Family Birthdays!

My Husbands birthday was last month, and my Dad's birthday was this month. In the spirit of how lazy my family is, we lump them in together. Of course, they both wanted different flavors of cake. Thus, I give you the Peanut Butter Cup Cupcake.

peanut butter on the bottom layer, 

and chocolate on the top

all topped with 

salty peanut butter buttercream

do i need to say how tasty these were?

New Years Cookies

Husband and I got all dolled up to go out to a new years get together last evening. He volunteered to have me bring some cookies. So we started thinking on what type of cookies to make and you really go wrong with rolled sugar cookies. But, what shape to cut them in...

I received these fab Star Wars cookie cutters for Christmas from my nephew. 

Nothing says Happy New Year like the half exploded The Death Star! 

orange rolled sugar cookie

• 3/4 c butter @ room temp
• 1 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp orange emulsion
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• zest of one orange
• 2.5 c unbleached flour (we highly recommend King Aurthur Flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder

In a stand mixer (or a med sized bowl with a hand mixer) cream together the butter, sugar and salt until smooth. With the mixer on low, drop the eggs in one at a time, add emulsion and vanilla and continue until all ingredients are mixed in, stopping ever so often to scrape down the sides of your bowl. In another bowl, sift together flour and baking powder and add orange zest to the dry mixture. Next, in about 3 batches with the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients (note, if you are using a stand mixer, you may have to stop the mixer when adding flour). Mix until combined, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl. When mixed, invert bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball, and cover in plastic wrap, refrigerate about an hour or over night. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break off hand fulls of the dough to roll out while keeping the rest in the fridge. Roll dough onto a surface lightly covered in powdered sugar. Cut into desired shapes, and bake on an ungreased baking sheet for about 5-6 minutes. Let cool completely before decorating. 

Royal Icing

• 1 lb of powdered sugar
• 2 TBS of Meringue Powder
• 4-6 TBS warm water (or juice to kick up the flavor

depending on the weather conditions where you are, you may need less or more water. 

I hope you all have a wonderful 2011!!