Departing slightly from some of the heavier casseroles that have a super thick and rich, ie. calorie ridden sauce, comes this little gem! The taste of the nonfat cottage cheese is an unexpected flavor the blends well with the slightly tangy taste of the sour cream. You don’t really taste one flavor over another, just a beautifully blended low-fat and light tasting dish.

I grew up on casseroles and I was super interested to create one that contained a lighter, cleaner sauce that would bind everything together instead of cream of chicken soup. I couldn’t be happier that I found this one!

When I first made this, I was skeptical it would turn out. I knew I had to be sure to include plenty of pictures because the sauce didn’t seem to be the thick sauce I was used to seeing. The thought of a light sour cream and a nonfat cottage cheese had me going though so I proceeded relying on my cooking knowledge that this would work out in the end.

Honestly though, truth be told, I thought, “what in the world” at every step! My biggest concern while making this was the consistency of the sauce, it was a bit runny all the way through until it baked, I was over the moon with the end result however!

Stay with me and this will make it to your Top 5 list!

How to Make Low-Fat Ham and Sour Cream Pasta

1. Cook pasta as directed.
2. Combine the sour cream, cottage cheese, flour, milk and egg.
3. Combine ham, bell pepper and celery.
4. Add all ingredients together, including the pasta.
5. Pour into pan and bake 60 minutes or until heated.
6. Stir once you remove the pan from the oven.

Low-Fat Ham and Sour Cream Pasta Ingredients

• Pasta: I used a bowtie pasta, but you could use a rotini or even just a flat noodle.
• Sour cream: Look for a light sour cream in keeping with the calorie count.
• Cottage Cheese: Find a “nonfat” cottage cheese.
• Flour: All-purpose white flour or unbleached flour. Flour will help thicken the sauce.
• Milk: 2% or 1%, I don’t recommend a skim as you need some fat. (I have not tried almond milk)
• Egg: The egg will help bind your ingredients.
• Ham: A plain ham will help the other flavors in the sauces come through. Search for an extra-lean ham.
• Pepper: I used a green pepper and chopped it well.
• Celery: You don’t need much, just a stalk or so. Check out my Reader Questions & Tips below to learn more about choosing the best bunch of celery.

Low-Fat Ham and Sour Cream Pasta Variations

Meats: I think that the ham is the perfect meat to have with this dish, you could try cajun ham, honey ham, or any of the other flavors as well. Keep in mind that unless it is a lean cut it will add the calories back in.

Sour cream: You could substitute a few tablespoons of blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Cottage cheese: The cottage cheeses is the star of the show here so I would keep that the same.

Pepper: A sweeter pepper such as yellow or orange would be divine in this dish. Add some red pepper flakes for some heat.

Vegetables: Substitute the celery for the same amount of peas, fresh or frozen or a combination of any mixed vegetables.

Questions & Answers

Why does the cottage cheese stay lumpy when I mix the sauce? Some cheeses such as mozzarella, feta, ricotta, and cottage cheese are not supposed to fully melt. Your cottage cheese will melt somewhat, giving this sauce a richer, creamy consistency while still maintaining some of its lumps. Don’t be alarmed if it looks like curdled milk. You’re fine!

Is it supposed to look runny when I place it in the oven? Yes! This was the weird part, but trust me, it all comes together! Your dish may look just like it is covered in only milk. What you really see is the cottage cheese has settled somewhat as it is heavier allowing the milk and the sour cream to rise to the top.

Where is all the sauce when I take it out of the oven? Don’t worry! Give it a mix and everything will be blended perfectly! The cottage cheese is heavier than the sour cream so at first it seems to settle. Once mixed, everything will be coated equally and stay that way.

How can I make my celery less stringy? I remember my Nana used to use an apple peeler or the side of a sharp knife to “release the strings of celery,” as she called it. Later in life I learned that the lighter stalks of celery don’t contain the hard strings of the celery like the darker green ones do.  How many of us equate the darker green to the better pieces? Funny how our minds work that way.

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The Best Ham Casserole with a Light White Sauce

This amazing, creamy, easy to make ham casserole with a light sour cream and nonfat cottage cheese will become your favorite. Departing slightly from some of the heavier casseroles that have a super thick and rich, ie. calorie ridden sauce, comes this little gem! The taste of the nonfat cottage cheese is an unexpected flavor the blends well with the slightly tangy taste of the sour cream. You don’t really taste one flavor over another, just a beautifully blended low-fat and light tasting dish.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword ham, light, low fat, pasta, quick, easy, healthy, light, sour cream

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 219kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

• 1½ cups bowtie pasta
• 4 ounces light sour cream
• 6 ounces nonfat cottage cheese
• ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons milk (6 tablespoons=1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup extra-lean ham (cubed)
• ¼ cup green bell pepper (chopped)
• ¼ cup celery (finely chopped)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray 1½ quart pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cook pasta to desired doneness and drain. Set aside.
• In a bowl, blend together sour cream, cottage cheese, flour, milk and egg.
• In another bowl, combine ham, bell pepper and celery, mix well.
• Add all ingredients together, including the pasta and gently toss. This is the part where it will look very soupy. That is how it should look.
• Pour into pan and bake 60 minutes or until heated.
• Stir once you remove the pan from the oven. Upon removing from the oven, it will look like much of the liquid is gone. Don't worry, it's hiding below as the cottage cheese is heavier than just a sauce. As you gently stir the entire thing will meld together. Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 584mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg

The post The Best Ham Casserole with a Light White Sauce first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post The Best Ham Casserole with a Light White Sauce appeared first on Plated for Two.

A few dishes have made it to my “favorite list” and this apple crisp with it’s crunchy topping is one of them! I often give a pan of apple crisp to my family or friends as part of their birthday present because they love it so much. When I head out for a baby shower or bridal party, you can bet I double the recipe and bring a big pan of this wonderful dessert along as well.

I thoroughly enjoy fall with all the different apple orchards here and when their establishment includes a shop with apple cider donuts and home goods for sale, I’m all in. I can find a greater variety of apples when I go to these orchards and I love that each aisle carries the name of the apple and highlights its attributes. You get to pick your own so you can mix and match all you want.

Making this treat is always a binge worthy affair. I literally start eating this from the first apple I slice to chasing that last spoonful of oatmeal brown sugar topping as it slides into the oven. Some have very strong opinions on how they like their apple crisp served. Hot, warm, cold, plain, with/without ice cream or whipped topping…I love it any which way.  And if you thought it was just a dessert-think again! Serving apple crisp as a side with breakfast or lunch is just as acceptable.

Ingredients for Apple Crisp

Apples: I always use several different apples in my apple crisp. Some of my favorites are fuji and honey crisp. Both of these apples hold up well without getting mushy and they taste sweet as opposed to tart. I’m always on the hunt for some hybrid apples and am amazed at what I find sometimes! This time around I was able to score a sweetango apple which has a sweet flavor with hints of honey, citrus and spice. I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected extra juicy crunch this apple added to the crisp.
Brown sugar: For this recipe I used light brown sugar, but I often use dark brown as well or half dark and half light.  Dark brown gives it a deeper, more robust flavor. I would suggest making your next apple crisp with dark brown sugar and see which one you like better.
Flour: A good all-purpose flour works the best.
Butter: You can use unsalted or salted.
Cinnamon: I like to add some ground cinnamon to the apples as well as the topping.
Topping: Ice cream or whipped topping with some caramel sauce takes this up a notch.

How to Make Apple Crisp

FOR THE FRUIT DISH

1. Peel the apples.
2. Slice each apple into pieces.
3. Mix apples and cinnamon together in a bowl.
4. Butter a baking dish and add apple mixture.

FOR THE TOPPING

1. Mix flour, brown sugar, and oats.
2. Cut butter into small pieces and add to bowl.
3. Use a pastry cutter to mix butter and dry ingredients.
4. Use your hands to blend thoroughly.

Variations for Apple Crisp

Nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans added to the topping add extra crunch.
Spices: Cloves or nutmeg pair well with cinnamon. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of either to your topping.
Fruit: Add a small handful of fresh fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, or peaches and mix in with the apple layer. Also, try dry fruit pouches containing cranberries, cranberries and candied pecans or walnuts, or cranberries and blueberries, in with the apples or the topping.
Flavoring: Try adding ½ teaspoon of vanilla or maple flavoring to the topping.
Toppings: Serve hot or cold with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Try one of the flavored ones such as butter pecan ice cream, butterscotch, or berry swirl. Breyers even has a lactose free vanilla ice cream. If you still want a creamy topping but not something that will melt into the crisp as much, then opt for some whipped cream. Add an additional layer of topping with nuts, chocolate chips, jimmies or flavored sauces.
Sauces: Don’t just stop at the ice cream or whipped cream. Drizzle vanilla, caramel, white chocolate flavor, chocolate, or sea salt caramel sauce on top. Ghirardelli has some great sauces in squeeze bottles.

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Apple Crisp with Crunchy Oatmeal Topping

Crispy, sweet and tart apple crisp with a buttery cinnamon, brown sugar and oatmeal topping, served with a scoop of a favorite vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel topping. If you’re  looking for a dessert or treat that is a little lighter than a typical cake recipe, this is it!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple crisp, cinnamon, crunchy oatmeal topping

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 467kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

Apple Layer

• 6 medium apples peeled and cut
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground

Oatmeal Crumb Topping

• ½ cup butter salted or unsalted
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar light
• ¾ cup oats old fashioned/rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground

Instructions

Apple Layer

• Preheat oven to 350 °F and grease the bottom and sides of an 8 X 8 pan with butter.
• Wash your apples and peel them with a vegetable peeler. If you don't have a vegetable peeler you can slice your apples like a pie into small triangle pieces. Use a pairing knife, slice off the core and remove the skin on each piece.
• Cut apples into ½ X 1 inch pieces and place in a bowl.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss apples until coated.
• Pour apples in baking dish and evenly distribute.

Oatmeal Crumb Topping

• Thoroughly mix flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon in a bowl.
• Cut your stick of butter into smaller ½ tablespoon pieces and add to your dry ingredients.
• If you have a food processor you can use that to pulse your mixture. You can also use a pastry knife to begin to cut the flour into the dry ingredients. When I get to a certain point, I start to press the butter into the mixture with the back of my hand balled into a fist, then pick up the chunks and further mix everything together with my fingers by pressing the dry ingredients into the butter.
• Continue mixing your topping until you have a chunky texture.
• Crumble topping evenly over the apples.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are soft but not mushy. I like to cover my dish after about 35 minutes so the topping doesn't get too brown. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping and a drizzling of caramel sauce.
• Store uncovered on counter or covered in refrigerator for 3 days. Rewarm in microwave if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 573IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Topping first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Topping appeared first on Plated for Two.

We’ve all had our fill of Christmas cookies at times. Same cookie recipes, different plate, right? Strawberry glazed thumbprint cookies have a visual appeal to them that is undeniable and a wonderful sweetness created by strawberry jam.

I remember when I first ate one of these at a family Christmas party. They tasted just like strawberry poptarts! The very next Christmas I begged my mom to let us add them as one of our cookies and the rest is history.

As my kids grew up, they never tired of jelly, jams and preserves. And because we often picked fruit and canned a few jars, our
strawberry glazed thumbprint cookies also became, blueberry, raspberry and apricot filled.

Ingredients for Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies

• Butter: Adds moisture and richness to the dough.
• Sugar: Provides sweetness.
• Extracts: Vanilla and almond extract are used in the cookie, adding a beautiful warmth.
• Flour: Regular all-purpose flour, helps bind the dough together and gives the cookie structure.
• Jam: While I love strawberry jam in this cookie I’ve shown it with apricot and blueberry.
• Glaze: The glaze for this cookie is super easy. Powdered sugar, water and vanilla, almond or lemon extract.

How to Make Thumbprint Cookies

1. Cream Butter until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the granulated sugar, and vanilla and almond extract.
3. Slowly add flour and mix on low until soft dough forms.
4. Cover dough and chill.
5. Scoop dough into balls.
6. Place on cookie sheet and press center down.
7. Fill with strawberry jam (or any other flavor) and bake.
8. Cool and drizzle glaze over cookies.

Some prefer the smoother consistency of a jam or a preserve but if all you have is the preserve version of your favorite jam, there is no need to run out and get another jar of something else. Simply place a couple tablespoons in a bowl and press the preserves down with a spoon, fork or the back of a spatula, separating out any chunks.

Using raspberry preserves versus raspberry jam gives you a different choice. Here, you have to decide whether you want the raspberry seeds in your cookie, if not, it’s best to hunt down the jam version.

Roll dough into one inch balls, then press the back of a measuring spoon into the dough. If the sides of the dough show any signs of cracks, gently push them back together and smooth over with your finger.

Use a teaspoon to place your jam into the indent in each cookie. Your jam dollop shouldn’t be much higher than the edges of your unbaked cookie.

Pop in the oven and watch your cookies. Don’t let the edges brown or you will have a dry, crumbly cookie. Let cool on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack. Drizzle with icing and let set before putting away.

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Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies

These soft, shortbread thumbprint cookies, filled with a dollop of strawberry and a drizzle of glaze, will fly off your Christmas platter so fast you may want to double the recipe!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword jam, strawberry, thumbprint cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Servings 12 cookies

Calories 110kcal

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, room temperature (1-stick)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or lemon or almond extract)

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
• Beat in granulated sugar. Add vanilla and almond extract.
• Slowly add flour and mix on low until soft dough forms, scraping the sides down as needed.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop dough with a 1-inch cookie scoop or a spoon. Roll each scoop until smooth.
• Place on cookie sheet and press center down. Use your thumb or the back of a round measuring spoon. If the dough cracks, simply smooth it over gently with your finger before baking.
• Fill with strawberry jam and bake for 13-14 minutes. Do not over bake or you'll get hard cookies. Allow cookies to cool before adding glaze.

Glaze

• Whisk powdered sugar, water and vanilla. Place glaze in a sandwhich baggie and cut a small hole in one corner. Space the cookies half an inch from each other and drizzle over the cookies as a whole so as not to waste the glaze.

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 0.003g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.01mg

The post Strawberry Glazed Thumbprint Cookies first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Strawberry Glazed Thumbprint Cookies appeared first on Plated for Two.

Soft, tender, peanut butter blossom cookies topped with a single chocolate kiss are as synonymous with Christmas as presents under the tree. If you’re a true chocolate and peanut butter lover, you won’t be waiting until the holidays to make these!

Growing up, every cookie plater I ever saw at Christmas, had one of these peanut butter gems on it. It was one of the first cookies I reached for. I mean, what kid doesn’t like that little chocolate kiss on top!

This recipe calls for the chocolate kiss to be added immediately after the cookies comes out of the oven. At this point your cookies will still have a slightly rounded appearance. The cookie will flatten slightly as you press the kiss into the center which gives your cookie that beautiful “crackle” appearance on the sides.

Let me tell you, these cookies are always chewy! The key to any chewy cookie is taking it out on time, which is usually 1-2 minutes before they are truly done. Don’t worry, they will finish cooking as they sit.

Crispy, crumbly cookies have their place, but not here.

Peanut Butter Blossom Ingredients

• Sugars: This recipe has equal amounts of granulated sugar and brown sugar.
• Butter: Use regular salted butter in this recipe. If you use unsalted, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
• Egg yolks: Bring your egg yolks to room temperature.
• Peanut butter: The most important ingredient in these cookies. Do not use a natural peanut butter that contains oil that you have to mix.
• Flour: All-purpose flour.
• Leavening: Both baking soda and baking powder are used to achieve maximum rise.
• Chocolate kisses: They wouldn’t be “blossom” cookies without something in the middle.

How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms

1. Mix sugars, butter, egg yolks and peanut butter.
2. Blend in flour, baking soda and baking power.
3. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to grab some dough.
4. Roll dough into a ball.
5. Dip dough ball into sugar, covering completely.
6. Place on baking sheet line with parchment paper.
7. Bake until tender.
8. Immediately press kisses into center once you remove the cookies.
9. Cool slightly before transferring them to a cooking rack.

Avoiding Hard Cookies

A good peanut butter blossom cookie is one that is tender, not hard. This cookie becomes hard for one of three reasons.

1. Recipe error: The flour to sugar ratio was too high.
2. Oven error: It was baked at too low of a temperature which requires a longer bake time.
3. Over baked: Remove cookies 1-2 minutes before they are done. You should be able to press lightly on the cookie and have it indent only where you pressed. I’ll admit, I just stick my finger in the oven to do this, but you can use the tip of a spoon. If the side of the cookie caves in instead, it has to cook longer.

Variations for Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

SUGAR: Use a colored sugar when you roll your cookies prior to baking. Red and green look practically festive, but you could opt for a silver or gold as well.

NUTS: Roll your dough ball in crushed nuts after you roll it in sugar.

CHOCOLATE: Chocolate kisses come in 14 different flavors to be exact! However, I think that only a handful of those would pair well with peanut butter. If you want to depart from the regular chocolate kiss, try one of the peppermint, candy cane, chocolate with almond, cookies and cream, or chocolate kiss filled with caramel as options.

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Peanut Butter Blossoms

Soft, tender, peanut butter blossom cookies topped with a single chocolate kiss are as synonymous with Christmas as presents under the tree.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate kiss, christmas cookie, peanut butter blossom

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 12 cookies

Calories 167kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter (salted)
• 2 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 12 chocolate kisses

Dusting Sugar

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, egg yolks and peanut butter.
• Blend in flour, baking soda and baking powder. This dough is very dense so it should look like medium size crumbles when mixed.
• Use a 1.5-inch cookie scoop, pressing your dough firmly into the scoop (if you don't have a cookie scoop, use a spoon.) Level off the dough then release into the palm of your hand and roll until round. I like to roll all my cookies first, then go back and roll in the dusting sugar.

Dusting Sugar

• Pour 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl.
• Thoroughly roll each cookie in the sugar and place on the cookie sheet. Since the cookies don't spread while baking you don't have to space them as far apart as the typical cookie.
• Bake until lightly golden brown but do not over bake.

Topping with the Kiss

• Unwrap your chocolate kisses while the cookies are baking so they are ready to use. Placing them on the cookie while it is still hot is the key to it adhering to the cookie and not falling off.
• Immediately after removing the pan from the oven, gently press one chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Press until the cookie is flattened to the desired thickness. (Don't try to reposition the chocolate once you have inserted it into the hot cookie or you will get a melt mark and the visual won't look as clean.)
• Cool cookie slightly before transferring to cooling rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies appeared first on Plated for Two.

What I love about this cookie, besides the chocolate and vanilla in every bite, is the many designs you can create with the dough. While this recipe gives detailed instructions on making the attractive checkerboard pattern, you can head on over to my Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies and see five other design options complete with pictures and instructions.

True confession here, these are one of my favorite cookies and I double or triple this cookie at Christmas and tuck the extra away in the freezer so I have my own stash! That way I can take a few out at a time and enjoy them every day.

How to Make Chocolate and Vanilla Checkerboard Cookies

1. Cream butter and sugar together, beat in egg yolk, set aside.
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
3. Whisk milk and vanilla in small cup.
4. Alternate wet and dry ingredients with the butter, sugar and egg yolk.
5. Divide dough in half, adding two tablespoons to one side.
6. Mix unsweetened cocoa powder with oil and add to smaller dough.
7. Roll each dough into a cylinder then square it up.
8. Cover and chill dough two hours or overnight.
9. Take out dough and cut each lengthwise into three slices.
10. Cut each of the three slices into 3 strips, lengthwise.
11. Alternate chocolate and vanilla strips for each row.
12. Continue to stack into desired rows and columns.
13. Chill again for an hour or overnight.
14. Take out dough and slice into cookies.
15. Bake and let cool on cookie sheet slightly before removing.

Checkerboard Cookie Ingredients

Butter: Be sure to let the butter sit out to bring to room temperature. You can use salted or unsalted in this recipe.
Sugar: Granulated sugar.
Egg: Bring your egg to room temperature by putting it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. A room temperature egg will mix better with the room temperature butter.
Flour: All-purpose flour.
Baking Powder: Since this is baking powder and not the more commonly used baking soda, make sure your container has not expired.
Salt: Salt helps bring out the other flavors. If you use salted butter instead of unsalted you can chose to use this additional salt or not. It won’t make your cookie taste too salty to add it here as well.
Milk: Since we cut back on part of the egg, milk is used to assist in holding the ingredients together. You can use 1%, 2%, whole milk or even almond milk.
Vanilla: Adds that warm, wonderful flavor. Use real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Chocolate: Using unsweetened chocolate doesn’t happen often in a recipe so I skip the box of squares that expire far sooner and go for the unsweetened cocoa in the powder form with the much longer shelf life. Three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa mixed with one tablespoon of oil will equal one square of unsweetened. If you do opt for the squares keep them in the refrigerator.

How the Dough Begins for Checkerboard Cookies

This post walks you through how to make the checkerboard pattern for your chocolate and vanilla checkerboard cookies.

No matter which design you decide to make, the dough for these chocolate and vanilla cookies always starts out the same. Here I will walk you through this design, it’s easier than you think!

After making the initial dough in vanilla and dividing it in half, take two tablespoons from one half and add it to the other. This way when you add the unsweetened chocolate to the smaller half, the two will be equal again. Be sure to wrap each section and chill for two hours or overnight.

Chilling it helps retain the shape as you press down with the knife. I like to turn the dough after every cut so when I press down again with the knife, it presses down uniformly which helps retain its shape.

Making the Checkerboard Cookie Design

Now you’re ready to begin! Remove your dough from the refrigerator and lightly dust a cutting board with flour.

Next, do your math. Decide how many rows and columns you want for your cookie. Be sure your cuts are at least 1/4 inch thick.

Carefully slice each color block into the amount of strips you calculated. Place your stirps next to each other for the first layer, then stack the remaining rows above alternating in color from the below row.

The below pictures of the dough shows the dough stacked into 4 columns and 3 rows so it made a more rectangular cookie. The baked cookie on the right shows 3 columns and 3 rows which makes a square cookie.

Variations for Chocolate and Vanilla Checkerboard Cookies

Flavor: Change the vanilla flavor by adding some peppermint, orange, or strawberry extract.
Nuts: Chop some pecans or walnuts and add them to the chocolate dough.
Embellishment: Use a colored sugar or chocolate jimmies on the top before you bake the cookies. To keep the main focus on the design, wait until they bake and have cooled, then run the edges through a powder sugar and water glaze and dip them into the jimmies or colored sugar instead.
Color: If you love these cookies as much as my family does you can use any food coloring or gel with the vanilla dough to adapt them to any holiday or special occasion. I love how the colors play off the deep color of the chocolate.

• Christmas: If your Christmas colors are more traditional then grab some red and or green food coloring or gel. If you decorate a little more contemporary then opt for slight shades of barely-there pink, blues or green.
• Valentines Day: Pink or varying shades of red.
• St. Patrick’s Day: Green of course! A light or medium green would play off the brown chocolate.
• Easter: Lavender, pink, orange, blue or yellow. It’s especially striking when you do the checkboard pattern and have several colors at once mixed with the chocolate. I also like to make the “circle” version, whether you do the border the color or swap it out and do the main inside circle the color, either would look striking. Get creative and push your dough cylinder down slightly with the palms of your hands and create more of an oval to look like eggs.
• Mother’s Day: A soft pink will do.
• Father’s Day: Keep them natural and definitely do the checkerboard pattern.
• Forth of July/Memorial Day: Make some red and blue and keep some natural. Mix red and blue squares together in the same cookie. This is where the “checkerboard” pattern shines!
• Halloween: Orange looks incredible against the chocolate!

Storing Checkerboard Cookies

Let your cookies cool completely before placing in an air tight container. They can sit out on your counter for 7-10 days or freeze up to 2 months.

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Chocolate and Vanilla Checkerboard Cookies

Soft chocolate and vanilla checkboard cookies are the perfect treat to make when you want to indulge both your love of chocolate and vanilla at the same time. (The chill time is included in the total prep time.)

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Checkerboard Cookie, Chocolate and Vanilla

Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 12 cookies

Calories 167kcal

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon oil (or 1 square unsweetened chocolate melted)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, cream room temperature butter and sugar until creamy.
• Beat in egg yolk. You can bring your egg to room temperature by placing in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
• In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
• Mix milk and vanilla in a small cup.
• Alternate your wet and dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition, until your ingredients are fully blended.
• Divide dough in half then take approximately 2 tablespoons of dough from one half and add it to the other.

For the Chocolate Dough

• Mix your 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of oil in a small bowl. (If you have the unsweetened chocolate square you can melt one square instead which is the equivalent.) Since I don't bake often with unsweetened cocoa, I find it easier and more cost effective to keep cocoa powder such as Hershey's on hand as it has a longer shelf life then the squares. If you do buy the squares, I find they store longer in a drawer in the refrigerator.
• Blend the unsweetened chocolate with the half of vanilla dough that is minus the 2 tablespoons. Once you add the unsweetened chocolate you will have equaled it out again.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill dough for 2 hours or overnight.

Creating the Checkboard Pattern

• Remove dough from refrigerator. Makes sure your edges are all flat by pressing them against the cutting board before you take the plastic wrap off.
• Slice each dough block lengthwise into equal pieces.
• Cut each slice into strips.
• Assemble the strips, alternating vanilla and chocolate. Make as many columns and rows as you want.
• Wrap dough blocks and chill 2 hours or overnight again.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and slice into 1/4 inch cookies. Rotate dough every slice to keep the knife from pulling the dough out of shape.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly space the cookies. If you are still not happy with the shape, you have a second chance to reconfigure it once you place it on your cookie sheet. Just apply slight pressure on opposites sides. They will make 12-15 cookies depending on the thickness of your roll. These cookies should not spread so you can use a half size baking sheet.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before you remove them so they don't break. Store in a covered container on the counter.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Checkerboard Cookies first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Checkerboard Cookies appeared first on Plated for Two.

Ever since I can remember we made these cookies every year for Christmas. The design started out with the typical pinwheel, then graduated to a checkerboard design, then it just went rogue from there. Family members placed bets on what shape they would see over the holidays.

Some recipes have you make the vanilla and the chocolate dough separate, I like to simplify things and make the recipe all vanilla, then separate the dough and add the cocoa to just the one half.

Though this cookie is typically made at Christmas, it has become a family favorite all year round. See more details in the variations section below on the fun ways you can change up this recipe.

Ingredients for Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies

• Butter: I like to bake with unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt since brands differ. Be sure to let the butter sit out to bring to room temperature. If you don’t have unsalted butter and use salted, just omit the salt called for in this recipe.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar adds the right amount of sweetness.
• Egg: In this recipe I use only the egg yolk. Add at room temperature. You can bring your egg to room temperature quickly by placing in a bowl of warm water for five minutes.
• Flour: All-purpose flour.
• Baking Powder: This is an important ingredient to assist in the rise of the cookie. Since this is baking powder and not the more commonly used baking soda, be sure your container has not expired.
• Salt: Helps bring out the other flavors.
• Milk: Since we cut back on part of the egg, milk is used to hold the ingredients together. Whole milk, 1%, or 2% will work. You can even use a milk such as almond milk, etc.
• Vanilla: Use real vanilla extract for the best flavor. Adds that warm, wonderful flavor.
• Chocolate: Since we mix the chocolate with half of the dough, I opt for the unsweetened chocolate rather than melted semisweet. I also use the powdered cocoa instead of the unsweetened square since the shelf life is longer.

How to Make Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Beat in egg yolk.
3. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
4. Whisk milk and vanilla in small cup.
5. Alternate wet and dry ingredients until blended.
6. Divide dough in half.
7. Remove one tablespoon of dough and add to other half.
8. Blend in cooled unsweetened chocolate to smaller piece.
9. Roll both sections with a rolling pin and stack.
10. Roll dough in a cylinder shape.
11. Chill dough after covering with plastic wrap.
12. Remove dough and slice 1/4 inch thick.
13. Bake and let cool on cookie sheet before removing.

How the Dough for All the Designs Starts

No matter which design you opt for, the dough starts out the same. Because this cookie makes 12-15 cookies depending on how big or small you create them, you can make all your cookies the same design or cut the dough in thirds and make three different designs.

If you are going for variety, I would make your dough, divide and create the chocolate, then cut each flavor block into thirds.

For the Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Design

This of course is the traditional design and we never tire of it! Simply create the vanilla and chocolate dough. Decide if you want your edges to be chocolate or vanilla and plan accordingly when you stack them. The outside color should be on the bottom. Lightly roll again to gently press the doughs together. Roll the dough into a cylinder and cover tightly. If it looks like your circle has some square edges, you are able to correct that now by rolling the dough with the palms of your hands, gently pressing down. The plastic wrap helps keep it together. Chill for a couple hours or overnight.

Chocolate and Vanilla Checkerboard Design

Of all the designs for the chocolate and vanilla cookies, I make the checkerboard pattern the most.

For full instructions on how to achieve this cool looking cookie check out my Checkboard Cookie recipe.

Chocolate and Vanilla Circle Cookies

I love this cookie design because it’s so simple! This is also a great cookie if you want to add some color, just add red or green food coloring to the vanilla. Change the flavor by adding a peppermint extract to either flavor or the entire recipe. Cut your dough in half again, change which flavor becomes the center. Now you have two different looking cookies.

Roll two cylinders. Roll one piece flat into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick, making it as tall as your cylinder. From there you will need to check you’ve achieved the correct width by placing your center roll over the rectangle and gently rolling a corner over. This is where your parchment paper is your friend. Your edges should meet only enough to gently press them together to create an invisible seam. Be sure to roll in plastic wrap and chill.

When you cut these you will notice the shape starts to go from a circle to more of an oval as you press the knife down through the dough after multiple slices. That’s okay if you want an oval cookie! I like to rotate my dough as I cut to retain the circle shape.

Geometric Chocolate and Vanilla Cookies

Bet you didn’t know your would be using a bit of math to make some of these cookies! To create this geometric shape, roll your vanilla and chocolate dough into cylinders. The size of each cylinder will actually be the size of the finished circle so for this one I did shorter cylinders so they were wider cookies.

After you roll your cylinders wrap each one and chill. Once you remove them, you will want to stand each one on it’s end and very carefully cut it in half down the length. Then go back and cut each half again. You should end up with four triangles in each flavor.

Take your chocolate and vanilla triangles and alternate them to form your circle.

At this point you can cover with plastic and gently roll to achieve the perfect circle, or form it into more of a square or rectangle by gently pushing four sides down on the cutting board. Chill before slicing into cookies.

Cookie Cutter and Left Over Designs for Chocolate and Vanilla Cookies

Get creative with cookie cookie cutters! Yes, you heard me! Roll your dough flat then cut in strips. You can position your strips to accents certain cookie cutter shapes such as these mittens. These were a bit hit last year.

It happens all the time…you make these cookies and have some leftover dough from squaring up your design. Don’t let that go to waste! Here are some ideas on what I did with the left overs while making these cookies!

Variations for Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies

Flavor: Change the vanilla flavor by adding some peppermint, orange, or strawberry extract.
Nuts: Chop some pecans or walnuts and add them to the chocolate dough.
Embellishment: Use a colored sugar or chocolate jimmies on the top or on sides prior to baking.
Color: If you love these cookies as much as my family does you can use any food coloring with the vanilla dough to adapt them to any holiday or special occasion. I love how the colors play off the deep color of the chocolate.

• Christmas: If your colors are more traditional then do red and or green. If you decorate a little more contemporary then opt for super light shades of barely-there pink, blues or greens.
• Valentines Day: Pink or varying shades of red.
• St. Patrick’s Day: Green of course. The shade doesn’t even need to be dark, even a light green would play off the brown chocolate and look incredible.
• Easter: Lavender, pink, orange, blue or yellow. It’s especially striking when you do the checkboard pattern and have several colors mixed with the chocolate. For Easter, I like to do the “circle” version, whether you do the border Chocolate and color the vanilla centers. Prior to cutting your slices, push your dough cylinder down slightly with the palms of your hands and create more of an oval shape.
• Mother’s Day: A soft pink will do, of course.
• Father’s Day: Keep them natural and definitely do the checkerboard pattern.
• Forth of July/Memorial Day: Red and blue to the vanilla, then keep some natural. This is where the “checkerboard cookie” pattern shines!
• Halloween: Orange looks incredible against the chocolate!

Storing the Delicious Chocolate Vanilla Pinwheel Cookie

Let your cookies cool completely before placing in an air tight container. They can sit out on your counter for 7-10 days or freeze up to 2 months.

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Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies

Festive and visually pleasing, these soft, buttery, Chocolate Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies not only taste good, but look great as well. Make this cookie as eye-catching as you want once you get the hang of how to place the dough before slicing. (Two hours of chill time is included in the total prep time.)

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Checkerboard Cookie, Chocolate and Vanilla, Pinwheel Cookie

Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 15 cookies

Calories 134kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon oil (or 1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until creamy. Make sure your butter is at room temperature.
• Beat in egg yolk. Place egg in a bowl of warm water to bring to room temperature.
• In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
• Whisk milk and vanilla in small cup.
• Alternate wet and dry ingredients until well blended.
• Divide dough in half. To equal out the quantities of vanilla and chocolate dough, remove two tablespoons of dough from one half and add to other half.

For the Chocolate Dough

• Mix your 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of oil in a small bowl. If you have the unsweetened chocolate square you can melt one square which is the equivalent. Since I don't bake often with unsweetened cocoa, I find it easier and more cost effective to keep cocoa powder such as Hershey's on hand as it has a longer shelf life then the squares. If you do buy the squares, I find they store longer in a drawer in the refrigerator.
• Blend the unsweetened chocolate with smaller half of dough. Once you add the unsweetened chocolate you will have equaled it out again.
• For pinwheels. Dust the wax/parchment paper and rolling pin with flour and roll each section into 1/4 inch think rectangles.
• Place chocolate layer over vanilla or visa-versa depending on which one you want as the outer layer of the pinwheel. Using your wax/parchment paper, tightly roll your dough into a cylinder shape.
• Cover and chill dough for 2 hours or overnight.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Save any end scrapes to press flat into a cookie.
• Tip: No matter which shape you are making, I like to rotate my dough every couple of cuts as the cutting action tends to pull the shaped dough downwards. This way your squares and circles will stay true.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly space each cookie. If your shape looks sloppy, just apply slight pressure on opposites sides. They will make 12-15 depending on the thickness of your roll. These cookies should not spread so you can use a half size baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove these cookies before they get a golden brown. Let cool slightly before you remove them so they don't break. Store in a covered container on the counter.

Nutrition

Serving: 14g | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies appeared first on Plated for Two.

One of my favorite cookies to make growing up was the spritz cookie. I loved to use the spritz “gun,” and see the little shapes pop out. Even at a young age, I couldn’t mess up the shapes.

Spritz cookies, also known as Spritzgebåck cookies, originated in Germany, and are a popular cookie made at Christmas. These delicious cookies take after the German word Spritzen which means to push or squirt, referring to the way the dough is pushed through a cookie press onto the baking sheet. The metal disk that the dough passes through can have many designs, thus changing the look of the cookies drastically.

The three circle disc I used for this post is undisputable plan, but was special to my Nana and me. When we made this shape it symbolized our 3 generations, grandmother, mother and daughter in our family. It’s only fitting with this being the first Christmas season with my blog, that I pay homage to these great woman who were so dear to me.

Ingredients for Spritz Cookies

• Butter: Salted or unsalted is fine.
• Sugar: This recipe calls for both granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
• Almond extract: This ingredient is optional but I recommend using it. The taste will set these cookies apart.
• Salt: Salt helps the other flavors come out.
• Vanilla extract: Like salt, vanilla helps other flavors come out and adds depth to your cookie.
• Egg: Helps bind your ingredients together.
• All-purpose flour: Be sure to scoop your flour into your measuring cup as well as run a straight edge over the top to level. If you scoop your measuring cup into the flour container, you will end up with several tablespoons more of flour which will make your cookies hard.

Icing

• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla
• Water

How to Make Buttery Spritz Cookies

1. Cream butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in almond extract, salt, vanilla, and half an egg.
3. Gradually beat in flour on low until combined.
4. Set your disc and fill chamber of spritz machine.
5. Dispense cookie dough through spritz machine onto baking sheet.
6. Bake but do not let get brown.
7. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.
8. Mix icing and dip cookies, then dip in sprinkles.
9. Set for 20 minutes before stacking.

Questions and Tips for the Best Spritz Cookies

Should I chill my cookie dough before making? No, don’t chill, the dough needs to be soft to be pushed through the cookie press.

Can I using frosting on these cookies instead of sprinkles? Yes, you can use frosting, you may have to place a layer of wax paper or parchment paper between each layer depending on how soft the frosting is.

How long do spritz cookies stay fresh? Spritz cookies will stay fresh for up to a week or 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

How do I store spritz cookies? Store in an air tight container. You won’t need to place a layer of parchment paper between them if you use sprinkles.

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Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies

Soft, buttery, and delicious spritz cookies with a crunchy outside are a must for your Christmas cookie platter. This is a quick and simple cookie made of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs and fun to make with the help of a cookie press.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword buttery, spritz cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 15 cookies depending on size

Calories 106kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter (1-stick)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ⅛ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ large egg
• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour

Icing

• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-4 tablespoons water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. For this recipe it's best to drop your cookies on to an unlined and ungreased baking sheet so your dough is able to adhere and separate from the spritz machine cleanly.
• In a medium bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar on high until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
• Beat in almond extract, salt, vanilla, and half an egg. TIP: Beat a room temperature egg and divide in half with a large spoon or use a measuring beaker to take out 1 1/2 tablespoons.
• Gradually beat in flour on low until combined, approximately 30-40 seconds, wiping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula often.
• Set your disc and fill chamber of spritz machine. Squeeze until you feel something come out. Make sure your dough has complete contact with baking sheet before lifting. It should give some resistance when you try to pull the machine away.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on size. You should be able to make a slight indent with your finger to know when they are done. Do not over bake these cookies. They should not brown or they will have a hard consistency. Let cool slightly before removing from sheet.
• Mix icing in a shallow bowl. Spread icing onto completely cooled cookie or dip cookie upside down for complete coverage. Dip cookie upside down into sprinkles, pressing down gently, and let set at least 20 minutes before stacking or storing.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies appeared first on Plated for Two.

I love how this sugar cookie dough comes together so easy. And I especially love how you chill the dough half way through. It gives a nice opportunity to clean up and take a break.

I have the fondest memories of baking cut out cookies at Christmas with my mom and both of my grandmothers. I definitely had my favorite cookie cutter shapes that I grabbed for first. But still, I swear, our little metal cut outs reproduced on their own every year!

I try to post recipes that can be used all year long, and though these are titled Christmas, use this dough as your go-to recipe for any occasion. I’m so thrilled that nowadays one can find any size and shape of cookie cutters in the store, some having entire walls dedicated to them! I’ve used this recipe for Easter cookies, bridal and baby showers, graduations, and birthdays.

Ingredients for Rolled Sugar Cookies

• Butter: Use a good quality butter at room temperature.
• Sugar: Powdered sugar.
• Egg: Bring your egg to room temperature in a bowl of warm water for five minutes.
• Extracts: This recipe calls for both vanilla and almond extract. Don’t skip either!
• Flour: All-purpose flour gently scooped into a measuring cup.

How To Use Half An Egg

If you have one of these special measuring cups then measuring half an egg is a breeze. An average egg is approximately 3 tablespoons, so half an egg is 1 1/2 tablespoons. If you don’t have this small measuring beaker, then beat the egg in a bowl and use your tablespoon to measure out the 1 1/2 tablespoon that you need. Don’t forget to bring your egg to room temperature by placing it in a bowl orfwarm water for five minutes. This helps the yolk and the egg white to blend together more thoroughly.

How to Make Cut Out Cookies

1. Cream butter thoroughly.
2. Add powdered sugar and continue to beat 3-4 minutes.
3. Beat your egg and add half.
4. Add vanilla and almond extract.
5. Combine salt and flour in a bowl and mix in.
6. Chill covered dough for at least an hour.
7. Roll out on board.
8. Cut into different shapes with cookie cutters.
9. Bake and let cool before decorating.

Important Steps for the Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies

• Cream Butter and Sugar Well: Mixing the butter well, then adding the sugar and creaming it again is perhaps one of the most important steps to a successful cookie. Whether you use a hand held or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, you will want to cream the butter and sugar for 5-6 minutes. So why do you need to cream these first two ingredients so long? It’s all about creating little air pockets in the dough. As the cookie bakes, these little pockets of air help the cookie rise. If you didn’t cream the butter and sugar long enough, there wouldn’t be enough air pockets to create the cookie to rise, and you would end up with a very dense cookie.

• Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Once you have creamed the the butter and sugar, add the rest of the wet ingredients (egg and extracts) and beat well before adding the dry ingredients.

• Measuring dry ingredients: When measuring dry ingredients, it’s important you don’t just dig your measuring cut into the flour and scoop it up. If you’ve ever remeasured your “cup of flour” after packing it in like this, you’ll be surprised that you could have an excess of two more tablespoons of flour. Always fluff your flour with a spoon, then use the spoon or a smaller cup and gently place the flour into your measuring cup, then level with a knife. This applies to powdered sugar as well.

• Chill the dough: Wrapping the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chilling it, helps in two ways. If you skip this step and try to roll it out right away, you’ll have to add far too much flour to your board and rolling pin to prevent sticking. This will kick up the ratio of flour in the recipe and give you a harder cookie. Also, chilling the dough for at least an hour helps to firm up the butter and prevents your cookie from spreading too much during baking. When you are trying to make crisp shapes with a cookie cutter, the last thing you want is your star to look like an underwater sea creature.

• Preventing dough from sticking to your cookie cutter: I like to keep a small bowl of powder sugar nearby so I can dip my cookie cutter in it every few cuts. This prevents the dough from sticking to the edges and helps the shape slide right out. Place immediately on your baking sheet to prevent over handling.

• Cool your baking sheet: Let your baking sheet come to room temperature between batches. While that may not apply for small batch baking, it’s something to file away in your mind for when you make double batches.

• Don’t overbake: With this sugar cookie, or any in general, watch closely and take the cookies out just as the edges begin to firm, the center is slightly puffy, and the cookie is still a light color overall. Do not let the edges brown even slightly or you will have a hard cookie.

• Use parchment paper to remove cookies: Ever struggle with trying to remove your cut outs that have points or other delicate features? I have a solution! Rest one side of your cookie sheet on your cooling rack. Tilt your cookie sheet slightly and gently drag your parchment paper off the sheet onto the rack. Allow the cookies to cool before peeling the parchment paper off.

Decorating Christmas Cookies

Once you have baked your cookie dough, cool on a rack. You can decide to decorate the sugar cookies immediately or store them for a day or two in a container. You can also freeze your plain baked cookies for up to a month.

Icing: Simply mix together a cup of powder sugar, teaspoon of vanilla and enough water to make an icing. Icing is thinner than frosting and should readily drip off your cookie.

Dip each cookie upside down in the bowl of icing, then into the colored sprinkles of your choice. Place on a surface to let set before placing in an airtight container.

Frosting: Frosting is made thicker and is spreadable to any thickness. Leave white or use a food coloring or gel to achieve any color your desire.

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Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Soft, chewy, Christmas cut out sugar cookies with their festive shapes and colorful icing, will always be a holiday favorite. I love how this sugar cookie dough comes together so easily!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cut out sugar cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 15 cookies

Calories 146kcal

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter unsalted, use room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour

Icing

Butter Frosting

• 1½ tablespoons butter softened
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, cream room temperature butter.
• Slowly add powdered sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes. This allows the butter and sugar to get some air in it which helps make your cookies soft.
• Beat a room temperature egg and add half to the butter and powdered sugar bowl. Add vanilla and almond extract and blend.
• Whisk salt and flour in a bowl, add to main ingredients and mix.
• Place on plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Chill for 1 hour or overnight.

Cutting out your dough into shapes

• Dust your surface with flour and roll chilled dough 1/4-1/2 inch. Thicker cookies will be softer.
• Dip each cookie cutter in a small bowl of powdered sugar and cut out your shapes. Pick up extra dough and roll and cut again until all the dough is gone. Transfer each to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake until the edges set and the center is slightly puffy. Do not let the edge get any color or your cookies will be hard.
• Remove sturdier shapes with a spatula. For more delicate shapes, place edge of baking sheet on cooling rack and tilt slightly. Grab your parchment paper and slide off onto rack. Remove once cookies have cooled completely.
• Decorate with butter frosting, sprinkles, icing or colored sugars.
• The quantity of cookies you get will depend on cookie cutter size and thickness of dough.
• Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

The post The Best Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post The Best Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies appeared first on Plated for Two.

If you’re looking to keep some of the old and blend in some of the new, this revision of a traditional, tasty side dish is perfect for your next Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s day, Father’s Day or special celebrations.

When it comes to making a side dish as plain as green beans taste incredible, the first step is in not drowning it in a kettle of boiling water which drains all the flavor and nutrients out.

There is nothing better than vegetables roasted in a shallow pan and infused with some simple ingredients like salt and pepper, rice vinegar, and garlic salt, to name a few. Of course topping it with grated parmesan cheese and slivered almonds, after you take it out of the oven really takes it up a notch.  

Five minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven will deliver this dish that seals all the nutrition in.

I love making this dish during the summer as a side when I’m grilling out as well, why just have it only a handful of times a year when it tastes this good!

How to Turn Your Plain Beans into Crack Beans

1. Preheat oven. Line a shallow baking dish.
2. Wash green beans and dry.
3. Trim the stems on either side of the beans.
4. Whisk together seasonings, oil and vinegar.
5. Add beans and toss until thoroughly coated.
6. Place beans single file in shallow pan and bake.
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan and almonds.
8. Serve.

Savory Green Bean Ingredients

Green Beans: Whether you are buying your beans from a Farmer’s Market or grocery store, look for beans that have a nice green color, are firm, and snap when bent back. Weigh about 3/4 of a pound if you are buying them from a bin and have a scale handy. This is approximately 2 handfuls depending on your hand size. Discard any beans that have turned brown, are soft, or are very tiny in size. Expect that your beans will cook down some.

Oil: Fat is a crucial ingredient when it comes to roasting vegetables in the oven. This is where I can feel free to use a vegetable oil if I have it, but olive oil or canola work well too. It’s important to make sure the beans are evenly coated in the oil and seasoning for even roasting in the oven.

Seasonings: The secret ingredient here that many don’t think to use often, if at all, is the ranch seasoning in dry powder form. I used to buy the smaller packets in the salad dressing aisle but immediately graduated to the container when it came out. I enjoy using it randomly on a variety of meals and appreciate the seal-tight container keeping it fresh longer. I also use classics like salt and pepper, and spice it up a little with red pepper flakes in this recipe.

Toppings: I always feel that a touch of parmesan cheese can really give a good layered flavor. Green beans wouldn’t be the same without the crunch of sliced almonds.

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Crack Green Beans-The Best Roasted

The perfect oven roasted green beans, infused with a savory mix of seasonings, and topped with grated parmesan cheese and slivered almonds will turn this basic vegetable into one of your favorites. Give your traditional "green bean almandine" a much healthier facelift by ditching the sauce.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword the best roasted crack green beans

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 296kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

• ¾ lb fresh green beans (trimmed)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ tsp vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
• 2 tsp ranch seasoning (dry powder)
• ¼ tsp salt (or more to taste)
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1½ tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 tbsp sliced almonds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Wash and thoroughly dry green beans. You can use paper towels, napkins or a clean kitchen towel to pat them dry.
• Use a knife or kitchen scissors and trim any stems from green beans.
• In a small bowl, combine vegetable oil, vinegar, ranch powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
• Whisk ingredients together until well combined.
• Add green beans to bowl and toss in oil mixture until beans are well coated.
• Spread prepared green beans evenly on cookie sheet.
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
• TIP: Green beans will still be somewhat crunchy. If a softer texture is desired, turn off oven and allow to sit in closed oven for 10 minutes. This will soften the beans.
• Place roasted green beans in a bowl and toss with grated parmesan cheese and sliced almonds and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 817mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1208IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg

The post The Best Savory Oven Roasted Green Beans first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post The Best Savory Oven Roasted Green Beans appeared first on Plated for Two.

The health benefits of asparagus are many. Not only is it free of fat and cholesterol, but it’s also full of healthy nutrients such as potassium, fiber and folate as well as vitamins A, C and K. Eating these tender spears also has some overall health benefits like improving digestion, weight loss, and lowering your blood pressure.

The key here is not to steam your asparagus. Since oven “roasted” asparagus is just that, it’s important to pat your stalks dry after washing so when you roast them in the oven there is no additional water that would promote steaming. When vegetables get stemmed, they become flimsy and mushy.

As with any vegetable, you can roast them for 8-10 minutes which will result in more crunch.

When we talk about vegetables most people think of them as a side dish, but asparagus is especially versatile and is popular as an appetizer, in a salad or along side eggs for breakfast. I would love to hear how everyone serves them in the comments below!

How to Chose the Best Asparagus

If you shop at a good grocery store, you will find multiple spears of asparagus in the produce department, bound together with a rubber band and sitting in some chilled water.

I have a habit of smelling the asparagus before I purchase it…asparagus has a definite smell to it when it starts to turn. Asparagus past it’s prime will be be flimsy and the tips will look slightly wilted while the bottoms may turn more of a solid white.

Though asparagus comes in white and purple , green is the most popular and what you are likely to see in the stores. Your bundle should be a healthy green color, look firm and have tips that are tightly closed. A spear of fresh asparagus is able to snap when slight pressure is applied.

Asparagus comes in thin, medium and thick spears. It’s the medium and thick stalks that make for a more tender vegetable but it is perfectly fine to roast the thin spears, just be sure to adjust down the time in the oven. In fact, most restaurants prefer to plate the thinner spears because they can serve more and it makes for a better presentation.

Once home, you will want to store it in the refrigerator in a mug or cup filled with a 1/2 of water. Use it within a day or two to ensure it’s freshness.

How to Make Oven Roasted Asparagus

1. Rinse your asparagus
2. Pat asparagus dry.
3. Cut or snap off woody ends.
4. Spread out in a shallow pan.
5. Drizzle olive oil lightly on top and toss.
6. Season generously with salt and pepper.
7. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes.

Oven Roasted Asparagus Ingredients

• Asparagus: I like to get the medium spears. You can use a peeler and skin the stalks or leave them as they are. Peeling will remove some of the strings found on the stalk.
• Olive oil: I use olive oil but you can use any oil.
• Seasoning: This recipe just calls for some regular salt and pepper but check out the variations below. Use sea salt if you prefer.

Yummy Variations for your Oven Roasted Asparagus

• Cheese: When you remove them from the oven and plate, sprinkle with some freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese.
• Bacon: I love to make asparagus and sprinkle some already cooked, crumbled bacon bits over them. You can also wrap your asparagus in a piece of bacon. Use the center cut/thinner bacon and wrap around 3-4 pieces in them, then cook as directed.
• Seasoning: Switch up the regular salt for some sea salt. Add some garlic salt or some cayenne pepper for heat. Try a light sprinkle of sugar over the top or some dry ranch seasoning.
• Citrus: Squirt some lemon over your asparagus when you take it out. Lemon helps to bring out the flavors.
• Nuts: Throw in some slivered or sliced almonds or some regular or candied walnuts.
• Fruit: After roasting, sprinkle with some dried cranberries.
• Sauces: Drizzle balsamic glaze, ranch or hollandaise sauce over them once out of the oven.

Print

The Best Tender Oven Roasted Asparagus

Fast and easy oven roasted asparagus, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. If you're looking for a vegetable that takes your meal up a notch, than look no further than this asparagus recipe.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword asparagus, oven toasted, tender

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 186kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Equipment

• 1 shallow baking dish
• parchment paper or aluminum foil

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever you have on hand)
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Rinse your asparagus and pat dry with a paper towel, napkins, or clean kitchen cloth.
• Individually snap the bottom 1 ½ inch half off, or line the ends up and cut with a knife. You want to remove the whitish looking ends.
• Place asparagus in bowl and coat well with oil.
• Spread out in a shallow pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Roast in 425° F oven until the asparagus is lightly browned or charred on the tips and is fork crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Approximately 12-15 minutes. If you like them a little more crunchy, check them at the 8-10 minute mark.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.1g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post The Best Tender Oven Roasted Asparagus first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post The Best Tender Oven Roasted Asparagus appeared first on Plated for Two.