Russian WarranTEA Cakes

Yum Yum Yum! My mother's favorite cookies! She tells me they are like the cookies she ate growing up in Ukraine. I've been on a mission to replicate them for my her. I've tried multiple recipes before and somehow they just never worked out. UNTIL NOW! Try these little delicious treasures! They're delicate, buttery, perfectly sweet, with a nice nutty crunch. yummmmmmmm

[Sidebar: these gems are also known as "Snowballs"and "Mexican Wedding Cake"]

What you'll need:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans

How you make it:

Start by toasting the pecans in a 400 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the butter in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Beat this mixture well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Then add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, slowly. When everything comes together, add in the pecans and mix with a wooden spoon.

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Separately wrap the two portions of dough in plastic and chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Now preheat you oven to 350 degrees.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Bake the cookies until light brown on their bottoms and just pale golden on top. This s approximately 16-18 minutes. MAKE SURE NOT TO OVER BAKE THE COOKIES or they will be dry and not tasty :(

Let the cookies slightly cool, and then gently toss the lukewarm cookies in powdered sugar. Make sure to coat the cookies completely.

Then set the cookies aside and let them cookie completely. Once completely cooled, roll them in powdered sugar again.

YUM YUM YUM!!!!

Valentine's Day Sweets Overload: Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, Dipped Pretzels, Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies, M&M Brown Sugar Brownies

It's Valentine's Day! It's a ridiculous holiday but we all LOVE it anyways! Here are some tasty treats that I'll be passing out all day, so look out for me in the law school and grab a sample!


Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Pink Vanilla Frosting

What you'll need:


Cupcakes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups Cocoa
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup chocolate chips

Frosting
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 5 tbsp flour

How you make it:

Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.

In a mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat in the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Then slowly add in the boiling water. The batter will be very thin. Let the batter cool a little and then add in the chocolate chips. Fill the cupcake tin 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting!

Frosting
In a small saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk and heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. You want it to be very thick. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. IT MUST COMPLETELY COOL BEFORE YOU CONTINUE!!

Once cool, stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it combines completely. It should look like whipped cream cheese.  THEN FROST AWAY!!!



Dipped Pretzels

What you'll need:
- pretzels
- chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips

How you make it:

Melt the chocolate in the microwave. I suggest setting it on HI for 15 seconds, stirring the chips, an then microwaving again until fully melted. Do this for each chocolate color separately. Then dip the pretzels in the chocolate and place on waxed paper to cool. Sprinkle with sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.



M&M Brown Sugar Brownies

What you'll need:

- 2 cups flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1 tsp salt

- 2/3 cups butter

- 2 eggs

- 2 cups packed brown sugar

- 1 cup M&Ms (or chocolate chips)

How you make it:

Start by preheating you over to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and then mix it with the brown sugar. Let it cool slightly and then add in the egg and vanilla. Mix well. Then add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. When this is all integrated, slowly add in the flour. Make sure the batter is fully mixed and then spread the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle the M&M over the top of it and back for 20-25 mins. The batter will set and turn golden. Let it cook completely before cutting. Enjoy!

Red Velvet and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

What you'll need:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red food coloring
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips


How you make it:

Start by preheating you oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar. Then add in the egg and beat well. Next, beat in the vanilla and food coloring. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix everything together well and then add in the white chocolate chips. Scoop the dough onto a lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Then enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Campaign--VOTE SCOTT HARDY!

Sugar cookies are absolutely delicious and these are extra special in honor of SBA Elections and Valentine's Day!!! Make sure to find Scott Hardy in the law school lounge on Monday and sample one of these sweet treats!

Scott is running for 2L SBA Rep. Check out his platform at: SCOTT HARDY WANTS YOUR VOTE!!!

What you'll need:
- 2.5 cups flour
-1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- few drops of red food coloring
- 1 cup chocolate chips

How you make it:

Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy. Then beat in the vanilla and food coloring. Next, slowly add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully incorporated. Shape into a dish and refrigerate, wrapped, for at least 1 hour.

After the dough has chilled, roll out the dough on a flat, floured surface. Use cookie cutters to make your desired design! Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

After the cookies have cooled completely, melt the chocolate (I microwaved it). Then dip the cookies into the chocolate and place them on waxed paper to harden. Then EAT & VOTE!!!

This is Scott, he wants to represent you! 

HELP HIM, HELP YOU!!!!

You Decide: Creme de judgMenthe Brownies

So the rule is...if you come up with a solid legal pun, then I will make it! Fair??


This pun is courtesy of a lunch time discussion with Miriam, Erin, Carolyn, Erica, and MC. Find me at the law school today and you can sample one of these bad boys!

I will break it down into steps. 

What you will need for the Brownies:

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1 package of chocolate chips

- 1 1/4 cups sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 1/4 cups flour

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 eggs

How you make it: 

First, heat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13in baking pan (make sure it is deep). Melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat, making sure to stir constantly. Remove from heat and add in the sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Then, in a mixer combine the chocolate mixture with the flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread this into the pana nd bake until the center is set -- approx. 25mins. 

What you'll need for the Menthe Creme layer:

- 4 cups of powdered sugar

- 1 cup of butter, softened

- 3 tbsp of creme de menthe (add more depending on your liking)

How you make it: 

Beat all of the ingredients together until a nice frosting texture forms. Then spread over your cooled brownies (make sure they are cooled or else the frosting will melt!!). Then place the whole thing in the fridge. 

What you'll need for the Chocolate Topping:

- 1/2 cup of butter

- 1.5 cups of chocolate chips

How you make it:

Simple! Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat, again making sure to stir constantly. Remove it from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled, spread it over the menthe layer and place back in the fridge. 

Make sure to keep the brownies in the fridge and remove 30 mins prior to serving. This will save you a huge mess!

Enjoy :)

Third Party Biscotti

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I love being home and I love the holiday season. Why? Beyond the obvious reasons (my dogs and all the other good stuff) it's because of the food and family, and making food with family!

I showed my grandparents my blog and my grandma instantly pulled out the holy grail that is her Russian cookbook. We spent the day baking, just like when I was younger. Oh man, I miss those days.

We decided to make one of my favorites, and one of my grandmother's originals-- Walnut and Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti. You should try it too--but beware, those Starbucks biscotti will never taste as good after you have one of these.

What you'll need:
- 1/2 lb of chopped walnuts
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vinegar
- flour (as much as it takes)

How you make it:

EASY! The chop of the nuts can be however you like it. My grandma and I like it to be a medium chop, so you get some nice chunks of nuts in each piece of biscotti.

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the nuts into a large bowl, pour the oil and eggs on top, then the sugar, the cinnamon, the baking soda, and lastly, the vinegar. Make sure to pour the vinegar directly onto the baking soda. Add a cup of flour and mix everything together. Continue to mix the ingredients and add more flour until the texture is tough but still wet. You want to be able to shape the dough and it more or less keep its shape, while it is still very sticky. Does that make sense? I should have taken a picture, but I think you will manage.

Separate the dough into thirds, shaping each into an oval loaf and placing them on a lined baking sheet. Keep some space between the loafs as they will spread out a little. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with some extra sugar (makes a delicious crunch!). Pop them in the oven and bake for 45mins.

When the loaves are done baking, let them cool completely before slicing. These biscotti are more crumbly and soft than typical biscotti. If you want them to be a little more dry, after the loaves have cooled and you have sliced them, place the slices flat on the baking sheet and bake again at 300 degrees for another 15mins.

Enjoy!

This is bailey! How adorable is he?!

Statutory Crepe

One of the greatest parts of coming home is the food. LOTS and LOTS of absolutely delicious food (plus, a dishwasher that makes enjoying all the amazing food even easier). Every once in a while I get to wake up and smell the sweet scent of vanilla wafting through the house. It means one thing-- my momma is making fresh crepes for breakfast. SO DELICIOUS! Ahhh my goodness, it is nice to be home :)

What you'll need:
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- splash of Grand Marnier (optional)
- a little bit of lemon zest (also optional)

How you make it:
Simple! Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. The batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.

I suggest using a non-stick pan to make this recipe a little healthier, but if you don't have one available make sure to lightly grease the pan with either some oil, Pam cooking spray or butter.

Pour a ladle of the mixture into the center of the pan and spread it around, making a thin layer across the bottom of the pan. When it begins to brown, flip it! And repeat.

You can fill the crepes with anything you like! My favorite filling combination is Nutella and fresh fruit (pictured). You can also do peanut butter, trail mix, and bananas. YUMM

If you want to fill the crepes with savory fillings, just omit the Grand Marnier and vanilla extract from the recipe and you're good to go!

Baked Apple Chips

Growing up I always accompanied my mom on trips to the market (yes, I call the grocery store the "market," don't make fun of me). I developed the habit of shopping for food to feed six people, and when I moved away for college, I couldn't seem shake the natural tendency. Plus, I eat insane amounts of fruits and vegetables on my own. Sometimes though, I simply can't make it through all 4lbs of apples in time, and the last 3 or 4 start to spoil. What to do?! My family never let food waste, so I needed to find a solution...

What's a better way to rescue a few apples from demise than to make them into delicious apple chips that store for weeks?!

What you'll need:
- apples
- cinnamon


How you make it:

First, start by removing the apple cores. You can use a special tool that does that, or you can do what I did and use the sharp point of your vegetable peeler. (I'm sure a thin knife would do the trick too)

Next, cut the apples crossways into thin slices, making sure to keep the thickness of the slices consistent.

Now, line a cookie sheet with either foil or parchment paper (I used foil and they stuck a little, so use parchment paper if you have it)

Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 275 degrees for an hour. Flip the chips, and then bake for a second hour.

I couldn't resist and starting to snack on them immediately, but if you let them cool they will get crispier.

So easy, completely healthy, and really really delicious!

Cranberry Almond Bars!

Cranberries and cranberry flavored treats are some of my favorite things about this part of the year! They're just awesome little things! Sweet, yet tart. Vibrant, yet so chic. (plus, red is my favorite color)

These bars are just plain yummy! The crust is delicate, the cranberries are tart, the almonds add crunch, and the glaze is sticky sweet. Try it out, and let me know what you think!

What you'll need:

- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (you'll also need 2 tbsp butter for the glaze)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I assumed light brown sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 cups toasted slivered almonds (you can substitute any nut you like)
- 1/2 lemon

How you make it:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then, while on low speed, add in the flour and salt. Let this mix until a soft dough forms it will be very sticky).

Next, spread the dough across the baking pan, doing your best to make it even. Make sure to press the dough up the sides of the pan, otherwise when you add your toppings later, they will stick. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden. Take the crust out of the oven when done and let it cool.

While it cools, reduce the oven to 325 degrees and get a medium saucepan! Combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla and cook this over medium heat until mixture has melted and becomes syrupy. Make sure that you continually stir the mixture until bubbles form around the edges. DO NOT LET IT BOIL!

Now, remove the glaze from heat and let cool. Make sure to stir it every once in a while. Once the mixture has cooled substantially, whisk in your beaten eggs. Make sure that your mixture has properly cooled, otherwise you'll have scrambled eggs!

By this point, your crust should be cooled. In a bowl mix together the cranberry sauce and the juice of half a lemon. Then, evenly spread the cranberry mixture over the top of the crust. Next, scatter the almonds all over and pour the glaze over everything. Make sure to evenly coat everything. Pop it back in the over to back for 35-40 minutes. When the looks firm in the middle, you're done!

Make sure to let these babies cool completely before cutting, or they just turn into a huge mess! So delishhhh

Gimme S'MORE Pleaseeeeee!!!

These. Are. SO GOOD!! They take a little more work than I'm used to, but they are definitely worth it. Try it out, you won't regret it!

NOTE: This makes a fairly large amount of bars, so feel free to cut the recipe in half, but make sure to use a smaller baking dish if you do! I would recommend an 8x8.

What you'll need:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- two 12oz bag of chocolate chips (You can use any type of chocolate, but I suggest dark because otherwise the bars are VERY sweet)
- two 7oz jars marshmallow fluff (not melted marshmallows)


How you make it:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil.

In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a different bowl, mix together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Then add it to the butter mixture at a low speed until combined.

Divide the dough in half. The dough will be sticky and soft.

Press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the foil lined pan. Then spread both jars of marshmallow fluff over the graham cracker layer.

NOW THE TRICKY PART!

Carefully remove the entire thing (using the foil to pull it out of the pan).

Reline the pan with foil. Spread the remaining graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan. Next, cover this graham cracker layer with both bags of chocolate chips.

Now flip the fluff/graham cracker portion onto the chocolate/graham cracker portion, fluff side down, so that fluff and chocolate meet. Peel the foil off the top and spread the dough where it is uneven.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.

***Make sure to cool completely before cutting into bars, otherwise they are a marshmallowy mess!!!****