Strawberries and Cream Cookies

These cookies are from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. This is probably my second or third recipe that I have made from it. My cookies don't really look the ones in the book and some of the reason is because my dried strawberries were more brownish, and not bright red. I looked everywhere for dried strawberries and happened to come across them at Ingles, and they were $5 per bag, and mind you, that bag was not very big.

The recipe says to roll the dough out to 1/2 and cut out into 2 inch rounds. I used the cookie cutter, but don't think that it would make a difference, as they did spread. These cookies turned into thin and crispy, but still chewy in the middle. I think next time, I won't roll them out, I will just use my little cookie scoop and see how they turn out. This cookie is basically a shortbread dough with the dried strawberries and white chocolate for the cream. I give these cookies a thumbs up!

Strawberries and Cream Cookies
By: Marcy Goldman

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup minced white chocolate
3/4 cup dried strawberries, coarsely chopped

You can order dried strawberries online from nutsonline.com, if you can't find them near you.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stack two baking sheets together and line top with parchment paper.

In a mixer bowl, combine sugar and butter on low speed until well blended. Then add flour, vanilla, cream, and salt and blend well. When almost blended into a dough, add white chocolate and dried strawberries, mixing by hand to incorporate and make a firm dough.

Knead dough gently on a lightly floured work surface about 1 minute to make dough more firm and get it to hold together. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap well, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll out gently about 1/2 inch thick and cut into small round cookies, about 2 inches in diameter.

Place on prepared baking sheets. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 15-20 minutes.

Apple Strudel for the Daring Bakers

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

This was not one that turned out for me. Strudel has been on my wanting to make list for a really long time and I was eager to try it. I didn't have any problems with stretching the dough paper thin, it didn't get as big as it should have, but stretching went just fine. Put it in the oven to bake, let it sit for 30 minutes..sliced it. My dough was really tough. It didn't want to slice and couldn't really chew it. My kids threw theirs in the garbage. But, hey, I tried it, know how to stretch this dough and hopefully it will turn out better on the next try. This is the reason that I stay with the Daring Bakers, to push myself to try things that are difficult, and some that are not so much. Now, bring on June!

TWD-Chipster Topped Brownies

This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by Beth of Supplicious. I have made these before and they were a hit with the family, and this week was no different. I mean, how can you go wrong with brownies and chocolate chip cookies in one? I don't think that you can! Thanks for a fantastic recipe this week!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

You know those recipes that you think...there is probably one out there better than this, but these are good? This is one of those recipes. Again, I was looking through this stack of printed off recipes and came across this one. Hopefully, one of these days I will make it through that stack.

I would make these again, the kids loved them, and the hubby liked them too. They were moist, but probably could have used a little more peanut butter for my taste. Needless to say, they didn't make it through the day, until they were gone.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Butter a 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the margarine and sugars. Add the eggs and combine. Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla and mix until combined.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix this mixture to the wet mixture. Mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread batter in baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Mississippi Mud Cookies

The only thing that I can say about this cookie is..Go and make these now! These cookies are fantastic, and quite addicting!

I got this cookie recipe from Megan's Cookin and I am so glad that she shared! These cookies didn't even last a whole day in my household. We loved them!

Mississippi Mud Cookies
Southern Living, August 2007

Ingredients:
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. miniature marshmallows

Directions:
1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.

2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and 1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels.

4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press 3 marshmallows into each portion of dough.

5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks

TWD- Fresh Mango Bread

This week was chosen by Kelly of Baking with the Boys. It was a great choice. I had never heard of mango bread, and really didn't know what to expect. I have to say that I really couldn't taste the mango. Only if I ate a piece of mango, could I taste it. And even then, it was really mild. Did you know that cooked mango gets kind of stringy? I didn't. Now, I know..for whatever reason I may need to know that. Anyways.....

This bread was very moist, and flavorful of the spices. It would be great with a spread of cream cheese on it! Next up with TWD, Chipster topped Brownies!

Raspberry/Strawberry Brie Tartletts

A few weeks ago the good people from Il De France Cheese graciously sent me a wheel of brie cheese. I had so many ideas going through my head on what to make with it. While looking through the pile of recipes that I have printed off, you know those...the ones that you print off just knowing that you will make it and still haven't...well, I came across this recipe that I had hand written. I am not sure where I got it from, but I am so glad that I came across it!

These little tartletts are perfect for a tea party, ladies brunch, or any type of shower. I made half strawberry and half raspberry and liked them both. I think that I liked the raspberry better because tartness with well with the brie cheese. I loved this cheese, it was creamy and not stinky. I have had some brie that just does not smell good. I really had to stop myself from just eating the brie all by itself. It was that good!

This recipe yields alot, so you can scale it down if you don't need as many.

Strawberry/Raspberry Brie Tartletts

18 slices white bread
1/3 cup melted butter
1 (8 oz.) wedge Brie, cut into 54 pieces
1 jar strawberry and raspberry jam (you could use any type of jam)

Roll and flatten each bread slice with a rolling pin. Cut 3 circles out of each with a 2 inch fluted or round cookie cutter.(I got 4 circles) Brush mini muffin pans with butter. Press bread circles on bottom and up sides of pan. Brush the bread circles with remaining melted butter.

Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove bread from muffin pan; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Fill each bread cup with 1 piece of the brie; press lightly with finger to make slight indention. Fill indention with 1/4 tsp jam. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes or until the brie is melted.