can get behind.

I’m also happy to be back in Canada to see my friends and family, and have access to real ovens! Being in the UK doing my masters, I have only had access to a terrible little microwave oven with an “oven” function that doesn’t really cut it for baking.

I was a little nervous I might have lost my skills but these first cookies since I got back turned out beautifully. They are wonderful and perfect for the holidays with their lovely cinnamon flavour. 

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

From Bakers Royale

Makes approximately 4 dozen two inch cookies

Ingredients

2 cups of flour, plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus 1 tablespoon for divided use

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, softened, plus 3 tablespoon for divided use

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar, plus ½ cup for divided use

1 egg yolk

¼ cup applesauce

1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoon of milk

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, beat together ½ cup butter, granulated sugar and ¼ cup of brown sugar until fluffy. Add in egg yolk, applesauce, light corn syrup and vanilla and beat to combine.

4.  Fold in flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix. Divide dough in half, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (I threw mine in the freezer for about 10). Place remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and ½ cup of brown sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine then set aside.

5.  Remove one wrapped dough and place between two pieces of wax paper to roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness.

6.  Using a pastry brush spread 1 1/2 tablespoon of softened butter on dough. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top and gently press it into dough. Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Place roll seam side down on plastic wrap and cover tightly. Repeat this once more with remaining dough. Place both rolled doughs back in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes (once again, I used the freezer for about 15 – so impatient).

7.  Remove chilled roll and cut into ½ inch slices.

8.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned, turning the sheet half way. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Glaze

1.  Sift powdered sugar and add in 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until drizzling consistency is achieved.

2.  Drizzle tops of cookies with glaze and let stand at room temperature until dried. Store at room temperature.

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Thanks Caitlin! Do those ever look good :) If you'd like to know a little more about Caitlin, hope over to her blog and say hello!

Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

Here is the long promised recipe for the cinnamon pull-aparts (this is adapted slightly from Baking,  Simple to Sensational by Company's Coming). This is great treat for afternoon tea (if you have people to help you eat, or a very large appetite!), or it is great freshly baked in the morning. For the second option I would prepare it completely and let it rise most of the way, and then cover and put in the fridge until the next morning, and then let it come to room temperature before baking. And now, on with the recipe:

¾ cup     water

⅓ cup     sugar

⅓ cup     butter, cut up

1 tsp       salt

2             large eggs

4½ cups all-purpose flour

2¼ tsp    instant yeast

Topping:

⅓ cup     butter, melted

1 cup      sugar

¾ tsp      cinnamon

Into a medium saucepan measure water, sugar, butter and salt. Over medium heat, stir until sugar is dissolved and butter is almost melted. Remove from heat, and continue stirring until butter is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl beat eggs with a fork. Slowly add butter mixture to eggs, stirring, until slightly frothy.

*Be careful the flour is separated into smaller parts here:

Combine 1½ cups flour with yeast in a small bowl. Slowly add to butter mixture and stir until smooth.

Next, add 2¼ cups of flour but only ½ a cup at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. If you have a mixer with a dough hook this is a handy place to get some use out of it.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for five to ten minutes, adding remaining flour (¾ cup) 1 tsp at a time if needed to prevent sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover dough with an inverted bowl, and let rest for ten minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal portions, and roll each portion into a 10 inch rope. Cut each rope into 10, 1 inch pieces for a total of 40 pieces (I usually cut a few more so my pieces might be a little smaller).

For the topping, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and make sure butter is completely melted in a separate bowl. Dip the dough pieces in the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon/sugar mix.

In a greased 12 cup bundt pan arrange pieces in layers filling in all the holes as you go. They should be level like a cake when you are finished. If there is any butter left drizzle over the pull-aparts and sprinkle with any remaining sugar mix.

Cover pan with waxed paper and a tea towel and place in the oven with the light on for about 1½ hours until the pull-aparts have doubled in size. Remove the pull-aparts, pre-heat oven to 350˚F and bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown. Invert onto a serving plate, leaving pan in place for about 15 minutes to cool. Then serve warm with a good cup of tea! Enjoy J

Let me know what you think!
xox