With Sprinkles on Top

Pistachio Cookies

Pistachios are my favorite nut. I would eat them constantly – if could afford to! (side note: why are nuts always so expensive?) Did you know that pistachios are one of the most nutrient dense nuts? Did you know that they are one of the lowest calorie and lowest fat nuts? Did you know that they are one of the highest fiber nuts? Did you know that they are one of the highest antioxidant nuts?

Well you do now. So let’s throw all of the good nutritional information out the window and mix them with sugar, white chocolate, and butter!

Pistachio Cookies
Recipe source: Land O’ Lakes
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1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Candy coating:
6 oz. vanilla candy coating (I used white chocolate chips instead)
1 teaspoon shortening
1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

1. Combine butter and brown sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, almond extract, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed and dough forms. Stir in 1/2 cup pistachios until evenly distributed throughout dough.
2. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a 10-inch log. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 3 hours or overnight).
3. Heat oven to 350F. Cut 1 log at a time, keeping remaining log refrigerated, into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
4. While the cookies are cooling, make the candy coating. Place candy coating (or white chocolate chips) and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and continue microwaving in 15-second increments until the coating is melted and smooth. Be careful not to burn the coating or chocolate.
5. Place a sheet of waxed paper onto a flat surface. Dip each cookie halfway into the melted candy coating; shake off excess. Place onto waxed paper and immediately decorate with pistachios.

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Broken Glass Jello

This recipe involves no baking, no fancy techniques, no expensive ingredients, and not much work! It is, however, a little time-consuming! I made this recipe for two reasons: 1) the fire alarm in my apartment blares if I use my oven, so I’ve had a slight aversion to baking lately and 2) I LOVE JELLO.

Broken Glass Jello
Recipe source: The Food Librarian
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4 boxes (3 oz. each) of Jell-O in different flavors (I used strawberry, orange, pineapple, and lime)
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (Knox brand)

1. For each flavor, dissolve one box of jello in one cup of boiling water. Pour into a container and chill overnight. After chilling, cut them into small blocks (as shown in the photo above). Carefully mix the blocks in a 9×13″ pan.
2. In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1-1/2 cups boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. Once the mixture has cooled, pour over the jello squares and chill overnight.
3. Cut into blocks or shapes and serve.

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Orange Cornmeal Crisps

I’ve been on a cornmeal kick lately with my baking! This recipe is for all of the orange lovers out there.

Orange Cornmeal Crisps
Recipe source: FamilyFun Magazine
Print Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup fine cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 to 2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
Zest and juice of two medium oranges
Pinch of salt

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; then set mixture aside.
2. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and egg until creamy (about 2 minutes). Reduce the speed to low; add the flour mixture, zest, and orange extract and beat until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a dough (about 1 minute).
3. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 12-inch-long, 1-1/2-inch-wide log. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer.
4. Heat the oven to 375F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal on a small, flat tray; roll each log in the cornmeal to coat. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch thick slices and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges — about 10-12 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
5. To make the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar, zest, 1/4 cup orange juice, and salt. If needed, add more juice, a teaspoon at a time, until the glaze has a flowing consistency. Spoon a few teaspoons of the glaze onto each cookie.

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Store Review: Vanilla Bean

This post really only applies to Madison, Wisconsin residents. There’s a baking store in Madison called Vanilla Bean… and if you live in Madison, I urge you to visit! Cause it’s amazing. They have every single baking supply, cookie cutter, cake pan, extract, fondant, sprinkle, liner, kitchen tool, and decoration ever produced. Don’t believe me? Check out the photos below! My only complaint about this store — and it’s a minor complaint — is that the employees are a little, uh, cranky. C’mon ladies — you work in the land of baking goods! SMILE! I certainly would.

Cake pans!