Heath Peanut Butter Cookies

My husband's favorite topping on ice cream is a mixture of chocolate brownie and the heath candy bar. I was grocery shopping one day, when I spotted a bag of heath bar bits. Basically, a heath bar...already smashed into tiny bits. I bought it without a second thought. My husband is sure to like anything I make with these.

Then...a couple days later. The heath peanut butter cookie came into our lives. My husband loves it!

The toffee bits in the cookie give the cookie a yummy sweet crunch. It's a soft cookie, something he also loves.

The only annoying thing about the cookies, is topping it with heath bits before baking it. I find that the bits melted between my fingers. A messy job, but totally worth it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup of your favorite peanut butter

1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 Tbs milk

1 Tbs vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tps baking soda

3/4 tps salt

1 1/3 cup (8 oz) heath bar bits, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Beat shortening with peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla until blended.

3. Add egg, beat until blended.

4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat until blended.

5. Stir in 1 cup of the heath toffee bits.

6. Drop teaspoon full onto a baking sheet. Top with some more heath bits.

7. Bake 8 minutes. Do not over bake.

8. Cool on a rack. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Canape Bread Mold

So I bought a new toy for myself to play with in the kitchen last week. Behold, a canape bread mold.

Canape basically means decorative, one-bite food, or hors d'oeuvres. I like to make these finger foods for gatherings when friends come over. Instead of buying these small breads at the grocery store, I figured I would make them myself. It was extremely easy, and fun as well.

I started off by making the original canape bread recipe provided with the kit. I divided the dough up by 3, and flavored two of them to my liking.

I made a dry pepper salami & cheese bread, a cinnamon sweet bread, and plain canape bread. The salami & cheese one was the best!

Salami & Cheese, Cinnamon, Plain

The mold came in three shapes, a heart, start, and flower. Which will be great for holiday theme!

So here is the plain canape bread recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup warm milk

1/4 Cup melted butter

1 1/4 tps salt

3 to 4 Cup of all-purpose flour

2 Tbs of warm water (115F)

1 package of active dry yeast

1 tps sugar

Directions:

1. Stir together water, sugar and yeast in stand mixer bowl. Let foam for 10 minutes.

2.  Warm milk with butter, add salt. Add to the yeast.

3. Knead on medium for 7 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the side of bowl. I used 3 1/2 cups of flour.

4. Put in an oiled bowl, let rise for 1 hr.

5. Punch down, divide into three pieces.

6. Flavor them or leave plain. I added 1 tps of cinnamon and 1 Tbs sugar to one piece, and 1/3 cup chopped salami and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese to the other.

7. Shape into logs and place into greased canape bread mold.

8. Let rise for 45 mins.

9. Preheat oven to 375 F.

9. Put caps on, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

10. ENJOY!

Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies

I was feeling creative this past week, and wanted to play with royal icing. I wanted to practice my piping skills. I made these.

Aren't they cute? They took a long time to make, since I am so bad at piping. I packaged the finished cookies up and sent them to my mother-in-law today.

This is the sugar cookie recipe I used:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/

This is the royal icing:

6 oz (3/4 cup) of warm water
5 Tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2.25 lb powdered icing sugar

 Directions:

In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened…about 30 seconds.

Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.

Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.

Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.

Tint with food colors or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

I hope you guys find the time and creativity to make them too!