Dessert | 2/16 | The Foodies' Kitchen

Candy Corn Cookies

I made these Candy Corn Cookies last year, and they were everyone’s favorite. Especially for my sister in law, so … Vanessa, get ready for some.
I warn you, you do need some time to make these. Plan ahead of time so you can make the dough one day, and then do the baking on a different day. I always do this when I make special holiday cookies, otherwise… I just feel like it’s so much work!
I usually set up one afternoon to make the cookie doughs I want, then when I am ready to bake I just pull them out of the freezer. Depending on the type of cookie and how much decorating goes into it, I’ll separate the process into three days. One day to make the dough or doughs, another day to bake (this usually means from 50 to even over 100 cookies, depending on the recipe), and another day to decorate. This recipe was no exception.

You do need a loaf pan to make this, so you can stack the three different layers (you’ll see in the photographs). Then you just slice and bake. But the work is worth it! They look pretty and they are delicious. Since by just baking the cookie dough you get two layers of “white” dough with the orange in the middle, you need yellow Candy Melts to dip the bottom part of the cookie to get the traditional yellow, orange and white coloring.

Happy baking!

Candy Corn Cookies

Recipe from Sweet Sugarbelle
Yields: I forgot to count them! but you get A LOT.

Ingredients

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Yellow Candy Melts, for dipping

Procedure:

Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla, almond extract, and orange juice. Whip until light and fluffy.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add slowly to the wet ingredients until well incorported.
When the dough is formed, remove it from the bowl, and divide it into thirds. Tint one third of the dough orange and leave the other two-thirds uncolored.
Afterward, line a 9×5 loaf pan with plastic wrap. Press one third of the white dough into a flat layer on the bottom. Next, add the orange dough on top creating the second layer. Finally, use the last of the uncolored dough to make layer three. Cover the top with the overhanging plastic wrap, and chill, preferably overnight. Slice into “candy corns” and bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes.
Dip the bottom of each cookie into melted yellow Candy Melts

Note: In Guatemala you can find Candy Melts at Wilton’s store (Pasteles Artisticos, Zona 10), or purchase yellow chips from Blossom, Zona 10.

12:07 PM
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- candy corn, candy melts, cookies, Dessert, halloween, Kids
0

Classic Brownies

Well, it seems to be working… all those afternoons in the kitchen with Kristen baking cookies, cupcakes, cakes, pancakes, etc. apparently have made an impact on her. She is starting to ask for cooking sessions out of her own motivation. A few weeks ago, she organized her first family gathering inviting her aunt, uncles and grandparents over for coffee and cupcakes. I let her prepare the (cake mix) cupcakes all by herself (under my supervision for chaos control). She was so proud of herself!… and so were we.

On one of her requested baking sessions, we wanted to make brownies. I reached for the brownie mix in my pantry, only to find that it had expired. Brownies from scratch it is, then. I searched for a few recipes and decided to go with the one from Smitten Kitchen, I didn’t want any surprises and Deb’s recipes haven’t let me down. What I liked the most about this recipe, aside from being a good classic brownie recipe, is the tip for using aluminum foil to cover the pan before you add the batter! I will do this every time from now on, it made getting neat squares easy.

Be sure to test for doneness before removing the brownies from the oven. If underbaked (the toothpick has batter clinging to it) the texture of the brownies will be dense and gummy. If overbaked (the toothpick comes out completely clean), the brownies will be dry and cakey.

Classic Brownies

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces) pecans or walnuts, chopped medium (optional)
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into six 1-inch pieces
2 1/4 cups (15 3/4 ounces) sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Procedure:

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhand pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
If using nuts, spread nuts evenly on rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar.
Add eggs on at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.
Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve.

09:39 AM
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- Bake, Brownies, Chocolate, Classic, Dessert
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Strawberry Peach Pie with Honey and Sage

You guys need to try this recipe. So far, this is my favorite pie recipe… I think it’s the peaches. I’m not particularly crazy about peaches, because I find they lack flavor, at least most of the ones you find at the supermarket have that disappointing quality. They look great, nice yellow/red skins and when you bite down… not a whole lot of flavor.

But baked peaches mixed with sugar are a completely different thing. What got my attention about this recipe was the honey and sage twist, too. After you mix the strawberries and peaches you add the sage and drizzle honey on top before baking the pie. These two elements elevate this dessert to a whole new level. I’ve made this pie twice already, the first time I didn’t have any fresh sage around, so I used powdered sage, (which I had recently purchased just because it wanted to go home with me). The second time around, I used fresh sage that my hubby got for me so I could try it in this recipe. I can honestly say, you can use either one. The only thing I changed about this recipe is that I added 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the mix, to make it less runny. Also, on the procedure: place a cookie sheet under the pie pan (not directly under, but on the lower racks) to catch dripping fruit and sugar juices. I made a mess out of my oven the first time.

This pie can be served at room temperature, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. You’ll love it.

Strawberry Peach Pie with Honey and Sage

Serves 8
Seafield Farm

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
4 peaches, sliced
2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
2/3 sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 batch of pastry (see Pie Dough recipe)
1 egg
1 tbsp water
Maple syrup for drizzling
Whipped Cream

Procedure:

Preheat oven 400°
Place peaches, strawberries, sugar, honey, flour, cornstarch and sage in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Roll out half of the chilled pastry and line a nine-inch pie plate with it.
Pour filling into the center.
Roll out second half of the pastry and cut into strips a quarter of an inch wide.
Weave strips of pastry on top of the filling to make a lattice top, or any other design you want to try.
Trim and crimp edges.
In a small bowl whisk water and egg together.
Brush pastry with egg wash using a pastry brush.
Fit tin foil over the edge of the crust and bake for forty minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an addition fifteen minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
Allow to cool and slice. Serve drizzled with maple syrup.