Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

It is a tradition in my household to have Blueberry Scones on Christmas morning after we open all of our Christmas presents. These scones are delicious because they are light, moist, and flaky. The combination of blueberries and lemon glaze is delicious!
To begin preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then sift together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl. Then cut 5 tablespoons of cold unsalted butted into chunks and then use a pastry blender or 2 forks, to cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. In the end the mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Once that is done make a hole in the center of the mixture and pour 1 cup of heavy cream into the hole. Fold everything together just until it all comes together, make sure to not over mix the dough. Then gently fold in 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Make sure that you don't mash the blueberries because their color with turn all of the dough blue.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and work it until it becomes a rectangle of 12x3x1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle into 1/2 then cut the pieces again, giving you 4(3 inch) squares. Cut squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give a class triangle shape. Place scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a heavy cream. Bake scones for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool a little before applying the glaze.
For the lemon glaze mix together 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 cups of sifted confectioners' sugar in a microwave safe bowl, until the sugar has dissolved. Then add the zest of one lemon and 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to the glaze, and but the mixture into the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Whisk to smooth out any lumps, and then drizzle on top of scones. They are best when served fresh.

Almond-Coated Sugar Cookies

Almond-Coated Sugar Cookies

During Christmas time this is the most popular cookie in my household. It is my brother absolute favorite cookie, and he insists that I make them for him every year.
First begin by sifting 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl. In an electric mixer beat together 2/3 cups softened butter, 1/4 granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of Vanilla Sugar(mix 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 2 vanilla pods together and set aside for 7-10 days to let vanilla pods infuse into the sugar) at high speed until creamy. Then add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 large egg yolks, and mix until just blended. Turn the electric mixer to low speed and slowly add the dry ingredients to make a soft dough(sifted flour and salt mixture). Once the dough begins to form, turn the dough out onto a slightly floured surface and knead it until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
After the dough has refrigerated, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then form dough into 35-40 balls the size of walnuts. Press down in the center of each cookie with a teaspoon to create a dimple. Then in a separate shallow bowl mix together 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar and three tablespoons of finely chopped almonds. In another small separate bowl beat together 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of milk, and brush the mixture onto each cookie. Then immediately after that roll the cookie into the brown sugar/almond mixture. Place cookies on cookie tray 2 inches apart from each other. Lastly fill the dimple of each cookie with orange marmalade or strawberry jam. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes in the oven until golden brown.
For the frosting combine 1/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Spoon frosting over cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
These cookie are always a hit, but they are a demanding cookie to make. Make sure to make the vanilla sugar about a week ahead of the time you are going to make these cookies. Also you might needs to double the frosting recipe to cover all of the cookies.

Trilevel Brownies

Trilevel Brownies

I feel like the holidays is incomplete without brownies, so here is one of my favorite chocolate dessert's. This brownie is different from ordinary brownies, because it is composed of three layers -a chewy oatmeal cookie crust, a fudgy layer, and a creamy frosting.
To begin this recipe you have to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. To assemble the bottom layer of the brownie(oatmeal cookie crust) you have stir together 1 cup of quick-cooking rolled oats, 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, in a small bowl. After all of the dry ingredients are combined stir in 1/2 cup of melted butter. Then take the mixture and pour it into an ungreased 11x7x1 1/2-inch baking pan. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan, and then bake for 10 minutes.
While the bottom layer is cooking, you can begin to work on the middle layer(fudge). Begin my stirring together 1 lightly beaten egg, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 ounce melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. Mix all of these ingredients until the mixture is smooth, and then lightly fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Then spread fudge batter evenly over baked layer crust in pan and bake for 25 minutes. Once the pan is out of the oven let it cool on a rack while preparing the top layer.
For the frosting top layer, heat and stir 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Then stir in 1 1/2 sifted powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Lastly stir in about 1-2 tablespoons of hot water into the mixture to make it more spreadable. Spread frosting over brownie layers, and let cool completely. Cut into bars(32 brownies), and garnish with walnut halves.
The trick to this recipe is not to over bake them, they are best when they are soft and gushy. These brownies are also really good to make when you need to make a dessert ahead of time. They store well and always taste delicious!!!

Carrot and Pineapple Cake Recipe

Carrot & Pineapple Cake

This recipe is one of my families favorite deserts'. It is always requested during the holidays season, and it always a big hit at any get together. This recipe is very simple and only takes about an hour to bake.
To begin you have to first make sure that your oven racks is set in the middle of the oven, to ensure the most efficient baking. Then set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you do that, butter two (8 inch in diameter) round cake pans. An easy alternative to this would be to use Pam spray to butter cake pans. Then line each buttered pan with parchment paper, and then butter once more. After that flour each of the parchment/buttered pans with flour, and then set pans aside.
Once you have prepped the pans, its time to make the cake. To begin get out an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Then beat together 2 cups of granulated sugar, 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil, and 3 large eggs(at room temperature) until the mixture appears light yellow. Then add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the mixture, and then set aside. In a separate bowl sift together 2 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
Once the dry ingredients are sifted and mixed together, slowly mix it into the wet ingredients. In a separate small bowl toss 1 cup of raisins and 1 cup of chopped walnuts with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, then add to the cake mixture. The last step is to add 1 pound of grated carrots and 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple to the batter and mix well.
Lastly divide the batter equally among the 2 cake pans. Then bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake. Once the cakes are out of the oven allow them to cool completely in the pans and then set over a wire rack.
The next step for this cake is to create the frosting. Begin by mixing 3/4 pound cream cheese(at room temperature), 1/2 pound unsalted butter(at room temperature), and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Combine ingredients until just combined, make sure not to mix ingredients too much. Then add 1 pound of sifted confectioners' sugar to the mixture until frosting is smooth.
To assemble the cake place 1 layer, flat-side up, on cake dish(serving plate) and then spread frosting on the first layer. Then place the second layer of the cake on top, rounded side up, and spread the rest of the frosting evenly over the entire cake. For a decorative touch, you can use diced pineapples as garnishes for your cake.
This carrot cake is different from normal carrot cakes, because the pineapple make a big difference. This ingredient makes the cake more moist and sweet. Although it's very good I think next time I will experiment more by adding some nutmeg and ground cloves to the cake mixture.