Strawberry Popsicles

This has quickly become a family favorite. Isabella loves helping me make them (although she doesn't understand why we can't eat them right away). As for the rest of the family, we have no trouble eating them up! I love it because it is a sweet treat without any added sugar or bad stuff!

Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 6 hours

Ingredients:
2-3 cups fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cup organic vanilla yogurt

Chop and blend/puree strawberries. Pour into a mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla yogurt until well blended. Pour into Popsicle molds. Should make at least 6 Popsicles. Place in freezer for about 6 hours or until frozen.

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

During the Fall I love to get the pumpkin scones from starbucks! I finally found a recipe that tastes like them from recipezaar.com, so now I can have them anytime a want. . . that is not good! :)

Prep. time: 15 min

Total: 30 min

Yeild: 6 scones (or you can cut them smaller to make more)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Du
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (you can freeze the rest in snack bags for another time)
3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk
1 large egg

Glaze:

1 cup Powdered sugar

vanilla

milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.

Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14–16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

Glaze

Mix together powdered sugar, a dash of vanilla and a dash of milk until you get your desired consistency. Brush on scones.

Coffee Cordials

MAKES 3 DOZEN
Prep Time: 25 min

Bake Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (or instant coffee)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon plus 1 pinch salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons milk or coffeemate
36 chocolate-covered espresso beans (can get these at Target or Fresh Market)

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons espresso powder at high speed until fluffy.

Beat in the egg, baking powder, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt at medium speed. Beat in the flour and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar at low speed.

2. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a glass with a flat bottom, flatten the balls 1/3 inch thick.

Bake, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, until just soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, stir together the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 pinch salt and the milk.

Using a pastry brush, coat the hot cookies with the glaze; press a chocolate espresso bean in the center of each cookie, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Sugar Cookies

Anything chocolate is usually my favorite, but sometimes I'm in the mood for a good basic cookie. This is a great recipe! These are a few I made for Valentine's Day.

Cook time: 8 minutes

Yield: About 3 dozen

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer (or hand mixer) and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Icing Suggestions:

Melt some white chocolate or you can mix powdered sugar with a very small amount of milk until you get your desired consistency. You can use food coloring and sprinkles to mix things up!

Cherry, Almond and Cinnamon Granola

This is a healthy granola recipe and it tastes great!!!

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped (or you can leave them whole if you want)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup good honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids.

Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally (about every 7 minutes) with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Store the granola in an airtight container.