we say this because we only wish we could have met each other sooner. our lives just didn’t line up quickly enough and it seems as soon as they did…they will be separated again.

i moved from iowa to texas four years ago. i started working for Fossil and met bethany on my first day…she even drove me to my welcome lunch and we stopped at starbucks before heading back to work (i mean, if that didn’t scream match made in heaven, i don’t know what did). that was four years ago (almost to the day) on september 10th. our bosses biggest mistake AND best idea was sitting us next to each other. it was their biggest mistake because we talked…all. day. long. i mean…don’t get me wrong, we were still super productive, but i guess no on else could talk so much and still get so much done, so i’ll just say we set a bad example. it was their best idea…because we got to talking about baking together….and one fateful night of baking butter cookies and gingerbread men eventually evolved into lazybird. and we all know it’s our coworkers that get the biggest reward of our lazybird efforts – the taste testing.

however, today….beth and her husband stephen are in a packed up car…headed to madison, wisconsin. we have labeled this situation “happy/dumb”

let me start with the dumb:

it’s dumb that i moved from the midwest to the south….and now you’re moving from the south to the midwest. someone flip flopped our schedules and i don’t appreciate it.

it’s dumb that i won’t see you every day:
i. will. miss. your. face. we have been extra spoiled cause we’re not only friends who bake together and play together…we’re also friends who work together – go to the break room together in the morning to get water and to corporate services in the afternoon just to take a moment away from the computer and chat about the craziness of our day so far…friends who can take hobby lobby lunch breaks or indian food lunch breaks….OR pedicure lunch breaks (dang, who’s gonna get lunch peddies with me?!) friends who, lets be honest, grew the closest when we were cube neighbors….and were then definitely separated from each other cause of our chattiness. friends who get excited together about the smallest things and talk so fast and finish each other’s sentences, leaving our other coworkers just laughing at the pace and/or subject of our banter.

it’s dumb that you come as a packaged deal:
you leaving = my boss leaving (cause my boss is your husband). i’ve been so blessed to have had a boss that supported me and challenged me and who’s goal was for my growth…his shoes will be impossible to fill. (sorry future boss, it’s true….you have a lot to live up to) and thanks to you…he’s been a boss who could handle my occasional breakdowns….since my emotions mirror yours.

it’s dumb that my rollerblades will gather dust:
it’s so easy to talk you into adventures (turbo kick, rock climbing, skating). we are not compatible in everything….but we are adventure compatible…and i can count on you to try new things…hence lazy bird skate club. i mean, who even owns roller blades these days besides me and you. who’s gonna roller blade with me?!…AND turn around to chase down the ice cream trucks, without hesitation or shame of being the only adults (in roller blades) surrounded by children in line for a bomb pop.

despite all the dumb….i am overflowing with happiness for you guys.

i’m so happy that this opportunity has presented itself.

i’m so happy for stephen’s new job and so proud of him….he’s so talented and deserving. even though i will miss him as a manager, i want the very best for him and you.

i’m so happy that y’all have the freedom to move…to adventure…to experience a new setting.

i’m happy that you’ll still be close to family and i can only imagine all the holiday get togethers that will ensue.

i’m so happy that y’all found a house…and it’s lovely…and the view is beautiful. you’re such an adult in madison.

i’m so happy that you’ll get to enjoy all the wonderful traits of the midwest. oh beth, you’re gonna love the natives….no more polite, soft spoken, i’ll only say what’s proper….midwest people are matter of fact, honest, blunt even….SO much more your style :)

i’m so happy you’ll experience seasons, and beautiful ones at that….yes there will be snow….but it will be quiet and serene….and you’ll have an excuse to bundle up and knit and make quilts. you’ll get fresh springs and crisp falls and summer days that will last forever. AND the temperature actually breaks with the sunset…ok…maybe i’m getting jealous now and if i keep talking i’ll have to move this up to the dumb category.

i’m happy that someday when you have kids…they are gonna talk like me! “you guys”, and “pop” and drawn out a’s and o’s. hah…it’s gonna be great!

and speaking of kiddos…i’m so happy that yall are at a place where a family is within reach. (don’t worry, i didn’t say it was happening immediately) you’re gonna be the best mom. oh man…and the most dramatic preggo….(it’s dumb that i don’t get to witness that, for my own entertainment)

so…who knows, maybe i attack lazybird from the south and you get it goin in the midwest and someday our paths will merge again. what i DO know…is that even though i got you for a mere four years….my life has been forever blessed by your friendship and moving across the country does NOT affect how much i love you or how important you are to me. just because i won’t see you everyday, doesn’t mean you wont be a part of my everyday life.

we laugh about all the things we aren’t compatible in….but to tell you the truth, it’s been our differences that have made us fit together so well. i needed you to take lessons in confidence and standing up for myself. i need you for your ability to small talk and ask engaging questions…for your interest in everyone and their life story. i need you for your structure, your planning and for your big dreams. and maybe, just maybe….you needed a little dose of my laid back, go with the flow. (just sayin)

happy/dumb

i love you SO much. BEST wishes in your new home! wisconsin….you better treat her right!

-L

oh, it’s been a while. this i know. it’s been a pretty hectic month. between the two of us, there have been trips, house huntings, happy news and dumb news. i’m also still a “cupcake explorer” testing out vanilla cupcakes on a lip-sealed-till-it’s-discovered mission. so while my coworkers have been enjoying the cakes of my labor, y’all have been kept in the dark (till the day the recipe is cracked). so with the month of august…came a whole lot of crazy…but at the end of the day, the baking keeps me sane….so it’s high time we get back on track here.

it’s birthday season here at work, so i have lots of excuses to bake away. this week’s request: anything lemon.

i found this cookie on pinterest months ago and have been dying to make it….so thanks to tracy’s 39th birthday and his love for anything lemon, i had the perfect excuse.

lemon crinkle cookies
(adapted from Lauren Brennan’s award winning recipe)

ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

preheat your oven to 350º. line three cookie sheets with parchment paper OR lightly grease pans and set aside.

in your mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high till fluffy. mix in vanilla, zest, lemon juice and egg. scrape down your bowl and add in salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour. mix till all ingredients are combined.

measure out powdered sugar onto a plate. roll your dough into small (tablespoon sized) balls and roll in powdered sugar, covering the whole surface.

place on your prepared cookie sheet about two inches apart. bake at 350º for about 9 minutes or until the tops of your cookies begin to show small cracks.

remove from oven and let your cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack to cool to room temp. or just eat them all right away, your call. you can also dust with more powdered sugar if you like.

and the result…..holy. moly. these cookies were delish. so light and fresh, with the perfect amount of zest to sweet. if you’re a fan of citrus…i would highly recommend these cookies. come to think of it….they would probably be just as tasty with some orange or lime as a substitute to the lemon.

you should absolutely squeeze in a batch or two of these cookies as the summer comes to a close.

enjoy!

-L

since july is coming to an end, i’m considering this post to be a little christmas in july. but, the only thing that would even qualify this as a christmas recipe is the fact that there are dried cranberries in these cookies and as i was making them last night i thought that these would make a great addition to my thanksgiving/christmas holiday dessert playlist! so, thank you ryan, our newest team member at work, for the suggestion of this brilliant little cookie. who knew i’d be into such a zesty morsel. but, i guess you never really know until you try!

ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 T grated orange zest

1 teaspoon orange extract

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries

11.5 oz. bag of white chocolate chips

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. baking time is 10-12 minutes or until golden.

let’s get this zesty party started! in your mixer’s bowl blend together softened butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. add your eggs one at a time mixing well in between. follow that up with the extracts and the zest mixing until well blended. add your flour and baking soda, again blending together well. follow that up with the oats and the chocolate chips. i really just threw in the entire bag of chips, because let’s be honest what’s the fun in not doing that.

place dough in dollops (hehe) on your cookie sheets, well spaced out and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden @ 350 degrees. once baked, set them out for two minutes to cool before carefully placing them on wire cooling racks. and that’s it. quick, simple and quite possibly life changing. i’m just saying!

happy friday

-b

last week one of my favorite foodie (cupcake) bloggers posted about a need for “cupcake explorers.” she’s on a quest to discover the ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe and my interest was immediately sparked.

Over the years, many of you have asked me for the ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe.  Each time – although you couldn’t see it – my face turned the color of the logo below and my heart sunk as I responded, “I don’t have one.”  I’ve been so busy developing unique, funky, off-the-wall cupcake recipes that I never took the time to work on a vanilla cupcake recipe.  I felt like a gymnast who could do a double flip, but had somehow missed learning how to do a cartwheel.  That is changing now!”

As those of you who have been following along on the Cupcake Project Facebook page already know, I recently began a quest for the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe.  I’ve researched, baked, and baked, and baked, and in the end created what I believe to be the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe.

I refuse to call my recipe the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake until it’s been baked by a 50 baker team of testers (Explorers).  If more than 80% of the Explorers agree that it’s the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe, I will declare it as such (there’s no recipe that everyone can agree on).  If the Explorers don’t love it, I’ll take their comments into consideration, go back to the cupcake tin, and try again.

-cupcake project

so after weeding through almost 700 “explorer” submissions, 50 were chosen…and what do you know, lazybird was among those picked!

i’m super pumped to be a part of this group. i have certainly learned…there are just not enough baking hours in the day. with all the books and blogs and shows…there are just too many different recipes floating around…and when you want to find the best, all the resources make it an overwhelming task. that’s why i love this idea….i loved it even if i wasn’t chosen, cause i knew how much work was going into this task. all the baking on stef’s end…and then all the baking done by her explorers would surely be sufficient in claiming the ultimate vanilla cupcake title. BUT being chosen as an explorer is even more exciting…cause anyone who knows me, knows i love a good adventure.

so this week i’ll be baking and having my true blue taste testers put in there two cents….and then i report back. i’m excited to see what comes of this and SO excited to be a part of it.

-L

i’m not gonna lie…as far as i know, i have no french roots….and i really can’t give you a detailed account of what Bastille Day actually is (just a general one that usually ends with a question mark inflection). BUT…what i do know…is that it’s NEVER bad to have an excuse to eat french pastries….so Happy Bastille Day it is!

i decided to merge a couple existing recipes together to whip up these napoleons. if you’re a follower…you remember the toil and trouble that came with learning how to make puff pastry. it’s not difficult….it’s just specific….and takes patience, time and cold temperatures. (the latter being laughable considering the current dallas heat wave we’re in the middle of….but i went for it anyways)

someday i promise i’ll document the puff pastry process in photos…cause it’s a little hard to imagine without diagrams. (diagrams?! oh man….i’m sure i have lost half of you by now) but all of the trouble aside, one batch of puff pasty goes a long way…and you can freeze it for up to a year. it can make a sweet treat, or a savory side dish

puff pastry
5 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water
2 cups butter

whisk together your flour and salt. add in water. stir until dough has formed. dough will be a tiny bit on the lumpy side. set aside and let her rest for about 20 minutes.

roll out into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick.

cut up (chilled) butter into squares and put them ALL over the top of the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch butter-free around the edges of the rectangle. (the butter needs to be chilled….but it’s a fine line…too warm and your dough will absorb it…too cold and it will break through your dough. my handy-dandy pie and pastry bible noted that 60 degrees F is the perfect temperature for your butter…if you want to be that technical….i just guessed it, myself)

after the top of your dough is covered in butter squares, fold it in thirds (like you would a business letter) and roll out again to about 1/2″ thickness. be careful to not let the butter break through the dough or out the sides.

(first fold) turn the dough 90 degrees and roll out again into a rectangle and fold again into thirds. (second fold) it’s important to keep your dough chilled, so between every two folds refrigerate for 30 minutes, covered.

you will repeat this process of rolling out and folding two more times…refrigerating between every two folds until you have folded the dough 6 times. once finished, wrap and refrigerate.

stabilized whipped cream
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cup heavy whipping cream (divided)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(note: i ended up making two batches of this cream, when i probably only needed one…maaaaybeee one and a half?!….however, there’s nothing wrong with left over homemade whipped cream. i’m sure your coffee will agree)

begin by putting your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

in a small sauce pan, over low heat, combine powdered sugar, cornstarch and 1 /2 cup whipping cream. whisk together till well blended. bump your heat up to medium and continue whisking till ingredients begin to thicken up and come to a rolling boil. immediately remove from heat and transfer to glass bowl to cool to room temperature – i usually just transfer it back to my liquid measuring cup as you will have to pour it out later on. once mixture is cooled, stir in vanilla and set aside. (if you’re making all parts of your napoleon at once, you might want to start with this step, since it will take a while to cool down. it wont take too long for your whipping cream to whip up, so keep in mind that this mixture needs to be cooled before you start with the next step.)

using your chilled mixer bowl and beaters or whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream at a high speed till you begin to see distinct lines forming in the cream. with the beaters still going at high speed, pour in your cooled, sugar/cream/vanilla mixture. the next part happens pretty quickly, so pay attention. continue beating this mixture till it forms stiff peaks, being careful not to over-beat.

to make napoleons:

preheat your oven to 425°.

remove dough from fridge and cut off a fourth. roll out your dough into a rectangle – about 6″ x 16″ and 1/8 of an inch thick, focusing more on the thickness than the length. once rolled out, prick all over with a fork. sprinkle a cookie sheet with water, shaking off the excess and transfer your dough to the cookie sheet. bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes – dough will be puffed up and golden. transfer to cooling rack. i actually put mine in the fridge to cool which helped when it came time to cut the pastry.

once cooled, gingerly cut your puffed rectangle into three long strips. (it helps to use a wet serrated knife) then cut each strip through the middle leaving you with six strips – three tops, three bottoms. i went ahead and cut mine down to napoleon single serving sizes from there. on the bottom layer slap on some cream and berries (i picked strawberries) or chocolate shavings/sauce?! – whatever you love the most. add the top layer and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. go ahead and add another dollop of whipped cream for good measure, and some more berries while you’re at it. serve immediately – or chill until ready.

it might seem like quite the ordeal from start to finish….but the good news is….once you make a batch of puff pastry….you will have plenty to experiment with. be it cream horns, croissants, or napoleons….there will be enough to go around. AND you will feel oh so accomplished and fancy making anything french!

enjoy!

-L

my little birds were skeptical about said blueberries….AND the giant bag of chocolate chips a certain (wonderful) kitchen host had left on the counter definitely didn’t help my “blueberries are delish” argument….but when all was said and done, these muffins were a hit. (and only one of my little birds picked around the blueberries)

if you’re looking for a kid friendly treat, muffins are a great choice. you don’t need a boxed-mix in your cabinet because you probably have all the ingredients you need. as far as equipment, you only need a couple bowls, a spoon and a muffin pan…no mixer required (that would actually hinder this recipe) not only are they super simple….but they are also a super quick treat – we’re talking under and hour quick.

ingredients:
streusel topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter (chilled)

muffins:
3/4 cup milk (room temperature)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg (room temperature)
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries (fresh, frozen or drained canned)

preheat your oven to 400°.

prepare your muffin pans. either line with paper baking cups, or spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. set aside.

begin with your streusel. (if your cool enough, roll your R’s every time you say streusel….it will make you feel much fancier. i mean, don’t feel bad if you can’t do it….i can’t either….but the girls certainly enjoyed using the extra flair) in a medium bowl, stir your flour, brown sugar and cinnamon together. cut in your chilled butter till your mixture is crumbly, with the largest pieces about pea-size.

tips and tricks:
“cut in” is a term used for mixing butter or shortening into your ingredients. you cut the butter with a fork or knife as you stir/mix it with the ingredients. the result is a crumbly mixture instead of a smooth mixture. use chilled butter, so that it keeps its form as you mix. if your butter is softened, it will just mix in smoothly with your ingredients.

in a large bowl, combine flour (sifted), sugar, baking powder and salt. mix all these ingredients together and in the center, make a well.

tips and tricks:
a “well” is exactly what it sounds like, a sunken in area. stir your ingredients together and run your spoon around the edges making high walls. then, in the center of your dry ingredients, scoop out a well.

these are your “dry ingredients” + “well”

in another medium-sized bowl beat together milk, vegetable oil and milk till well blended.

these are your “wet ingredients”

pour your wet ingredients into the well you have created in your dry ingredients. stir your ingredients together just until your dry ingredients have absorbed your wet ingredients. your batter will be lumpy, and that’s the way you want it. about 10-15 times around the bowl should be enough. don’t be tempted to keep going…over-mixing will create a tough or compact muffin.

tips and tricks:
please believe me when i say, don’t over-stir your ingredients. i know it’s hard to look at lumpy ingredients….but i’m telling you, if you stir till it’s smooth…you’re going to get dense muffins. over-stirring causes the gluten in the flour to over-develop and results in a tough muffin, peaked tops or tunnels.

next comes the blueberries. (or strawberries, apples, bananas, chocolate-chips…whatever you prefer)

tips and tricks:
wash your fruit and toss them in flour. this just helps your fruit not to fall to the bottom of your muffin.

gently fold your berries into your batter.

tips and tricks:
the term “fold” is used when you need to stir in an ingredient gently. we have already mixed this batter up as much as we need to, so in this step we fold for two reasons: 1. to avoid over-mixing and 2. to be careful not to squish the berries. fold by scooping your spoon or rubber spatula under all your ingredients and lift up and fold over to the other side of the bowl. continue doing this till your berries are thoroughly mixed in.

spoon your batter into your baking cups, dividing evenly. only fill your cups about 3/4th full. sprinkle your streusel on top, about a tablespoon for each muffin.

bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. you’ll want to transfer your muffins from the pan to a cooling rack after about 3-5 minutes of cooling. removing them from the pan prevents moisture from collecting between the pan and the bottom of your muffin.

serve warm….with butter, if you’re smart like me.

enjoy!

-L

when it’s the first night of little birds baking club…what else would you make?! chocolate chip cookies are a classic. everyone needs a solid chocolate chip cookie recipe up their sleeve. we asked the girls how many of them had made chocolate chip cookies and a number of hands went up in the air. when we asked how many had made cookies from scratch, and not out of a plastic tube…all the hands went down. needless to say, the girls were pretty pumped to make AND eat these little guys. they all herded around me and took turns adding ingredients. oh, and hands down – being the one who gets to crack the egg….is the most coveted responsibility.

with little bird recipes, i’ll point out some tips that will be helpful for a new baker…and obvious to an experienced baker. bare with me on some of these….or enjoy them, depending on where you stand.

adapted from Baking Basics, by Betty Crocker

ingredients:
(wet ingredients)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) *unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 large eggs
(dry ingredients)
4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 12oz bag** semisweet chocolate chips

equipment:
stand mixer w/paddle attachment
OR large bowl w/wooden spoon
cookie sheets
cooling racks

* instead of using all butter, i used half butter half shortening. my butter vs shortening experience is: butter makes a better tasting cookie, but also makes a flat cookie while shortening helps the cookie keep a good shape…..so using both = best of both worlds (taste and shape).

** can you believe this recipe actually called for a 24oz bag of chocolate chips?!?! i mean, my dad’s famous cookies only call for 6oz…so i had a hard time even using a whole 12oz bag. i cut it off at about 10oz….i mean, come on? you want some cookie with your chocolate chips?!

preheat your oven to 375º

prep – since your butter and eggs need to be room temperature, start by prepping all your ingredients. remove butter and eggs from the fridge and let sit on your counter while you measure out the rest of your ingredients. the time it takes to measure out all your ingredients into separate bowls….should be just enough time for your butter to soften up enough to beat easily.

tips & tricks:
“packed” brown sugar: means to pack it into the measuring cup – pressing it in firmly. if the brown sugar has been packed firmly, it will keep the measuring cup’s shape when removed – if it crumbles apart, you have not packed it well.

flour: when you measure your flour, don’t scoop you’re measuring cup into the flour and shake or tap on the counter to get in as much flour as you can. you want your baked goods to be light and fluffy, not dense, so the way you measure your flour makes a big difference. instead of using your cup to scoop up flour, spoon your flour into the measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife. also, take the time to sift your flour. this just helps to get air into your flour. if you don’t have a sifter, just use a fork to stir up your flour.

eggs: if you want to avoid egg shells in your dough, crack your eggs into a separate bowl and make sure any accidental shells are removed before mixing them in. also, crack your egg on the side of the bowl….not the side of the counter – the less raw egg spills you have to worry about cleaning up, the better.

mix – using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment OR by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, beat your butter, both sugars, vanilla and eggs at a medium speed till light and fluffy.

we call these our “wet ingredients” (mix first)

at a low speed, slowly stir in your flour, baking soda and salt. add in your chocolate chips. (by all means, go crazy with the 24oz if you want to….but, i’m just sayin, my 10oz was plenty)

these are our “dry ingredients” (mix into your wet ingredients)

bake – using a ice cream scoop or two spoons, transfer your cookie dough to cookie sheets. bake at 375º for 12-15 minutes. mine only took 8 minutes…so be on the lookout. once the edges have turned golden brown, remove and place the pan on top of a cooling rack for about five minutes. then carefully (once the cookies aren’t ooey-gooey anymore) transfer just the cookies from the pan to the cooling rack. cool to room temperature, if you can wait that long.

tips & tricks:
baking time really varies from oven to oven. always check on your treat earlier than the recipe calls for. with cookies, what you’re really looking for, are the edges to begin to turn golden brown. the cookie will also start to form cracks on the top. once your edges are brown, remove your cookies and place the pan on top of a cooling rack for about five minutes, or until the cookies can be removed from the pan without falling apart in a gooey mess. as the cookies cool….the insides of them keep baking so what seems like underdone when you first remove them from the oven, becomes the perfect, soft, break-apart without hearing a crunch, cookie once it has cooled.

that’s it. once your cookies have cooled, bust out the milk and enjoy.

for the record dad, the recipe was named “the best” chocolate chip cookies. in no way do they trump your famous cookies, so don’t feel threatened. love you! :)

-L

spring has sprung and i think it sprang us directly into summer. with highs already hitting the high 90′s we were in need of something light, sweet and juicy. sugar cookies, cream cheese frosting and strawberries? count me in. i love pizza, so why wouldn’t i love a dessert counterpart? to make this as delicious as possible i knew i could count on my old friend Martha Stewart for a superb foundation. here is what you will need for this simple and delightful treat.

sugar cookie crust

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

cream cheese frosting

8oz. cream cheese

8oz. cool whip

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup powdered sugar

fruit topping

strawberries

grapes

blueberries

and really whatever fruit you desire

- – - – -

equipment

electric mixer

mixing bowls

parchment paper

rolling pin

biscuit/cookie cutters

first things first, the crust. in a large bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. in your electric mixer’s bowl, go ahead and whip your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. i usually do this on medium speed for about a minute. but make sure the butter and sugar are well blended and aren’t in crumbles. once fluffy, add your egg and vanilla. slowly begin adding your flour mixture, next. once this is all combined it should resemble cookie dough. split in half and, on plastic wrap, smash the dough into a disc shape, wrap up and put in the freezer for about 20 minutes. do the same to your other half of dough. (preheat oven to 325 degrees) after 20 minutes take out and leave on the counter for 5-10 minutes. on a flat surface lay down parchment paper and dust with flour. dust your rolling pin and roll out your first disc of dough to desired thickness. i rolled mine out to about an 1/8 of an inch and got about 2 dozen 3.25″ in diameter, cookies. using a round biscuit cutter cut out your crusts. pickup scraps, roll into a ball and roll out again, cutout and repeat this until no more dough is left. place crusts onto cookie sheets and bake for 5 minutes @ 325, turn cookie sheets around and bake for 5 more minutes, turn again and bake for 2.5 or until golden around the edges. once finished baking, remove from oven and set out for about 5 minutes before transferring cookies onto cooling racks.

in the meantime, while your crusts are baking get your frosting started. in a large mixing bowl, add all cream cheese and cool whip and mix together. add lemon juice and powdered sugar and mix together well. cover and place in fridge until cookies are completely cooled. once cooled, using a spatula, spread frosting onto your crusts. chop up some fruit and decorate as you see fit! enjoy your self…this is the fun part. i suggest adding fruit close to when you will be serving. the fruit juices tend to discolor your frosting. if you need to make them ahead of time, place in fridge once decorated, just know that your frosting may get a little tie-died.

please enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

b

one year ago: spring time lime cheesecake

listen, i can’t tell you how many times i’ve passed by this recipe with the understanding that it would be too much of a hassle. but when it was a birthday request from B, i could hide from it no longer. (“i could hide from it no longer”? have i been reading too much charlotte brontë and jane austen?!)

cream puffs are surprisingly simple. all in all, it’s just heating up some ingredients, mashing them, beating them and plopping them onto a cookie sheet, in any shape or form. it’s the ingredients that do all the magical work…not you…so there’s really no pressure!

have i talked you into it yet?!

i adapted my recipe from my favorite pie and pastry bible by rose levy beranbaum.

cream puff pastry
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
8 tablespoons butter
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
5 large eggs

preheat your oven to 400º and line your pans with parchment paper.

in a medium sized saucepan, stir together water, salt, sugar and butter. stir over medium heat till mixture just comes to a rolling boil. remove from heat and pour in flour. mix together till ingredients come together to make a ball. return the saucepan, back to low heat, for another 3 minutes to cook the flour…stirring and mashing as if you’re mixing up mashed potatoes.

transfer this mixture to a large bowl. add in eggs one at a time. with an electric mixer beat the mixture for about one minute after each egg is added.  your mixture should be smooth and shiny.

you can pipe your mixture onto a cookie sheet, but i opted just to use two spoons to drop the mixture/batter/dough (what do you call this stuff?!) onto the pan to avoid all that extra clean up. i thought my results came out just like the picture i saw, so i had no regrets. take two spoons and use one to scoop up the batter and the other to scrape it off the other spoon onto your cookie sheet. leave about an inch and a half between each dollop.

bake for 30 minutes, till pastry has puffed up and turned a nice golden brown.

transfer pastries to a cooling rack and with a sharp knife cut a small slit in the side of each pastry to release steam. leave these to cool to room temperature, in a draft free area.

while they are cooling, go ahead and whip up your filling. there are lots of options here…ice cream, custard, pudding….but B is a whipped cream fan, so that’s what i’ve got for you.

stabilized whipped cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream (divided)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(note: i ended up making four batches of this cream to fill all the cream puffs i made….plan accordingly)

begin by putting your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

in a small sauce pan, over low heat, combine powdered sugar, cornstarch and 1 /4 cup whipping cream. whisk together till well blended. bump your heat up to medium and continue whisking till ingredients begin to thicken up and come to a rolling boil. immediately remove from heat and transfer to glass bowl to cool to room temperature – i usually just transfer it back to my liquid measuring cup as you will have to pour it out later on. once mixture is cooled, stir in vanilla and set aside. (if you’re making all parts of your cream puffs at once, you might want to start with this step, since it will take a while to cool down. it wont take too long for your whipping cream to whip up, so keep in mind that this mixture needs to be cooled before you start with the next step.)

using your chilled mixer bowl and beaters or whisk attachment, beat the remaining 3 /4 cup heavy whipping cream at a high speed till you begin to see distinct lines forming in the cream. with the beaters still going at high speed, pour in your cooled, sugar/cream/vanilla mixture. the next part happens pretty quickly, so pay attention. continue beating this mixture till it forms stiff peaks, being careful not to over-beat.

transfer to piping bag and fill your puff pastries up with cream. add powdered sugar or chocolate sauce and serve. (you should plan on adding the filling no sooner than 30 minutes before serving)

you can either slice your cream puffs in half, gently with a serrated knife, and pipe in the cream…or use a bismark tube to pipe the cream in where you previously made a small slit….i chose the lazy way….big surprise :)

enjoy!

happy birthday B….i’m so glad you get to scope out the new age before me, to let me know what to expect. welcome to your mid-late twenties….i know you don’t like the sounds of it….but i bet you like the sound of late-late twenties less….so rock this year out and enjoy it to it’s fullest! love you girly!

-L

one year ago: lazy bird birthday!, lazy bird beginnings…

guess who’s a year old?!?! happy birthday lazy bird!

B and I have discovered we’re not compatible in quite a few areas….we don’t like the same scents, we are opposites when it comes to picking nail polish for pedicures and even when it comes to desserts…for instance, coconut and/or pecans will ruin a desert for me while B just can’t get enough! however, in planning this post we were very excited to figure out that we strongly agree on one thing…we’re…dum dum dum…cake compatible! we are both white cake & white frosting girls….or as I like to call it, “wedding cake” girls! and really…what other treat would you make for a birthday party?!

this recipe is super simple and wouldn’t have taken much time at all IF, DFW hadn’t been in the middle of some crazy weather…and we didn’t have to take multiple breaks to park it in front of the weather channel…or even under some cushions in the bathroom. we still finished all our baking much earlier than we usually do….so i’m thinking you could whip these little buddies up fairly quickly as well. and let me take a moment to give a shout out to B’s own “weather man steve” who gave us a running commentary on the storm radar, as we dared to bake in the kitchen. safety first folks.

ingredients:
(yields 2 dozen regular + 2 dozen mini cupcakes)
cake: (adapted from Martha Stewart)
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature

frosting:
disclaimer, this is scary…but delicious
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup crisco
4 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup marshmallow cream

preheat your oven to 350º. line your cupcake pan with wrappers.

in a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. set aside

measure out milk in another small bowl and stir in vanilla. set aside.

in your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat your butter on a medium high speed till pale and fluffy. add in sugar and continue beating till mixed well.

reduce speed to low and add in 1/3 of your flour mixture. scrape down edges and add in half of your milk mixture. repeat this (flour, milk, flour) till all is mixed in, ending with the flour, and scraping down the sides in between. your batter should look nice and fluffy.

in a seperate medium sized bowl, whisk your egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

with a rubber spatula, fold your egg whites into your cake batter.

spoon your batter out into your cupcake pans, filling only 3/4ths full.

bake for 16 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test – inserting in the middle of a cake and coming out clean.

remove from oven remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes, then remove your cakes from the pan and set on a cooling rack. doing so prevents moisture from collecting at the bottom of the pan and cake.

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while your cupcakes are cooling go ahead and get your frosting going.

on medium high speed, cream together butter and crisco, till fluffy.

reduce speed to low and slowly add in powdered sugar, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

mix in vanilla and marshmallow cream. again, pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl. continue mix everything together at a high speed till your mixture resembles whipped cream.

transfer to a piping bag and top your cakes off with a large dollop of frosting…and of course, add confetti and a candle and make a wish :)

the cakes were a big hit. we both agreed that the cakes were better served chilled….maybe it was the frosting that we preferred cold….but who’s to know?! enjoy!

one birthday down, one to go….

-L&B