Cherry Tart Cookies

 I say this every year, but I LOVE getting the December issue of Cook's Country because it always has the winners of their Christmas cookie contest.  Which means new, and usually quite unique, fare for my holiday baking.  This year was no exception.  The $1,000 Grand Prize went to the maker of these adorable, delicious, nice-and-big filled cookies.  The crust is a soft almond sugar cookie, the filling is cherry preserves - get the best you can find - and on top of it all is a crispy thin vanilla glaze that reminds me of Hostess pies.  But of course these are a million times better.  They were easy peasy to make, and a huge hit with Dessert Club, and, I later heard, the take-home-leftovers husband crowd as well.  Yum yum.  Yum.

Yum.

Cherry Tart Cookies (print recipe)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk, divided
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup cherry preserves
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in bowl.

2.  Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar on med-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add 2 T milk, whole egg, and almond extract and beat until incorporated.  Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 additions and mix until just combined, scraping down bowl as needed.

3.  Lightly beat egg white in bowl.  Working on lightly floured counter, divide dough in half and form each into 4-inch disk.  Roll each disk into 1/4-inch-thick circle.  Using 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out rounds, gathering and rerolling dough as necessary.  Transfer half of rounds to prepared sheets, 1 inch apart.  Place heaping teaspoon of preserves in center of each round.  Top with remaining rounds and crimp with fork.  Brush filled rounds with beaten egg white and cut 1/2-inch X into center of each.

4.  Bake until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.  Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1hour.  Whisk confectioners' sugar, remaining 2 T milk, and vanilla in bowl until smooth.  Brush cookies with glaze and let sit for 30 minutes.  Serve.  Makes about 18 large cookies.

Recipe from Sara Cowley of Winamac, IN - 2011 Cook's Country Christmas cookies contest Grand Prize Winner

Goat Cheese Brownies with Honey

 Wow, these are amazing.  A real contender at Dessert Club, but really a stand-alone winner in my book.  For those of you who are only used to chevre on a salad or a cracker, don't write this off until you try it.  Goat cheese goes surprisingly well with chocolate, and that honey cream cheese frosting only helps matters. 

In addition to all the amazing flavors, one of my favorite things about this treat is the texture and subtle flavor added by sliced almonds.  All-around a unique and fabulous addition to the repertoire!

 Goat Cheese Brownies with Honey (print recipe)
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 T butter
6 ounces goat cheese (chevre), softened
2 T butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 T honey
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped almonds, toasted
Honey and Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1.  Preheat oven to 325.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.  Grease foil; set pan aside.  In a medium heavy saucepan heat and stir chocolate and the 3 T butter over low heat until chocolate melts.  Remove from heat.  Cool; set aside. 

2.  For filling, in a medium bowl combine goat cheese and the 2 T butter.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add the 1/4 cup sugar; beat until fluffy.  Add the 1/4 cup flour, honey, and one of the eggs; beat well.  Set aside.  Wash and dry beaters thoroughly.

3.  For batter, in a large bowl beat the two remaining eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy.  Add the 1 1/4 cups sugar, the water, and vanilla; beat well.  Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture.  Stir in the 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.  Stir in nuts.  Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan.

4.  Spread goat cheese filling evenly over chocolate batter in pan.  Spoon the remaining chocolate batter in small mounds over the goat cheese filling.  Drag a thin metal spatula or table knife through chocolate batter mounds to marble the mixture.

5.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until center is set.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.

6.  If desired (it is!), frost brownies with Honey and Cream Cheese Frosting.  Using the edges of the foil, lift uncut brownies out of pan.  Cut into bars.  Makes 32 brownies.

Honey and Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl combine 4 ounces softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 T honey; beat until combined.  Add another 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 T milk, beating until smooth.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 2011
Brownies made by my friend Shanna

Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars

 I have found another great pumpkin recipe, LAAAA!  Ginger cookie crust, pumpkin filling, hello toffee-and-pecan topping, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.  I quote Billy Ocean: "She's simply...awesome." 

 

(That's right, this one's a short post!)

Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars (print recipe)
Ginger Crumb Crust:
2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 35 cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream

Topping:
1/2 cup toffee pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Caramel-flavor ice cream topping

1.  Make the crust: in a medium bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps, sugar and flour.  Add melted butter; stir until combined.

2.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan.  Lightly grease foil.  Press the Ginger Crumb Crust evenly and firmly onto the bottom of prepared pan; set aside.

3.  For filling, in a large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves.  Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined.  Gradually add half-and-half; stir just until combined.  Pour filling over crust.

4.  Using the edges of the foil, life the baked mixture out of the pan.  Cut into bars.  Cover and chill within 2 hours.  If desired, drizzle with caramel topping just before serving.  Makes 32 bars.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, December 2010

Cashew Caramel Cookies

 My Dad loves cashews.  Whereas my Mom had chocolate stashes all over the house, my Dad usually had an enormous can of cashews somewhere in the couch/TV vicinity.  Unfortunately, I inherited both their loves.  A happy Christmas was when I got my OWN can of cashews in my stocking.  Then I'd stop sneaking Dad's for a week or two. 

As I got older, my nut interests moved on, to peanuts, then pistachios, and most recently smoked almonds.  But biting into these sweet & nutty cookies from Dessert Club member C.D. hurtled me back to Christmases of my childhood, when a little candy and my own cashews were all it took to feel the joy of the season.

Didn't hurt that she also served them with a huge bowl of extra caramel sauce, for dipping.  You should have seen me, I had caramel all over the place.  Luckily, we don't take pictures of faces at Dessert Club.  What happens at Dessert Club usually stays at Dessert Club.

Cashew Caramel Cookies (print recipe)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups roasted salted cashews
2 T plus 1 tsp canola oil
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
24 cubes soft caramel candy (7 ounces)
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and salt together. Coarsely chop 1 cup cashews; set aside. Process remaining 1 1/2 cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in oil. Process until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Put cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture. Mix in reserved chopped cashews.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; space 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten with a spatula. Bake until bottoms are just golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
4. Melt caramels with cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring. Let cool. Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over cookies; let set. Store airtight in single layers.  Serve with extra caramel sauce, if there is any.

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Cranberry-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

 Our family has a tradition that every day-after-Thanksgiving we gather at my aunt & uncle's house for "Lefse Day."  They make lefse (a Norwegian flatbread) from leftover mashed potatoes and we all bring our leftover pies, and we eat turkey, stuffing and whatever else wraps in lefse and then eat a bunch of desserts.  It's a hard life. 

I took the opportunity to try two new dessert recipes, both of which were awesome, and both of which we obviously needed because we only had this many pies:

 Like I said, it's a hard life.  This year it was also like the christening of my aunt & uncle's amazing new kitchen renovation/addition that they need and deserve, as their ELEVEN kids are mostly adults and many now bringing two and three children in tow when they visit.  It's so fun to see all the next generation playing together.  While I sit and eat lots of pie.  And trade funny insults with my brother.  Who I am SO glad is back from England.  We also cooked up - and executed - a pretty good practical joke.  Which I cannot confess to on this public forum.  I digress.

One that I made is this chocolate-crusted, chocolate-cranberry-swirled round of creamy nirvana.  Definitely one of my favorite cheesecakes I've made.  I'm really into cranberries this season, too.  Oh, and did you see the cranberry cream pie in the pic above?  One of my cousins made it.  I was super flattered. 

 Cranberry-Chocolate Cheesecake (print recipe)
2 cups fresh cranberries, picked over
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2/3 cup cranberry or orange juice
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies
3 T all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1.  Prepare cranberry sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, 3/4 cup sugar, and cranberry or orange juice.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally.  Cool to room temperature.  (Makes 1 3/4 cups.)

2.  Preheat oven to 375.  For crust, in a medium bowl, combine crushed chocolate cookies and 1 T flour; stir in melted butter.  Press mixture evenly onto the bottom and 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the side of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

3.  For filling, in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and the remaining 2 T flour.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.  Add eggs and milk; beat just until combined.  Divide filling in half.

4.  Stir 3/4 cup of the cranberry sauce into melted chocolate; stir chocolate mixture into half of the filling.  Pour chocolate filling into crust-lined pan, spreading evenly.  Spoon plain filling over chocolate filling; swirl gently to marble.

5.  Place springform pan in a shallow baking dish.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a 2 1/2-inch area around the outside edge appears set when gently shaken.

6.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Using a small knife, loosen crust from side of pan; cool for 30 minutes.  Remove side of pan; cool cheesecake completely on rack.  Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.  Serve with remaining cranberry sauce.  Makes 12 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Kisses

 I had never made meringues.  Still haven't; these came from Dessert Club member J.B., who is notorious for successful experimentation.  I love the minty essence and rich chocolate chips that stud these extremely easy but really fun cookies. 

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Kisses (print recipe)
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg chocolate chips
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Beat egg whites til foamy, then add salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until whites are stiff enough to hold up in peaks (but not dry).  Add sugar, two Tbsp. at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Fold in chocolate chips and peppermint, and drop from tsp onto cookie sheets lined with heavy paper.  Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly brown -- just barely visible.  Remove from paper while cookies are slightly warm.  Makes about three dozen. 

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars

  

  I'm not going in any order, but these were one of my favorite treats from Dessert Club.  Awfully genius, combining dulce de leche with chocolate, you know?  And then putting it on a shortbread crust.  Nothing wrong, and everything right, with that.  They are simple, but really, really perfect in their simplicity.  I just love them.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars (print recipe)
Shortbread Crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Chocolate Dulce de Leche:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup dulce de leche
4 large egg yolks
5 ounces 60%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Make shortbread crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Line bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Butter parchment.

Blend together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift in flour and blend with fork until a soft dough forms.

Spread dough evenly in baking pan using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, then prick all over with fork.
Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make chocolate dulce de leche:
Bring cream and dulce de leche to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until dulce de leche has dissolved.

Whisk together yolks in a bowl, then slowly whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pan is visible in tracks of spoon and mixture registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until melted.

Make bars:
Pour chocolate mixture over cooled shortbread and chill, uncovered, until cold and set, about 2 hours.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Dessert Club - Cookies and Bars

 Just 15 months old, and Dessert Club already has some holiday traditions.  Like doing cookies in December - don't we all need some new cookies to try?  Always.  Dessert Club is the perfect test-drive for new recipes, which is especially important for holiday cookies, before you make a triple batch of something you've never tried before.  The spread was amazing and I think we all learned a few things as well.  Here is what we made:

 1.  Mint Chocolate Kisses
2.  Browned Butter Shorties
3.  Chewy Caramel & Coconut Cookies (the winner)
4.  Cashew Caramel Cookies
5.  Toffee Apple Bars
6.  Chai Spice Snickerdoodles
7.  Cinnamon Swirl Cookies
8.  Goat Cheese Brownies with Honey
9.  Hot Chocolate Cookies
10.  Cherry Tart Cookies (mine)
11.  Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars
12.  Raspberry Lemon Shortbread
13.  Peanut Butter & Chocolate Brownies

Impressive, right?  I loved the variety.  And the reason I'm not posting individual pictures is because a lot of these will get their own posts in the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned. 

Another holiday tradition for Dessert Club, started last year by my Mom, is an annual Dessert Club ornament.  Guess if I had fun hunting down the perfect thing. 

 I meant to give everyone their DC ornament at our meeting but there was so much going on, I forgot!  I was ticked because I put a lot of time into finding them and painting our initials on the bottom. 

 

But everyone lives pretty close so I am hand-delivering them instead.  I got these at World Market; I couldn't decide which I liked better so I got half brown and half pink.  Love Dessert Club!

The final tradition, that we started this year, is a white elephant gadget exchange - everyone brought a kitchen tool/gadget (<$20) wrapped up, then we drew numbers and took turns opening/stealing gifts.  It was an awesome idea, but to be honest, I was disappointed in my own showing as well as some of the results.  There were a lot of duplicates, which isn't anyone's fault; it just means we all like the same things and/or think along the same lines.  I couldn't even count the number of zesters and microplanes.  Next year I plan to think much further outside the box.  Hopefully.  But I was very happy with my results - I scored a set of six tartlet pans made in France, ooh la la!  And the kicker is that "Gadget" is our theme for January - we all have to use what we got in the exchange.  I am already collecting tart recipes to try - twist my arm! 

Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce

 For many years in my youth, our traditional Christmas Eve dessert, served on our Christmas dessert plates with a cat curled up by a fireplace, was my Grandma Younce's bread pudding with lemon sauce.  But the bread pudding was made from very torn up soft bread, and tasted more like a ginger spoon bread, and with warm lemon sauce and fresh whipped cream, was like heaven in my mouth.  It was a lovely tradition.

Then my sister Tona, who usually made it, went off to college and got married and that was that.

I've never tried to make my Grandma's recipe; I should dig it up and give it a whirl.  But in the meantime, this delicious cake reminded me so much of it, I felt 13 again. 

 I shared it with a friend, and she was confused because in her mind gingerbread is hard, like The Gingerbread Man and gingerbread houses.  I was appalled because you can't really eat that stuff; it's never good.  How could someone not know about soft, edible, cakey gingerbread?  Oh, she was happy to be educated. 

Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce (print recipe)
Gingerbread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/4 cup finely snipped crystallized ginger

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and lightly flour a 2-quart square baking dish (8 x 8 inches.)  Set aside

2.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and allspice.  Add shortening, molasses, the water and egg.  Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined.  Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in crystallized ginger.  Pour batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4.  Serve warm with Lemon-Butter Sauce.  If desired, garnish with Candied Lemon Slices.  Makes 9 servings.

Lemon-Butter Sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T cornstarch
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 T butter
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
3 T lemon juice
2 T finely snipped crystallized ginger

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in half-and-half and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and ginger.  Serve warm.

Candied Lemon Slices
Cut 2 small lemons into thin slices; discard seeds.  In a large skillet, bring 1 cup light-color corn syrup to boiling over medium heat.  Stir in lemon slices.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, just until lemons are tender, turning occasionally.  Cool.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites

 

 Oh, you know I love a surprise in the middle!  In fact, I recently saw this pan in the Sur La Table catalog and I'm trying to figure out how to justify getting it:

See what they're doing there?  There's a little spike in the middle that HOLDS your surprise filling in place (in this case, COOKIE DOUGH, so thrilling!) so it stays right where it should and doesn't sink.  I love how this designer thinks.

But back to my brownie bites.  These were done in mini muffin pans so I couldn't have used the fancy pan anyway.  But you could use a mini cheesecake or bouchon mold and they would be even prettier than mine.  I just don't have either of those...yet!

Regardless, these bites are festive, easy, and crowd-pleasing (which around here means kid-pleasing, especially since they got to help.)  And while I'm generally a from-scratch kind of girl, sometimes it's great to just use a mix. 

 

OK, one last note.  Have you tried candy cane kisses yet?   Of course you have, because you bought them to make last year's Peppermint Kiss Cookies.  Well I really like them, but just one complaint.  They claim to have "candy cane pieces" in them, which you would believe if you never looked closely.  But what they have are stripes, mint flavor, and red-and-white nonpariels inside for the pretend-candy-cane crunch.  C'mon, just be accurate. 

And on that note, here's a great recipe!

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites (print recipe)
1 brownie mix (9 x 13 size)
24 Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 T heavy cream
3 candy canes, crushed

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and scoop into a mini cheesecake pan or mini muffin tin pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray, about 3/4 way full.  Press kisses into center of brownie batter, do not push all the way to bottom, some of the tip should stick out the top.

 Bake for about 20 minutes or until brownies are cooked through.  Let cool completely.

2.  Melt chocolate chips and cream in microwave 30 second intervals until smooth and melted.  Stir until silky smooth.  You can place back in microwave for 10 seconds to smooth more if needed.  Dip tops of brownies into melted chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Recipe from http://picky-palate.com/

Toffee Crunchers

 These cookies are just plain crispy fun! You know how toffee is buttery, and crunchy, and chewy all at the same time? So are these cookies. The toffee flavor and chewiness comes from the toffee bits and brown sugar. But the crispy crunch comes from some super star players that are rarely found on the VGP: Rice Krispies and potato chips. I know, it sounds gimmicky, but they are the perfect crispy addition, and also keep the cookies from being too unilaterally sweet. These were made for milk dunking, but would also be great with ice cream!

Toffee Crunchers (print recipe)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (5 3/4 ounces) lightly crushed plain salted potato chips
2 cups (1 3/4 ounces) Rice Krispies
1 1/3 cups (6 3/4 ounces) toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease or line with parchment two baking sheets.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, baking soda and baking powder. Mix in the flour, then gently stir in the potato chips, rice cereal and toffee bits.

3. Drop the dough by tablespoon fun onto prepared baking sheets. If dough is very crumbly, form tight balls by hand, and slightly flatten, like a patty. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

VARIATIONS:

• Substitute 2/3 cup butterscotch chips and 2/3 cup chopped pecans for the toffee bits.
• Substitute 2 cups gently crushed cornflakes for the rice cereal.

Recipe from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes with Raspberry Fluff Frosting

 The picture of this cupcake really speaks for itself.  It also says, "Kari can't lay an Oreo straight."  But it's artistic.  And my 4-year-old was helping. 

But LOOK at this!  A chocolate cupcake with a whole Oreo inside?  I am embarrassed I had to see this in a Martha Stewart magazine.  I don't experiment with recipes very often but I should have been able to come up with this one.  Either way, we all have it now, and it is AWESOME (sung in falsetto voice.) 

Kids love it, and they love to help make them.  This is on my birthday party short list.  So fun.

Now shall we talk about the frosting?  Butter, raspberry jam, and marshmallow cream.  So fluffy.  More AWESOMENESS (falsetto again.)  I shared with friends and the reports came back the kids loved the frosting, too.

 

But.  You can do almost any frosting here, you know.  Anything goes with Oreos!  Maybe a cookies & cream frosting?  I made these a second time and experimented with an Irish cream frosting; I loved it.   I didn't write the recipe, but it was roughly - 6 T soft butter, beaten with about 2-3 T Irish cream creamer (the liquid kind, like you pour in coffee or, in my case, warm milk) and about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, adding more sugar or creamer as need to get the right consistency.  Delicious. 

Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes with Raspberry Fluff Frosting (print recipe)
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
3 T seedless raspberry jam
3 cups marshmallow topping
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.  Melt 2 T butter; let cool.  In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Lightly beat egg and egg yolk and add, along with melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and 1/2 cup hot water; whisk until smooth.  Spoon 1 T batter into each muffin cup and top with a cookie.

 2.  Top each with 1 T batter.  Bake until cupcakes are puffed and set, 15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.  Let cupcakes cool in pan on a wire rack. 

3.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and raspberry jam on medium-high until smooth.  Add marshmallow topping and confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth, 3 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a pastry bag with a 1/4" tip or a quart-size zip-top bag; with scissors, snip a small hole in one corner.  Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and serve immediately. 

Recipe from Everyday Food

It. Is. December.

It's the busiest month since October.  It also feels like the most important month.  With the most things to fit in.  And the least daylight, making it feel like the month with the least time.  And the best movies.  I digress.

December is also an important month on the VGP because that's how it got started 3 years ago.  In 2008 I got the harebrained idea to make 31 kinds of cookies and post one a day on my blog in December.  It was a whirlwind, and highly successful, if I do say so myself.

I liked doing it so much, I started this crazy baking blog, and here we are.  I have kept up the goody-a-day tradition in December for the last few years, with some help from guest bakers.

So I'm just writing to tell you I'm not sure how this month this year will go.  I think there may be close to one post a day.  I have armed my bedside table with all the current holiday baking mags.  I have plans for a themed week sometime in December.  And of course there will be the results from our holiday Dessert Club - "Cookies & Bars", what could be better?  I also have an overwhelming backlog of recipes from the last few months, so I'm just going to write them up and post them as quick as I can, in an attempt to keep 2011's baking in 2011.  Wish me luck.

And seriously.  If you make something amazing and would like to guest post it, the floor is yours.  Take a picture (in natural light if possible but I'm not that picky), and send me an email with the recipe, and telling me a little about it.  Of if you're local, give me a copy and I'll type it up.  I don't know why I think people will do this, but sometimes a recipe is so good you just want to share it.  This is a good month for that.  And of course you will get all the props.

So here I go, stocking up on parchment, butter, eggs and sugar.  Rolling up my sleeves.  Putting aprons on myself and the kids.  No matter what happens, I'm determined to have a great December!