Blackberry and Brie Pastry Puffs

Who is done with their holiday shopping? Christmas is a mere 3 days away and I just started mine! I am officially in rush and panic mode. But don’t worry I do have an appetizer that is great  for the holidays. Warm, light, fruity with that tang of brie cheese! YUM! They are very quick and easy and isn’t that what we all are looking for during the holidays? Shopping done, or not.

Blackberry and Brie Pastry Puffs

• 1 pound of Puff Pastry Dough, cut into 18 rectangles (thawed according to instructions on box)
• egg wash (1 egg whisked with 2 Tablespoons water)
• 8 ounces Brie cheese
• 1 pint blackberries
• 1/2 cup toasted pinenuts or hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

After you have cut pastry dough into 18 rectangles, brush around the perimeter of each rectangle with the egg wash. At one side of the rectangle, place one blackberry, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon of brie cheese and a sprinkle of nuts, Fold the pastry over to cover the filling. Then press edges of the dough together with your fingertips to seal. Brush the tops of the pastry with eggs wash. Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Let cool about 10 minutes, the filling is extremely hot!  **TIP: The colder the pastry dough, the more “puff” you will get. So work quickly and make sure to get those babies in the oven still nice and cold!

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Easy Sea Salt Caramels

The sweet tooth is still going strong everyone! ‘Tis the season! I absolutely love caramel. This recipe is so easy because it is done in the microwave! Yes, the microwave. So just in case you need a last minute neighbor gift, or a sweet treat for your kids teacher, these sea salt carmels will surely delight!

Easy Sea Salt Carmels

• 6 Tablespoons of butter cut into 6 pieces
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• coarse sea salt

Place a sheet of aluminum foil in a 9×13 pan. Spray the foil with cooking spray, making sure to coat sides as well.

In microwave safe bowl (at least 2 quart), add butter, white and brown sugar, syrup, sweetened condensed milk, & vanilla. Stir together and place in microwave, uncovered. Cook in microwave on full power for 8 and a half minutes, stopping and stirring thoroughly twice during the cooking time (about every 2-3 minutes).  Remove from microwave and stir until well mixed. Pour hot caramel into a prepared 9×13 pan. Place in fridge until firm enough to remove & cut (about 60 minutes). Pull up on sides of aluminum foil and remove the whole slab of caramel at one time. Place caramel slab on cutting board covered with parchment or waxed paper and cut into pieces of desired size. Then sprinkle a dash of sea salt on each individual caramel. On my next batch I am going to drizzle dark chocolate over the caramels!  ( At this point I wrapped each individual carmel in parchment paper to give to friends and loved ones!)

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Secret Hot Fudge Sauce

I’m about to let you in on a little secret.  The recipe to my hot fudge sauce.  Around these parts it’s known as Shannon’s Secret Hot Fudge Sauce.  I give jars of this yummy sauce out as Christmas gifts to our friends and neighbors each year.  It’s become known as my “secret hot fudge sauce”, not because the recipe is so earth shattering (although, it really is), but because I don’t give out the recipe on a matter of principle… I want people to look forward to getting this from me each year!

But alas, the blogging world is much bigger than my little world, and I want all of you to have the same opportunity to enjoy this delicious hot fudge sauce.  You’ll have to work a little harder to taste it than my lucky friends who just get a jar delivered to their door, but it is worth the effort my friends!  And who knows?  Maybe you’ll like it so much that you’ll pass jars of it along to your friends and neighbors.  (The recipe is easily doubled, tripled, etc.  Each recipe makes a little over 3 pint jars worth of sauce)  ENJOY!

Secret Hot Fudge Sauce

 

• 12 ounces semi sweet premium chocolate chips (I use Guittard)
• 2 cubes butter, chopped into 1 tablespoon chunks
• 2 2/3 cups heavy cream
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla

In a medium sized saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips together.  When melted, add heavy cream and powdered sugar.  Stir and bring to a slow boil.  Only turn the heat up to medium high, as anything higher will scorch the chocolate.  Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Allow to boil for 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla.  Stir thoroughly.

Pour into an airtight container.  I use canning jars.

Refrigerate after opening.

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Brownie Cake

We really enjoyed Cookie Week here at Lucy Jane’s and we hoped you liked it, too. With all the holiday baking going on, my sweet tooth is in full effect! How about you? So imagine my delight when my mom brought over this Brownie Cake for dessert when we all got together for a family dinner. She has been making this for years, and it is one of my all time favorites. It is moist and chocolatey and definitely a crowd pleaser. You will be loved and adored if you bring this to your next family dinner, I promise!

Brownie Cake

• 1 cup butter
• 2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Add water and boil for 2 minutes. In a mixing bowl sift together flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Combine sifted ingredients with chocolate mixture, eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat with a mixer for several minutes until creamy. (batter will be thin) Pour into a 9×13 greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and frost!

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 package (16 ounce) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Add milk and boil until it thickens and begins to separate. Add this powdered sugar, and mix with electric mixer until very creamy. Stir in vanilla.

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And the Winner is….

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! And thanks to everyone for your support as we have been getting this blog rolling. We are still in the middle of trying to get the cookbook published and ready to sell. We are finding it is all about patience and finding what is right for us! We have something very specific in mind and know that you will all love it!

I took all the names and entries to Random.org and used their List Randomizer. Then I had Random.org draw a number. The winner of our $50 gift card to Williams Sonoma is:

LEISA WALDRON

She entered four times!

Please contact us at lucyjanesbest@gmail.com with your address and we will send it to you ASAP!

Day 7 of LJB Cookie Week… Coconut Lemon Snowflake Cookies

 

These yummy little gems came to us just this season.  We tried this recipe and fell in love!  We love that they are a rolled cookie; doesn’t the snowflake shape just make it so festive?  And we love the texture of the coconut paired with the tang of the lemon.  Delish!!!

 

Coconut Lemon Snowflake Cookies

 

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks , plus 5 Tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 4 Tablespoon half and half
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• white sparkling sugar, for decoration
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Using an electric mixer, cream 11 Tablespoons butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs, and extracts, scraping the bowl and beat for 2 minutes.  Mix in the dry ingredients.

Divide the dough evenly between to pieces of plastic wrap.  Shape into 2 disks, seal and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 10 tablespoons butter, salt, powdered sugar, half and half, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Beat on high for 2 minutes, until fluffy.  Cover and chill the filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

When dough is ready, roll out on floured surface to 1/8” thick, and cut with snowflake cookie cutter.  Transfer to parchment lined cookies sheet.  Sprinkle each cookie with sparkling sugar and bake for 8 minutes.

Transfer to cooling rack and let cool.  Spread the bottom each cookie with 1 teaspoon of the filling.  Use your finger to press the coconut onto one side of the sandwich then add another cookie to create entire sandwich.

Chill 30 minutes to set filling.

Day 6 of LJB Cookie Week… Robert’s Chocolate Cookies!

 

This recipe cracks me up every time I make it, because I don’t know who Robert is!  I was given this recipe by one of my Mom’s best friends, Karen, who is a fabulous cook and an excellent cookie maker.  The title was “Robert’s Chocolate Cookies” and remains that to this day.  Even though I probably could rename it to something like “Chocolate Decadence Cookies” or “Devine Chocolate Cookies”, I just can’t… like I said, because it continues to rouse a chuckle when I pull out the recipe.  So, thank you Robert, whoever you are… from one chocolaholic to another… thank you for this delicious recipe!!!!

 

Robert’s Chocolate Cookies

 

• 6 ounces unsweetened premium quality baking chocolate (I use Guittard)
• 4 ounces semi-sweet premium quality chips (Guittard again)
• 1/3 cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2  teaspoons Starbucks VIA finely ground coffee  (a little less than an envelope)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup walnut pieces (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

Place unsweetened chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl and melt together and 30 second intervals, stirring at each interval until melted.  Set aside.

 

In small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

 

With electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, coffee and vanilla until pale and thick (about5 minutes).  By hand, stir in chocolate mixture, using a rubber spatula.  Then gently stir in the flour mixture, followed by the chocolate chips and nuts.  Cover and refrigerate till firm (one hour or up to 4 days)

 

Drop level tablespoons (I use a small cookie scoop) onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 8-12 minutes, until cookies are puffed, dry and cracked on the surface, but soft and gooey within.

Day 5 of LJB Cookie Week… Double Peanut Butter Blossoms

We’ve mentioned several times that we love cookies here at LJB, but have we also mentioned that we love peanut butter… and we love chocolate.  So, this cookie is always a favorite of ours because it’s peanut butter and it’s chocolate and it’s candy.  Is there anything better than that?  I submit there is not!!!!

This is an oldie but a goodie, meaning that we’ve been making these for as long as I can remember and I still love them everytime I make them!  Hope you do too!

Double Peanut Butter Blossoms

• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 egg
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 36 miniature peanut butter cups, wrappers removed & chilled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

With an electric mixer in a medium bowl, combine the shortening and the sugars.  Add the egg, peanut butter, vanilla, and milk.  Mix to combine.  Add all the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

Shape dough into walnut sized balls (I use a small cookie scoop to do this) and roll in sugar.  (I don’t like to roll the sticky balls in sugar, I’m just lazy like that,  so I just sprinkle with the sugar after I have them on the baking sheet.) Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until bottoms are golden.

Remove from oven and immediately press one peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie.  Let cool and serve.

*** You can also use Hershey Kisses for the candy.  I just prefer the peanut butter cups, because I’m a peanut butter-aholic!

For other cookies with candy in them, check out our Double Chocolate Peppermint Surprise cookies, or our Rolo Cookies

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300 “Likes” Giveaway!

We officially started Lucy Jane’s Best in August 2011. We wanted to hit 300 “Likes” on Facebook by the end of the year. With your help, and love, and support, we hit 300 last week! To show our appreciation we would like to do a giveaway! It’s our 300 Likes Giveaway and we want YOU to win! And what is it that we are giving away? How about a $50 gift card to Williams Sonoma? Yes, that’s right. One of our favorite stores!

I know I could use some new kitchen towels and have you seen that cookie holiday baking gift set? So cute and it happens to be $49.95!

There are 5 ways to enter:

1. One entry for “liking” us on Facebook.

2.One entry for following us on Twitter.

3. One entry for being a subscriber.

4. One entry for announcing our giveaway on your Facebook page. 

5. One entry for tweeting about the giveaway.

You must leave a separate comment for each entry, and tell us what you did!! We will announce the winner on Monday! And thanks again for all the love and support! We couldn’t have done it without you!

 

Day 4 of LJB Cookie Week…Gingerbread Boys

It just isn’t Christmas at our house without gingerbread boys! This is the recipe I grew up with. My mom made these every Christmas and I have such fond memories of decorating them, eating them, and giving them away. They are thick, soft and a tasy gingerbread that everyone loves!

Gingerbread Boys

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix shortening and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs and mix well. Then add honey and mix well. Add all dry ingredients until combined. Rollout dough about 1/4″ thick on a floured surface. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter and cut cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Use remaining scraps and roll out again until all the dough is used. Will yield about 12 gingerbread boys!

Linking up at: Sweet as Sugar Cookies