Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 7 ounces (about 30) assorted hard candies finely chopped

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.

2. Mix butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, mix until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 325 F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out chilled dough on a well floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, transfer shapes to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a cutout in the centre of each cookie for candy filling.

4. Sprinkle candy in a single layer in the hole of each cookie, avoiding the corners. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Bake cookies until candy has melted, completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centres may become bubbly. Let cook completely on sheets on wire racks. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment.

Notes: I wanted to try out a new recipe. I used a star and a heart cookie cutter. I was able to fit two in each ziplock bag to give as a small present. The cookies can be stored in airtight containers in room temperature for up to 5 days.

Adapted from: All Recipes Banana Crumb Muffins
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Yield: 36 mini tarts

Shortbread Tarts
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or rice flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 8-oz. package cream cheese - softened
- 1 14 ounce (396 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish
Any combination of berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) or other fruit such as slices of kiwi.

Note: Cornstarch (corn flour) or rice flour replaces some of the all purpose flour to produce a more delicate and fragile shortbread.

Directions:

1. Lightly butter muffin pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together (approximately two minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix just until incorporated.

3. Divide the dough into 36 even pieces and place one ball of dough in the center of each muffin tin. With your fingertips, press the dough up the sides of the individual muffin tin so there is an indentation in the center. Once filled, place the tart pan, with the unbaked shells, in the freezer for about 10 minutes so the shortbread can become firm. (This will help to prevent the shortbread from puffing up during baking.)

4. Bake for approximately 18 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned. About halfway through the baking time, lightly prick the bottom of each shortbread, with the tines of a fork, if they have puffed up. Check again after another five minutes and prick again if needed. Once they are fully baked, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When completely cooled, remove the tarts from the pan. (These may be made in large quantities and frozen.)

5. Use electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the condensed milk, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla and process until smooth. Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving time. It is best to make the filling at least a day in advance to give it time to become firm and for all the flavors to mingle.

Notes: The filled tart shells can be made several hours in advance and refrigerated. Just before serving top with fresh berries or cut up fruit.



















Adapted from: Joy of Baking Shortbread Tarts filled with Cream Read more...

- cupcakes
- white icing
- big marshmallows
- small marshmallows
- chocolate chips
- red twizzler
- red sprinkles





































Adapted from: My Family Loves It Easter Bunny Cupcakes
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Notes: Birthday cake for my daddy. We just cut up a store bought cake into the shape of a fish and decorated the pan to look like it was underwater.

Adapted from: All Recipes Fanny the Fish
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Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and oil. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Notes: I made these with Val and Ren at val's house after a sleepover.

Adapted from: All Recipes Banana Crumb Muffins
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Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour until well blended. Drop dough into mini muffin pan. Make an indentation in the center with a thimble, fill with preserves, or press candy into center.

3. Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Cookies should be pale.

Notes: I made these with Katie for Christmas family gathering. We used strawberry jam and green sprinkles.

Adapted from: All Recipes Cream Cheese Cookies I
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Yield: 3 dozen mini cupcakes

Cupcakes
- marble cake mix

Notes: Josh and I made these for the Northen Karate Potluck. We used a toothpick to swirl a marble design.
Read more...

Yield: 15 Snowmen

Rice Krispie Balls
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 cup butter
- 32 large marshmallows (1/2 bag)
- 4 cups Rice Krispies

Decorations
- chocolate chip for buttons
- baking confetti for eyes

Directions:

1. Melt butter, vanilla and marshmallows over low heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted. Add Rice Krispies and stir until cooled.

2. Roll mixture into balls for snowman body. Use melted marshmallows to assemble snowmen.

3. Decorate as you wish.



















Notes: I babysat Samuel when stayed home sick from school. We made these while we waited for Joseph to come home. Read more...

Yield: 24 - 3 inch round cookies

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups raspberry chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. With a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. First sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Fold in the the chocolate chips.

3. Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.

4. Bake for approximately 8 minutes or until the the cookies are still soft in the center but are firm around the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: I made these cookies with Josephine when she was over for hotpot. The cookies were too sweet with raspberry chocolate chunks. Next time I either need to use semi sweet chocolate or decrease the amount of sugar.

Adapted from: Joy of Baking Chocolate Cookies
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