Short and sweet.

I made shortbread. That's about all there really is to say. The recipe is from, of course, Martha Stewart. As I said, I will be/am been using a lot if her recipes during this season, but I promise that when the holidays are over I will go back to mixing things up.
Anyway, here is the recipe.

Classic Shortbread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
2 sticks butter, softened, plus more for pan
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in upper third. Whisk to combine flour and salt in a bowl.

2. In a seperate bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix just until combined.

3. Butter an 11 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment, leaving a 2 inch overhand on long sides. Butter parchment. Using plastic wrap, press dough onto sheet. Leave plastic on dough, and chill 20 minutes. Score in 32 rectangles (each about 3 by 1 inches); pierce dough all over with a wooden skewer. Chill 30 minutes. Bake until golden brown and firm in center., about 40 minutes. Transfer cookies, on parchment, to a wire rack; let cool slightly. Cut along scored lines into fingers, and let cool completely.





They were so yummy. This is my favorite shortbread recipe I have tried so far. The magazine had some variations on it like walnut fingers, lemon shortbread and brown sugar wedges, all of which I think I will be trying in the near future.
I made these 2 days ago and they are already gone (not all me, my family contributed to eating most of them). I think these were definitely a success.

Peace. Love. Shortbread.

It feels like summer

GAHH!
As of I am leaving for New York on my dad's birthday, and my mom's birthday is today, yesterday we had a Father's Day/Double Birthday celebration extravaganza.
Usually we make my dad a key lime pie for his birthday every year, but this year I wanted to make him cupcakes.
I saw this recipe on Martha Stewart's website a while ago, and have wanted to try it ever since, so i thought this was the perfect occasion.
Of course, I really wanted to make something for my mom today since it is her birthday, but we have no sugar or eggs or butter, and I have no money to go buy some (not to mention a car or license to get to the store). I'm an awful child. =[

ANYWAY, happier thoughts, here's the cupcakes:

Key Lime Meringue Cupcakes (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

CUPCAKES:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of 3 limes (about 3 tablespoons), plus 2 tablespoons fresh key lime juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk



1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lime juice, and beating until just combined after each.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. To finish, spread 1 tablespoon lime curd onto middle of each cupcake. Generously dollop on 7 minute frosting on top. Hold a small kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from surface of frosting, and wave it back and forth until frosting is lightly browned all over. Serve immediately.



KEY LIME CURD:
8 large egg yolks
Finely grated zest of 2 limes
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed key lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
(8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

1. Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
2. Remove saucepan from heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

They were really yummy, but they were definitely an all day project. I still have a butt load left over because the recipe makes 24, so if you want one, come on over to my house. Haha.

Peace. Love. Keylimes.

Cookie Cookie Cooooookies!

Kelsey loves cookies. And cookie monster. But now he is veggie monster and I have lost all respect for Sesame Street. And now I am sad. =[
ANYWAYS, I discovered this recipe on Martha Stewart's website (of course!) and decided this is the absolute be-eh-eh-st chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!
I got so many compliments on them, and am definitely adding it to one of my top 10s.
So, without any further ado, here is the recipe:

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Makes about 3 dozen.

God I'm sexy. Except JUST KIDDING.


Peace. Love. Coooooookies.