Creamsicle Cookies (a.k.a Orangebursts)

Tastes like summer.


I am back. Sorry for the delay in posts, as you know I have been extremely busy. I am happy to report that my one client has filed with the SEC and we met all our deadlines. In other news I am leaving for Atlanta tomorrow to spend three weeks there to work on another client's year-end.

Before I leave, I want to share these cookies with you. I am ready for spring and I bet most of you are as well. It seems like it is right around the corner and these cookies are perfect to celebrate its arrival. In my opinion these cookies taste very similar to creamsicles. I used to LOVE creamsicles when I was small. For the first six years of my life I lived in California outside of Los Angeles. One of my fond memories from California was hearing the chime of ice cream man. Of course my brother, sister, and I would go running the minute we heard that sweet song. As a creature of habit, I would always pick the strawberry shortcake or the creamsicle. This cookies brings back all the memories of the creamsicle I would eat on the curb with my brother and sister. The sweet vanilla and tangy orange are the perfect combination. I suppose now it is time for me to make a strawberry shortcake cookie.

Creamsicle Cookies (a.k.a Orangebursts)
recipe adapted from Guittard

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Lemon Glazed Triple Berry Scones

Don't hate me.


I have been working non-stop the past few weeks. Not even "Snowmagedon" stopped me from working. I am not going to get into too may details, but work put me and my team up in a hotel a block from the client to make sure we would be able to make it to work during the blizzard. With all the work and staying in a hotel for three days I have not had much time to bake. Last night I wanted to get back into the kitchen, but I knew I wanted to make something fast and easy. In comes these scones. They came together in minutes and only had to bake 10 minutes. I brought them in to work today and they were devoured. One of my co-workers said to me today "I hate you for making these." as he ate his third scone. Enjoy!

Lemon Glazed Triple Berry Scones
recipe from Baked Perfection
Scones:
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mixed dried berries (I used a mix of blueberries, cherries, and raspberries)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, and dried berries. Pour in heavy cream. Mix or knead by hand, just until combined. Mixture will be sticky. Flour surface. Divide dough into two sections and pat into two rounds, each approximately four inches. Using a pizza cutter, cut each round into 8 pieces and place on a greased large cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool five minutes, then glaze.

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Mix together until a thin icing consistency; pour over warm scones.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars (with a touch of chocolate)

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!



I don't know about you, but I never grew out of my love for peanut butter and jelly. Conveniently, Zack never grew out of it either so peanut butter and jelly is often a staple around here. Of course the sandwich now is not the same as when we were kids. Now we use all natural peanut butter and organic fruit spreads on double fiber bread. When I was a kid it was JIF creamy peanut butter (which is the peanut butter I bake with still) and Smucker's Grape Jam on white bread. Every now and then for an extra special sandwich when I was little my mom would sprinkle a few chocolate chips in between the layers. If you have not tried this you definitely should because it really takes peanut butter and jelly to the next level, and that is what I tried to do with these bars. Martha's recipe would have been great on its own, but I wanted to recreate that childhood favorite of mine. I used JIF creamy peanutbutter, Smucker's Grape Jam, and instead of sprinkling the top with peanuts, I used mini-chocolate chips. If you are a peanut butter and jelly lover than you will love these.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
adapted from Martha Stewart Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grape jam, or other flavor
1 1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.

Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula. Using offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; cut into about thirty-six 1 1/2-by-2-inch pieces.