Citrus Sugar Cookies

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I love citrus.  I love the smell of citrus, the taste of citrus, when my fingers smell like citrus and more.  These cookies have lemon, lime and orange in them.  They are super refreshing and taste like summer.   I made my cookies a little big, and my helper (aka my boyfriend) smashed them pretty flat with a cup.  But the flavor was great and this is for sure one of my favorite sugar cookies.  The best part is using the extra zesty sugar to dip strawberries.  Delicious!

Adapted from Shugary Sweets
Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups Sugar, divided
1 Egg, room temperature
2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Orange, zested
1 Lemon, zested
2 Limes, zested

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, zest all the citrus. Remove about 2 tsp of zest and place in a separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar to the 2 tsp of zest. Combine with a fork and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, add butter and remaining 1 cup sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes. Add egg and beat until combined. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until combined. Add in zest.
3. Roll cookies into 3/4-1inch balls. Then roll them in the sugar/zest mixture, coating generously. Place ball on cookie sheet and repeat. 
4. Using a flat bottom of a cup, press the ball slightly to form a disc. Repeat for all balls. I then pressed a little extra sugar on the tops of the cookies at this point (totally optional). 
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack.
6. Enjoy.

Grand Marnier Cupcakes

My mom's birthday was on Thursday.  We had a huge power outage all over Southern California that day so she had a candlelit birthday party.  She was having another joint birthday party on Saturday night so I thought i would bring her some cupcakes.  It was also my aunts birthday a few weeks ago too and she has been bugging me to make her a cake.  So i figured i would let me mom choose what type of cupcakes she wanted.  She is by far my harshest critic so if she likes something then you know it is good.   I showed up to her house with only 12 cupcakes and realized there was about 40 people at her house.  Needless to say people where fighting over these cupcakes.  My mom said they were my best cupcakes yet, so that is saying a lot.  The cupcake is a perfect moist chocolate cake, then they were filled with dark chocolate ganache with Grand Marnier, and the orange buttercream on top was amazing.   This is a rich and dreamy cupcake on every level... the end!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Grand Marnier Cupcakes - Adapted from Three Many Cooks

Yield: 24 Cupcakes or about 75 Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cups Cocoa Powder, best quality possible
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk, shaken
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs, at room temperature
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1 Cup Freshly Brewed Hot Coffee

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Batter will be very liquidity.
3. Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.
4. Once cupcakes have cooled, hollow out a small circle in the center of each cupcake.  I use an apple corer.

Dark Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients:
2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
12 ounces or 1 1/2 Cups Dark Chocolate, chopped into small pieces
2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier

Directions:

1. Place chocolate in a large heat safe bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for about five minutes. 
3. Whisk the chocolate and cream mixture until smooth and glossy. Stir in the Grand Marnier. Allow ganache to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour.
4. Pipe or spoon the ganache into each hollowed cupcake and top with buttercream.

Orange Buttercream
Ingredients:
4 Sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Pounds Powdered sugar, sifted
Zest of One Large Orange
Pinch of Fine Grain Sea Salt
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
3 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
1-3 Tablespoons Milk

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue mixing until well blended.
2. Add orange zest, salt, vanilla, and Grand Marnier. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and beat until thoroughly combined. If frosting is too thick, gradually add in milk until the desired consistency is reached. 
3. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and finish with leftover ganache if you want.

Storage:
These cupcakes are best served the day they are made; however, they will keep covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. Allow cupcakes to come to room temperature for 45-60 minutes before serving.

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

So this cookie recipe is my mothers.  Every year she hosts a fundraiser at the UCSD Cancer center called the Mad Hatter Tea Party which supports the Healing Foods Kitchen.  It is a great event where you get to decorate these colorful paper mache hats, then sit down for a delicious tea.  Every year I help her make tons of cookies, scones, brownies, cakes and of course tea sandwiches.   All of the recipes have been modified by my mother to be healthy but still taste delicious.  This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies and only has 1/4 cup of butter.  That is almost unheard of in the baking world.  Instead of butter, the recipe uses orange juice to keep the cookies moist while also adding flavor and nutrients.  I had a friend call these cookies trail mix breakfast cookies because they are so delicious and healthy that you don't feel guilty eating a cookie for breakfast.  My mother also makes a very delicious deep dark chocolate cookies that is flour-less and butter-less.  I will posting that recipe soon too!  Anyway, these cookies are delicious and healthy all in the same bite!   If you live in the San Diego or Orange County area and are interested in attending this event let me know and I can send you all the information.  It is Sunday, May 15th and I hope to meet some fellow food bloggers there!

Oatmeal Cookies with A-Peel

Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins) or raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2 tablespoons honey or light-colored corn syrup
1 large egg
1 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups regular oats
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

¼ cup chocolate chips - (I used 1 cup)
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare baking sheets.
2. Combine cranberries and orange juice in a bowl; cover and let stand 10 minutes.
3. Beat the sugars and butter at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Add honey and egg; beat well. Stir in cranberry mixture.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add the oats, walnuts, and orange rind; stir well. Add to sugar mixture; stir until well-blended.
5. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or until almost set. Cool on a wire rack. 
6. Enjoy!!