Winners and Cookies!

So lets get right to the giveaway! I had so many wonderful comments and so many great fall baking and cookies ideas, thanks everyone!  It made me hungry just reading them.  So using Random.org, I got to random numbers:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

53

72

Timestamp: 2008-10-28 21:04:35 UTC

So, that means the first winner of the lovely French Linen Apron goes to Dawn of Vanilla Sugar!  Yay! You have 1 week to email me your address so I can mail this beauty out!  

And the second winner, of The Gathering Of Friends Cookbook goes to Aubrie of We Eat, What Else Is There?.  Same goes for you, you have 1 week to email me your address so I can get that cookbook out to you!  

Thanks so much everyone for participating and hopefully we’ll have another great giveaway soon!  So, are you in the mood for a really awesome cookie recipe? Great.  These cookies are probably one of my favorites so far.  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies.  Yes, they sound so simple, but these cookies are extraordinary.  They are delicious.  My husband had been requesting them for months, and I finally got around to making them and now I want to make them every week.  That’s how good they are.  I added the cute Halloween m&m’s just for some pizazz, and my kids love the cute colors.  Hope you all have a great week and I’ll be back tomorrow for Daring Bakers, so be sure to check back!  Happy Tuesday!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups oatmeal

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup m&m’s

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time until mixed through. Add vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients until well combined.

3. Stir in oatmeal, chocolate chips and m&m’s.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Do not overbake.

Baked on October 28, 2008 | Recipe Card: cookies, giveaway | 8 Bites 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins and a Giveaway!!!



*Also seen on Cafe Zupas Blog

Happy Thursday everyone!  And a happy 100th post to me!  I can’t believe it myself, but I am officially not a newbie foodie anymore.  I’ve made it past the hump and now I’m an experienced blogger(chuckle).  I don’t know how experienced I feel quite yet, but maybe eventually it will come to that.  I’m still feeling a little out of sorts here lately but I hope to be getting back into the swing of things soon.  In honor of my 100th post I am doing a giveaway!  Yay!  The only thing you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite fall food is.  Anything you can think of will do.  I would love some good ideas!  You have until Tuesday, October 28th at 12:00 noon.  I will announce the winners shortly after that.  Would you like to know what the giveaways are? Here it goes…

My beautiful mother has kindly donated one of her gorgeous hand made French Linen Aprons.  Make sure you check out her site, My French Table.  She sells handmade French Tablecloths and Linens.  They are gorgeous and affordable.  So to one lucky winner, this apron will be all yours!

And for the last item, I received this wonderful cookbook in the mail, The Gathering of Friends.  It is a great cookbook with some great ideas for entertaining and beautiful recipes.  So, make sure you post your comment on this post before Tuesday so that you can have a chance at winning one of two fabulous prizes!!

Now onto the recipe!! These muffins are so delicious and moist and tasty that you can’t eat just one.  They are filled with fall spices and topped with a brown sugar cinnamon crumble and drizzled with a cinnamon cream cheese glaze.  You just can’t beat that combination my friends.  And I can only tell you that the aroma of your home while these are baking should be bottled up and made into a candle because it is delightful. I hope you enjoy them and have a great weekend!  Don’t forget to enter the giveaway and tell all your friends to enter too!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins 
recipe by Steph
makes 12 muffins

For the muffins:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup pureed pumpkin
For the Crumble:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons melted butter
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 ounces softened cream cheese
dash of ground cinnamon
dash of milk, if needed
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray regular muffin in with non stick spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, mix the butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk and cream. Add pumpkin puree. Do not overmix.
4. Divide batter evenly between the muffin tins, filling to the very top and a little over.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the crumble. Crumble on top of each muffin batter. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the glaze. Drizzle over the tops of the muffins.

Baked on October 23, 2008 | Recipe Card: Muffins, giveaway | 121 Bites 

Last Day of Cookie Week, Lemon Shortbread Cookie Cups, and Giveaway Winners!


Here it is, the last day of Cookie Week.  I know, I know, grab a tissue, so sad!  I’ve really enjoyed baking all of these wonderful goodies, and now I won’t have to have anymore for a very long time. (Who am I kidding?) No, it’s not the end of my baking, but I sure am taking a break for a while.  I just bought a new baby though, and it just might take up much of my time for a while.  My beautiful little Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker!  I just need some yummy ice cream recipes now!  I haven’t had much luck so far, but I’m not giving up.  I will somehow conquer the Ice Cream Dream Machine!  

So…I know the suspense has been dreadful to find out the winner of the wonderful cookbooks! I’ve been so excited for the giveaway, and I won’t leave you in suspense any longer!  Drum roll please…..
The winner of Cookies Galore is……Elisebeth!  Please email me your address so I can get this out to you pronto!

The winner of Martha Stewart’s Cookies is….Stupendous Treats!  Please email me your address so I can get this mailed ASAP!  
Congrats to you both, and I truly hope that you enjoy your new cookbooks!  
Now onto the last cookie recipe of the week!  I have definitely saved the best for last.  I am very proud of this recipe, because I thought it up in my own brain and created it from scratch!  And I was very surprised that it turned out even better than I imagined it to.  I LOVE lemon bars. Really, anything lemon is on my good side, but lemon bars..ooh…the mix between the butter shortbread and the tart gooey lemon filling and don’t forget that layer of powdered sugar. Yum! So, I really wanted to make it into some sort of cookie, instead of a bar.  This is what I came up with.  Modeled after the Twisted Peanut Butter Cups that I made a while back, I made a shortbread crust and molded it into mini muffin tins.  I baked those off and than filled them with delicious lemon filling.  I did end up adjusting the recipe a bit so that when you make them, you have enough filling to fill the middles more than I did.  They should be filled to the top of the cup.  My husband even got wide eyed when he tasted them, AND went in for seconds..and thirds!  Let me tell you, that is not like my husband.  He told me that they reminded him of mini lemon meringue pies.  So, I was worried that you guys wouldn’t really consider these a “cookie”.  But they felt like a cookie to me.  So they went on the list.  And they definitely won as my favorite.  I hope you try them and fall in love with them.  Make them for a dinner party, and people will be so impressed with you!  
Thanks for all the nice comments this week, and most of all thanks for your entries in the giveaway.  It was so fun reading all of the comments and hearing everyones favorite cookie. I’m pretty sure the all time favorite was the chocolate chip cookie!  Sometimes simple really is best!  I hope everyone has a great 4th of July weekend!  
Mini Lemon Shortbread Cookie Cups
recipe by Stephanie
makes 24 mini cookie cups
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
8 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup whole milk
To Complete:
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting the tops
1. Using a food processor if possible (it will work best, but if you don’t have one, just use a mixer) process the flour and butter until they resemble course crumbs.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  
2. Divide dough into 24 equal balls and place in greased mini muffin tins.  Push down on the bottom and sculpt the dough up the sides to the rim of the cup.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.  
3. Make filling – Cream together the eggs and the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well blended and smooth. Fill each cup with filling until it reaches the rim of the cup. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until set.  Let cool slightly. Remove cups from muffin tins and let cool completely.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Baked on July 4, 2008 | Recipe Card: cookie week, cookies, giveaway, lemon | 21 Bites 

Day 2 of Cookie Week – Lemon Gems


So, here we are on Day 2 of Cookie Week.  And yet another yummy cookie recipe to share!  This time, it’s all about Lemon, another one of my favorite flavors, especially of the summer.  Lemon is so fresh and full of flavor, I love it!  And if you love lemon as much as I do, you will love this special cookie, the Lemon Gem.  I found the recipe in a recent issue of Taste of Home Magazine.  These delightful cookies are small but packed full of lemon goodness.  They literally melt in your mouth.  All the components for a perfect cookie in my opinion.  I hope you enjoy them!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway on Monday’s post.  Just tell me what your favorite cookie of all time is, and you just might win a great cookbook!  
Lemon Gems
adapted from Taste of Home Magazine
makes about 28 cookies
For the Cookie:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup colored nonpareils (or colored sugar)

For the Lemon Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the lemon peel.  Whisk together the flour and cornstarch. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Shape into a 1 3/4 in.-diameter roll, and roll it in the nonpareils.  Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until firm.
3. Unwrap and cut into 1/4 inch slices.  Place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned.  Cool slightly and move cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients and spread over cookies. 

Baked on June 30, 2008 | Recipe Card: cookie week, cookies, giveaway, lemon | 19 Bites 

Cookie Week is here!!! And a Giveaway!!!


Welcome to Cookie Week here in Stephanie’s Kitchen! I have been hard at work in the kitchen all week trying to come up with the BEST cookies for you all!  I am a cookie lover at heart.  I’ve been making cookies for as long as I can remember.  I love to make them and I love to eat them.  I thought it would be so much fun to devote an entire week to the cookie!  And along with that, I wanted to do a cookbook giveaway to show my appreciation of all who support my blog.  I have enjoyed starting this blog and trying to keep up with it for the last 6 months.  I have discovered my passion of baking through it all, and I’ve been having so much fun being in the kitchen!  I have made so many friends along the way. 

So, the first order of business is the giveaway.  I have 2 cookbooks, both of which are devoted to the cookie. First, is Martha Stewart’s Cookies Cookbook (one of my all time favorites).  

The second one is a darling cookbook called Cookies Galore by Jacqueline Bellefontaine.  
Both are great cookie cookbooks with fabulous recipes and ideas! So all you need to do is leave a comment on this post and tell me what your all time favorite cookie is.  That’s it!  The deadline is Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at Midnight.  I will announce the winners Friday morning.  Tell your friends and other foodie friends and I would greatly appreciate it!  My all time favorite cookie is the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie.  Crispy on the outside and ooey gooey in the center, hot and fresh out of the oven.  Total comfort food for me. 
Next order of business, Cookies – Day 1!  I am definitely showing you this one first because it is my new favorite.  Oh. My.  If you like mint and chocolate, you are going to love this one. Total bliss.  I found a recipe in Martha Stewart’s Cookie cookbook called Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies.  The link is to her website where she has posted the recipe.  I decided to change it up a bit and make it my own.  I used her basic cookie recipe, but changed the filling and chocolate coating.  This cookie is total heaven let me tell you! It has the same components as a chocolate covered mint oreo cookie, but when you make it from scratch, it just taste sooo much better!  It really wasn’t all that difficult either.  The dough takes no time at all, and after you chill it for an hour, all you have to do is bake, frost and dip.  It’s worth any time it does take, I promise!  I had a 1 1/2 inch flowered shaped cookie cutter that I used, and it was the perfect size.  A two bite cookie is perfect when it is as rich as these are.  But trust me when I say that you can’t eat just one! Instead of a chocolate ganache, which I thought might be a bit to rich for my taste, I used a basic mint frosting and coated the tops of the cookies with a mixture of semi sweet and white chocolate.  Perfection in a cookie!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Be sure to check back each day for a new recipe and don’t forget to enter the fabulous giveaway!
Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies
cookie dough adapted from here
For the cookies:
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Confectioners’ sugar, for work surface
For the mint frosting:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons mint extract
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (use milk if you prefer)
For the glaze:
4 ounces best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, very finely chopped
2 ounces best-quality white chocolate, very finely chopped
1. In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and mix until well combined.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa.  Add slowly to the butter mixture just until combined.  Divide in half and make a disk.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour.  
2. On a work surface covered lightly with confectioners’ sugar, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 2 inch cookie cutter (I used 1 1/2 inch) cut out dough and place 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely on wire racks.
4. Meanwhile, make the frosting.  In a mixer, beat the confectioners’ sugar, extract and cream until light and fluffy.  Frost one cookie and place another cookie on top.  Repeat with remaining cookies.
5. In the microwave or double broiler, melt the semi-sweet and white chocolate until smooth. Let cool slightly.
6. Dip one side of the cookie sandwich into the melted chocolate and place chocolate side up onto the wire rack.  Repeat with remaining cookies.  Place in refrigerator until chocolate is set. Enjoy!!

Baked on June 29, 2008 | Recipe Card: cookie week, cookies, giveaway | 192 Bites