Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

In preparation for our annual family vacation, the Feezor females have kicked healthy eating into over drive – gotta get swimsuit ready!  That being said, I still have a major sweet tooth, and sometimes it just cannot be denied.

I have been on the prowl to figure out a great dessert option that is quick, easy and has a little bit less guilt factor.  I introduce you to – the Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie – created by the very talented Shockingly Delicious!  I’m telling you, with 5 ingredients, and no usual gluten free baking ingredients (you know what I’m talking about – aarowroot starch, xanthan gum, tapioca flour – WHO HAS THIS IN THE PANTRY?!), this is a great way to fight a craving before you walk down to 7-11 to binge out on Snickers Bars and Skittles.

 

GF Peanut Butter Cookie

via Shockingly Delicious

• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used organic TJ’s)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend above ingredients in a Kitchen Aid mixer until well mixed (about a minute or so).
3. Use a cookie scoop to portion cookie dough to a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet.
4. Using fork tines, press the usual “peanut butter cookie crosshatch” pattern into the tops of the dough balls.
5. Sprinkle course sugar (I used raw brown sugar).
6. Bake for 11 minutes and let cool on baking pan for 5 minutes or so (they are really fragile until they have cooled down).
7. Let cool completely on a rack and store in airtight container.
8. Allow yourself to eat one cookie… as to not completely botch your attempt at dieting.

Now go make them and tell me that you would even know they are gluten free…

Meyer Lemon Bars

The first day we toured our home we noticed there was a Meyer lemon tree in the back yard… I made a mental note that day to make lemon squares, and two years later, I still have yet to do so.  With the recent turn in weather, my poor little tree is having a tough time, so I have been trying to pick as many lemons (that haven’t fallen victim to frost) and whip up some special treats – namely Meyer Lemon Bars!

Meyer Lemon Bars

via Dinnervine

Crust: 

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

Filling: 

• 7 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
• 7 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease & flour a 13×9 glass pan.
2. Make crust by combining dry ingredients, then cut in softened butter with your hands or a pastry cutter until well incorporated.
3. Press crust mixture into bottom of 13×9 pan (I used a bottom of a glass to make sure it was evenly pressed).
4. Bake crust for 20 minutes until golden brown.
5. Make filling by whisking all listed ingredients (the fresher the juice/zest the better!)
6. When crust is done, remove from oven and pour filling mixture over crust and bake for 25 more minutes or until filling has set.
7. Remove from oven, let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
8. Cover and transfer to fridge.   Once chilled cut bars and serve.

These were quite the hit… and the perfect make ahead dessert!

Birthday Cake

I finally checked the second “Summer To Do List” item off my list – bake a layer cake!  I used to bake super involved cakes when I was younger, but found it difficult to find the time as I got older.  I really enjoy the process… it’s therapeutic to me.  So when I found my sister was coming into town to celebrate her birthday, I figured when better than now to break out my apron!?

After many debate about which direction to go in, I decided to create what I deemed a “princess cake.” Basically something your 6 year old self would get a kick out of – vanilla cake, sprinkles, pale pink butter cream frosting… the works!

I doubled this recipe and started with A LOT of eggs, A LOT of butter and A LOT of sugar.  I got to stirring, whipping and baking and after a few hours had 3 relatively flat layers to work with (remember to use a large serrated knife or cake knife to slice off the top of the cake to get an even/flat surface when stacking layers).  Another tip: use a small amount of frosting to ice your cake initially and let “dry” (as shown in the pictures above).  Doing this keeps any crumbs from getting into your final frosting layer.

I only used a couple drops of red food coloring to achieve the pale pink color.  I frosted the top and then finished with colored sprinkles.  Next I frosted the edges with a spatula (my kitchen is not fully equipped yet!) and then piped around the edges (let’s be honest it was to hide any issues with the “seams”/edges).

I added a few colored candles and we were all set for happy birthday!

Happy birthday Ta!!

Neiman’s Treats

So I’m sure you’ve all Pinned or at least seen pins of the famous $250 Neiman Marcus cookie.. you know this one? Or this one?

Well I finally decided to give it a try, and test it out for myself!

The recipe makes 112 cookies, and considering I shouldn’t have been eating them in the first place, I decided to cut the recipe in half.  Here is what I did:

Neiman Marcus Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder)
12 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 -8 ounce Hershey Bar (I only had a 1/5 oz. bar, so added more chocolate chips)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (your choice, I like pecans and walnuts)

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and both sugars
2. Add eggs and vanilla
3. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda
4. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts
5. Use an ice cream scoop to ball dough onto cooking sheet (place two inches apart on a cookie sheet)
6. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

Consensus? It was a little more involved than a standard chocolate chip cookie and the end result wasn’t really worth it to me.  I may be a chocolate chip cookie purist, but the blended oats and grated chocolate bar didn’t really bring anything extra spectacular to the table for me.  If you love a soft cookie with some texture, this is for you… but if you are more into chewy/crispy cookies, these aren’t the ones for you.

Cookie Jar

An American (as well as Feezor) fan favorite will always be the chocolate chip cookie.

Growing up I’ve tried and tested many recipes, but two of my favorite (and memorized) recipes are this one and the one below.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 12-oz package semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a large baking sheet (or use a Silpat baking sheet). 
2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl to blend.  using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add sugar and brown sugar and beat until well blended.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until mixture is creamy and well blended.
5. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until blended.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Working in batches (use an ice cream scoop or melon baller) to scoop mounded tablespoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake cookies until pale brown, about 11-13 minutes.
9. Cool slightly on sheet, then transfer to racks to cool.

Tips:

1. Make sure to let butter sit out to room temperature (this is key in ALL baking… butter temperature can make or break any baked treats).  It needs to be soft to the touch but not melted.
2. If you bake at all, you MUST invest in a Kitchen Aid.  It makes baking so much easier and makes for perfectly incorporated cookies that are chewy, crunchy and all around amazing!
3. Silpat baking sheets are another great investment.  You don’t have to grease your baking sheets (which helps with cleaning up), and you’ll never have to worry about cookies burnt on the bottom!