SOUR CREAM CUT-OUT COOKIES

With the 4th of July this Sunday, these cut out cookies would be fun to make. Of course, this recipe can be used for all holidays by using different shapes and colors. The kids will enjoy helping Mommy decorate. Sooo, let your creative instincts take over and Happy 4th of July.

Cookies
3 to 3 ¼ c. sifted cake flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
½ c. (1 stick) butter, softened
½ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 lg. egg
½ c. sour cream

Glaze
2 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 T. water
1 T. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Food coloring
Colored sugars or candy sprinkles

Resift the cake flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, grated orange peel and lemon extract with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg blending well. Blend in the sour cream. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture by thirds to form a dough that is stiff enough to roll out. More or less flour may be necessary. Divide the dough into thirds. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour or until firm. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one third at a time (keep remaining dough refrigerated) to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden. Do not overbake. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Glaze: In small bowl mix the confectioners’ sugar, water, corn syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. Add additional water, if necessary, to thin glaze. Tint with food coloring. Using a small pastry brush and stirring glaze often, brush on cooled cookies. Sprinkle with colored sugars or candy sprinkles while glaze is still wet. Allow glaze to set completely. Makes about 36 cookies.

AND THE WINNER IS............

A big congratulations to Phoenix Peacock for winning the AnnieG Aprons Giveaway. This beautiful apron and potholder are yours! You will receive an email soon about your prize. Thanks to all who commented and did a post about this giveaway on their blog. Annie just loved reading all your wonderful comments. Please come back and visit soon as we will be having more giveaways and lots of new recipes too!

And I would like to give a big thank you to Annie for this lovely giveaway. She is a wonderful friend and a very talented and creative lady.

ICED POPPY SEED COOKIES

Please don't forget to enter our giveaway. Just click here. This is a recipe from my cookie blog that I hope you will enjoy. They are light and packed with lots of flavor. So perfect with a nice glass of ice tea. I know some of you like orange and some like lemon, so I have included both for you.

Cookie
1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 T. poppy seeds
½ c. (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 c. granulated sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 T. grated orange peel
1 lg. egg

Icing
1 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 T. orange juice

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the poppy seeds. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and orange peel on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 2-inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Icing: In small bowl, mix together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Let icing set. For Lemon Poppy Seed cookies: substitute lemon peel for the orange peel in the cookie and lemon juice for the orange juice in the icing. Store in airtight container. Makes about 24 cookies.

WELCOME COOKIE FOLLOWERS!

Hello everyone. Just a little reminder that it is not too late to enter our AnnieG Aprons giveaway. Just click here to enter. And now I would like to welcome all of you who have been following my cookie blog. I have come to the realization that I am not Super Woman. Gosh, what a let down. But it has become a little difficult for me trying to keep up with all my blogs. Sooo, now you will see lots more cookie recipes on this blog. I love cookies, don't you? I will be devoting more time to my baking blog bringing you many new recipes and giveaways. My next post, of course, will be a cookie recipe. So please be sure to stop back. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

ANNIEG APRONS & BAGS GIVEAWAY!

We have another great giveaway for you! Our sponsor, Annie G Aprons and Bags has a special apron and potholder waiting for you. Annie is a good friend of mine and one very talented lady. I asked Annie to write a little bit about herself and this is what she had to say.

“When I was visiting my daughter five years ago she was showing me a new book she got called “Crafting Vintage Style”. She pointed out a picture of an apron and asked me if I could make it for her. I hadn’t sewn in years, but the apron looked easy. We bought fabric with cabbage roses on it, because my girl loves all things shabby, and I made my daughter her apron. While I was ironing it, I was taken back in time to when I was a very young girl – maybe six or seven years old – and I was in my grandmother’s kitchen. Memories came flooding back to me of aprons my grandmother and great grandmother wore while they baked rolls and pies. Memories of me being allowed to iron the aprons. Memories of sprinkling them with water, rolling them up, and putting them in a towel in the refrigerator over night. The memories were tender and sweet and thus began my love of all things apron! Every apron I make, even now, takes me back to my roots. That to me is what is so magical about them. They’re nothing more than a piece of fabric and maybe some lace or rick rack or a button or two, but there is magic in all of it. If you haven’t yet worn an apron while you’re cooking or cleaning or gardening, you really need to. They are guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

I’m so happy Kat agreed to let me do a giveaway on her blog. Kat’s mouth watering recipes and an AnnieG apron go together so nicely! The apron that I’m giving away was made especially for Sweet Kathleen. It’s based on the traditional chef style apron but I’ve made it a bit fuller so that it fits loosely, and I’ve added coordinating trim to give it more personality. Rick rack was added just because it’s cute! There’s also a matching pot holder. All that’s needed is Kat’s recipe book and you are good to go! The apron and pot holder are ironed, folded, and waiting to be mailed to the winner.”

Thanks Annie! We’re very excited to give your beautiful apron and potholder away to one lucky Sweet Kats Kitchen reader!

TO ENTER: Head over to AnnieG Aprons and Bags and take a look around. Come back here and post a comment letting us know what your favorite apron was. This will give you one entry into the giveaway. For 5 extra entries into the drawing create a blog post about this giveaway, leaving your website address in your comment. Be sure to mention this in your entry. Comments will close at 9 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday, June 30th. I will choose one random winner and post here. *This giveaway is open to the Continental US, Hawaii and Canada shipping destinations only.” And I would love it if you would sign up to follow my blog for more giveaways and new recipes. Thank you and good luck!

PEACHY PECAN COFFEE CAKE

With the peach season here, this is a great coffee cake to make. When not in season you may use sliced, canned peaches. If using fresh peaches, be sure they are firm, but ripe. This recipe is from my Sweet Kathleen's Cookbook and I hope you will enjoy it. Please be sure to stop back soon as my next post will be for a wonderful giveaway that I know you will not want to miss. I am headed for a delicious peach right now. I love them!

Topping/Filling
2 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
3 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cake
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lg. eggs, room temperature
1 c. sour cream
2 c. sliced peeled fresh peaches or 1 (28 oz.) can sliced peaches, drained

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease a 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.
Topping/Filling: In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Set aside.
Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the sour cream and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the pecan mixture. Top with the remaining batter and ½ cup of the pecan mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack. Arrange the peach slices over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining pecan mixture. Return to oven and bake another 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake
comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of the pan to loosen. Remove sides of the pan. Serves 12.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

A friend of mine asked me if I had a good recipe for German Chocolate Cake. I told him I did and to visit my blog. I just realized that I hadn't posted the recipe and I don't know why. This is a delicious cake and the frosting is a bit different than other German Chocolate frosting recipes because I do not use eggs. The cake does not need to be refrigerated. It is a great favorite with my nephew too, who requests it from me around the holidays. I hope you enjoy it!

Cake
1 pkg. (4 oz.) German’s sweet chocolate
½ c. water
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 lg. eggs, room temperature
1 c. buttermilk

Coconut-Pecan Filling & Frosting
¾ c. ( 1 ½ sticks) butter
1 ½ c. packed light brown sugar
¾ c. evaporated milk
1 T. vanilla extract
2 ¼ c. flaked, sweetened coconut
2 ¼ c. chopped, toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with nonstick baking spray containing flour. Microwave chocolate and water in microwaveable bowl until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In large mixing, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate beating just until blended. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the pans and place cakes on wire racks to cool completely. Filling/Frosting: In medium saucepan over low heat stir butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla extract until completely smooth. Remove from heat and fold in coconuts and pecans. Cool slightly. To complete cake: Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting between cake layers on onto top of cake. Serves 12.

RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

I love the combination of white chocolate and raspberries. This is a pretty cake and would be perfect for any special occasion. Of course, if you are like me, it is great anytime you are craving something sweet. Raspberry extract can be found in most grocery stores in the baking isle. You may garnish the top with fresh raspberries or white chocolate curls. Either way, your guests will thank you.

Cake
3 c. sifted cake flour (measure after sifting)
1 T. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 c. granulated sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 T. raspberry extract
6 lg. egg whites, room temperature
4 ( 1 oz.) squares white chocolate, melted and cooled
1 c. milk

White Chocolate Frosting
6 (1 oz.) squares white chocolate
½ c. heavy whipping cream
¾ c. (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 T. raspberry extract
5 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Red food coloring

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour 3 (8-inch) or 2 (9-inch) round cake pans or spray with nonstick baking spray containing flour. Resift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and raspberry extract on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites in a slow, steady stream beating until well blended. Blend in melted chocolate. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the pans and place cakes on wire racks to cool completely. Frosting: Microwave chocolate and cream in microwaveable bowl until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool completely. In large mixing bowl, combine the cooled chocolate mixture, butter, vanilla extract and raspberry extract with mixer on medium speed beating until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar. Once all the sugar is incorporated increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes or until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. Stir red food coloring into 1 ½ c. of frosting to make a light pink. Use the light pink for the filling. To complete cake: Spread the pink frosting between the layers and white frosting on top and sides of cake. Decorate with fresh raspberries or white chocolate curls.