Deep *DARTH* Chocolate Cookies

Desserts for Dudes

{Darth Vader Cookies}

Insert Imperial March here:

dum, dum, dum,

da, da, dum,

da, da, dum

Have you seen these cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma?

 

These cutters make embossed cookies...they practically decorate themselves!

Kiddo had a friend coming over for the day, so I whipped up a few Darth Vader cookies.  I used this recipe (oh, and it is SO SO GOOD!), omitting the espresso powder because:
     a. I was out, and
     b. do 11-year-old boys really need espresso powder?

Now, these cookies are made with Dutch-process cocoa powder which makes them really dark, but I also added in some AmeriColor Super Black food coloring.  When tinting dough, just knead in the food coloring with your hands.  If the dough gets warm when you do this, pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so before rolling.

I rolled these out on a surface dusted with a combination of flour and cocoa powder.  Don't worry, if you see some on your cookies...it will bake right in.

One more tip....once cut, pop these in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.


Here's what they looked like just out of the oven....

...perfectly cute!  You really don't need to do anything else to them.

But, of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone.  I tried Amanda's (from i am baker) cookie decorating icing.  I need some more practice with it....mine was a little bumpy and Amanda's never is, but I really liked it.

 

It was shiny, and easy to adjust, and perfect for those times when you don't want to make a big batch of royal icing.

{There is a wonderful video of Amanda making her icing, here, on University of Cookie.}

Now that your cookies are made, it's time to break out your kid's Star Wars Legos and have some fun.  Yes, we're dorks.

 

{I was just informed that the Tie Fighter is backwards. Oops.}

{PS....if you want to see some great ideas for these cutters, visit Jenn and Bento for Kidlet! She is one cool mom!}

Who is your favorite Star Wars character?  

Me, I can't decide. I'm torn between C3PO, Yoda and Princess Leia's hair.

Come see all the goodies people are loving at TidyMom!

For the Little Dudes . . .

Desserts for Dudes month continues with Cute as a Button cookies

...because dudes have to start somewhere!

When our little dude was born, he decided to make an entrance.  An unexpected entrance via emergency c-section, 10 weeks early.  He weighed 2 pounds, 13 ounces. 

{Kiddo is now 11 years old and 5 feet tall....wearing the same size shoe as his mother...}

Looking at birth announcements, I found one that said "cute as a button" and it was perfect because he was about the size of a button.  I only wish I knew how to make cookies back then. :)

The buttons are made from homemade fondant.  Remember that?  They were so fun to make; I could have made hundreds of them.

Supplies for the buttons:

• fondant 
• AmeriColor Sky Blue Soft Gel Paste Food Color
• bench scraper

• tips: Wilton 4B, and #1 or #2 plain tips
• cornstarch
• rolling pin
• toothpicks
• chopstick

To make the buttons, color the fondant with gel paste food coloring, kneading until fully blended.

Dust the surface and rolling pin with cornstarch to prevent sticking, a tip Buddy gave us, and roll the fondant thin, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Use a bench scraper to lift the fondant off the counter if necessary.

Using the back of the Wilton 4B tip as a cutter, cut out the button shape.

Mine kept getting stuck, so I used  a chopstick to nudge them out.
{PS...I'm not going to quit blogging to be a hand model anytime soon.}

With the back of the #1 or #2 tip, add the inner circle button detail, being sure not to press all the way through.

With the tip end of the #1 or #2 tip, make button holes.
{Seriously, what are those holes called? A button hole is something you push your button through.  There must be a name of the holes in the middle of a button. Anyone? Anyone?}

Use a toothpick to poke all the way through the button.
{Again...no hand modeling.}

Let dry at room temperature.  Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

For the cookies:

• Outline & flood the cookies with royal icing and let dry overnight.
• Pipe the dots around the border.
• With an AmeriColor Gourmet Writer Food Decorator Pen , add the wording. (AmeriColor pens are much better than the ones as the grocery store!)
• Attach the buttons with a bit of royal icing.
• Let dry several hours.

German Chocolate Cupcakes (and a giveaway!)

Desserts for Dudes month continues....

with a giveaway!

{See those toppers? Cupcake toppers of YOUR CHOICE are part of the prize package. That's right, package!}

It seems as far as cakes go, German Chocolate is a man's best friend.  I don't know if it's the coconut, the pecans or that caramel-y frosting, but these definitely will win your guy's heart!

First, let me tell you about Laurel...maker of the cupcake toppers and more, like these:

See, a few months back a relatively unknown blogger came through our area on a book tour.  A few, or maybe a thousand, of us took pity on her and went to the book signing.  Dork that I am, I made her cookies and envisioned us becoming besties: making cinnamon rolls, herding cattle, that sort of thing. 

OK....so that didn't happen, but during the wait (and wait and wait) to get my book signed, I really *did* meet some other fabulous women.  Joann, Kimberly and Laurel (just to name a few)....Laurel, of Go Against the Grain on etsy.  Laurel does really cute custom graphics and, it just so happens, cupcake wrappers and toppers.

Laurel is giving TWO Bake at 350 readers their choice of cupcake toppers/flags (go check 'em out!)  Woo-hoo! 

And to go along with those, I'm giving each winner their choice of a few goodies from Bake It Pretty (pics from Bake It Pretty):

{sugar pearls, rainbow non-pareils, or chocolate jimmies}

{baking cups in dots, animal print, or plaid}

Won't your cupcakes look so cute?!?

On to the cupcakes......this recipe is from Ina.  Every one of her recipes that I've tried has been delicious.  This one included.  Oh, and the batter....I will make this again JUST TO EAT THE BATTER.  We're lucky there *were* any cupcakes.

German Chocolate Cupcakes
{adapted from Ina Garten in House Beautiful}

1 & 3/4 c. flour
1 c. natural cocoa powder
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature
2 TBSP freshly brewed coffee, cooled


Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pans with 15 liners.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

{heart-shaped measuring cups are a *must* for brown sugar!}

With the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugars on med-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Lower the speed to medium and add in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.  On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour mixture, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour.  Mix only until blended.  Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure the batter from the bottom is incorporated and blended.

Divide the batter into the cupcake tins.  (Remember to test it....you may get only 14 of those cupcakes after all.)  Bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before frosting.

{Look at those beautiful cupcakes!!!}

German Chocolate Frosting

1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 & 1/4 c. sugar
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 c. blanched, sliced almonds, toasted
1 c. chopped pecans

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the milk, sugar, egg yolks, extracts and salt with a wooden spoon.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, stir and simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Mixture should coat the back of the spoon.

Strain the mixture using a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl.  Stir in the coconut, pecans and almonds.  Allow to cool at least one hour before using.  Frost cupcakes with an off set spatula or butter knife.

---

To enter the giveaway, tell me....

Are cupcakes are all about the cake or the cake is just a vehicle for the frosting?

For an extra entry, tweet the following and leave a separate comment:
"German Chocolate Cupcakes and a sweet giveaway from @bakeat350tweets! http://ow.ly/1Wvlh "

TWO winners will be randomly selected Sunday, June 13th at 8pm CST.  Good luck!

Pssst . . .

....there are a couple new vlog posts over on University of Cookie.

Want to know how to decorate cookies with dots? Or make a wood grain pattern with food coloring?  It's there!  Come see!

Love Me Tender : Soft Oatmeal Cookies

Desserts for Dudes

There may not be only one dessert our men love, but there is definitely a consensus on their favorite cookie....Oatmeal Raisin.

We've covered Oatmeal Raisin here before because it just happens to be MY dad's favorite cookie, but today, let me introduce you to the SOFT Oatmeal Cookie.

This cookie is soft and tender, cake-y and pillow-y, but still rugged and craggy looking enough for our dudes. These cookies don't lie flat; they have love handles.


Soft and Tender Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
{adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion}

1/2 c. unsalted butter
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 c. light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
6 TBSP sour cream (low-fat is ok)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. raisins
2 c. rolled oats
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 & 1/2 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans

Line two baking sheets with parchment.  Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together the baking soda, cinnamon, salt and flour. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil and sugar.  Add the egg, beating until fluffy.  Beat in the sour cream and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Stir in the raisins and oats.

Add in the flour mixture a cup at a time; beat until fully incorporated. Stir in the nuts.  Let eh dough rest for 15 - 30 minutes.

Drop dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 12 minutes or until light brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

{PS....these are also very yummy with dried cranberries and mini chocolate chips!}

Does your dude dig Oatmeal Raisin?

Hot Diggety Dog, it's Beer-thirty!

Desserts for Dudes

Dudes need cookies, too! And why not beer and hot dog cookies? I think these are perfect for summer and a really fun treat for Father's Day!

I've played around with black outlining before and really love the way it looks. The cookies just look so crisp, or whimsical, or something! Anyway, I like it.

A hint for using black icing, use AmeriColor Super Black food coloring. You don't need a lot and it doesn't have the "off-taste" that some other colors have.

Last week, I had the pleasure to meet Jennifer, the cookie maker at Frost Bake Shoppe. Her cookies are absolutely darling and she uses black outlining quite a bit (here's her Flickr stream). Her hint, let the black outline dry for 3 hours before filling to ensure no bleeding into the flood icing.

To decorate the beer cookies:

• With black royal icing, use a #3 tip to pipe the outline of the mug, handle and foam (AmeriColor Super Black). {I used a #3 because really wanted the outline to stand out here.}
• Let dry at least 1 hour.
• Thin white and gold royal icing with water to the consistency of thick syrup (AmeriColor Bright White and Gold). Reserve some un-thinned white icing.
  
• Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minute.
• Stir with a rubber spatula to pop any air bubbles that have risen to the surface; transfer to a squeeze bottle when ready to use.
• Fill in the mug of beer in gold, using a toothpick to guide the icing into the corners. (A video of this technique is available at University of Cookie.)
• Fill in the handle and foam with white.
• Let sit at least one hour.
• With a #1 or 2 tip, add a squiggle for the foam detail in white.
• With the #3 tip, add the mug detailing in black.
• Let dry overnight.

There are several way to make the foamy top of the beer....a star tip, curlicues...but this squiggle is my new favorite.

My guys thought these were very cool.....I hope yours do, too!

I'm linking these up to TidyMom's I'm Lovin' It weekly linky party! Lots of great ideas there....

I know what boys like, I know what guys want . . .

...well, not really. But, I am dedicating the month of June on the blog to MEN! That's right....it's time for:

Desserts for Dudes!

We do a lot of cute around here and I thought the month of Fathers' Day was the perfect time to go macho and honor our dads, husbands, sons, brothers, uncles with sugar. On the blog and twitter, I asked what your dad's favorite dessert is. Turns out, dads have a lot of favorites. But, there was a winner.....PIE, and not just any pie, pecan pie!

This recipe I cut out of a magazine years ago. There isn't a magazine name at the bottom, but just "October/November 2004." I knew I was hanging on to this baby for a reason!

Caramel Pecan Pie
{adapted from unknown magazine 2004 :)}

crust:
1 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cake flour
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
6 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 TBSP shortening, chilled
3-4 TBSP ice water

filling:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 & 1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 TBSP corn syrup
2 & 1/2 c. pecan halves
2 tsp. vanilla

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, pulse the flours, sugar and salt until combined. Add the butter and cold shortening; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized clumps. Add 3 TBSP water and pulse until a dough just begins to form. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time if needed.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12" circle. Place in a 10" (9" is ok) pie tin. Trim and flute the edges. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 375. Line the crust with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake in the lower half of the oven 15 minutes; remove foil and beans and bake an additional 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For the filling, heat the cream and 2 TBSP butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When butter melts and the mixture is hot, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until sugar dissolves.

Dip a pastry brush in water. Uncover the pan and brush the sides with the wet pastry brush to brush down any stray sugar crystals. Increase heat to med-high and boil until sugar becomes a golden brown (about 5 minutes).

Remove from heat. Slowly add the cream, the mixture WILL bubble up, and stir until the boiling stops and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the pecans and vanilla.

Let sit 15 minutes (I forgot to do this...oh, no! This may be why mine was a little runny.)

Pour into baked crust and let sit at least 3 hours until cooled and set. (You can stick in the the fridge once cooled.)

---

Now, *I* thought a brown sugar whipped cream would be delicious with this. Mr. E assured me that ice cream is much more manly, soooooooo, top this pie with ice cream.
If you don't have time to (or interest in) making ice cream, let me suggest Haagen-Dazs 5-ingredient ice cream, Vanilla Bean. I am not a big fan of plain ol' vanilla ice cream. This ice cream, though, with its flecks of vanilla bean, I could eat in one sitting. It's creamy, vanilla-y and decadent! Trust me.

The pie is delicious...the caramel with the pecans all tucked into a buttery crust...but I'll admit, it is a bit soupy. Now, Mr. E assures me this is not a problem...it tastes good and that's what counts. Hey, it's Desserts for Dudes, who am I to argue?

Well, I hope during this month, you'll see one of your dude's favorite desserts! We'll be back to pink and sprinkles next month, not to worry. :)

{Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a 2nd piece of pie to eat!}

And, thank you, thank you to MutheringHeight who helped in the naming of this month! Duuude, you rock!