Spritz Cookies

For St.Patty's day I decided to make some themed cookies... however I didn't have a cookie cutter that would work. I suddenly remembered the cookie press I got for Christmas and decided to give it a go! There was a disc that looked like a shamrock, so I started to get baking.

Classic Spritz Cookies

makes 7-8 dozen (although I made closer to 10)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375F. Cream butter and sugar, add egg, milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder. Gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. DO NOT CHILL. Place dough into cookie press (I rolled out a 'tube' of it and plopped as much as would fit into the press) and press cookies onto un-greased cookie sheet (you'll need a LOT of these). Bake 10-12 minutes (I did mine for 10) or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on rack.

These were SO much fun to make! I love that cookie press! It is SUCH fun to use! Now I wanna have fun making all sorts of cookie shapes... Easter is coming up...

Carrot Ginger Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese

So, I wanted to make something a bit different for Thursday Night Dinners. I found this recipe online, and since I had a spice cake mix, I thought it perfect to use it!

Carrot Ginger Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese

Ingredients
1 pkg spice cake mix
3/4 cup shredded carrot
1 Tbsp ground ginger (do less if not fresh... I did 1 tsp)
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (I omitted these since I don't have them)
1 pkg cream cheese
2 cups cool whip, thawed.

Heat oven 350F. Prepare cake batter as directed on the package. Stir in the carrots, ginger, and 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon, and walnuts.

Spoon batter into either 9x13 pan, or muffin tins, etc. Bake less than directed on the package... 15 minutes if 24 muffins, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely.

Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl with a wire whisk, or a fork, until smooth. Gently add whipped topping. Spread over the cake or cupcakes. Sprinkle with the reserved 1/4 tsp of cinnamon.

Refrigerate the cake before eating. It tastes best when it's been in the fridge awhile.

Apple Crisp

So, for dessert today I decided to make something with fruit since I hadn't had any fruit yet today... apple crisp seemed the best idea. I got this recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook and adapted it for 2 single serving dishes instead of an 8x8 pan.

Apple Crisp

For one person (double or triple as necessary)
Ingredients
1 small apple
1 Tbsp (15mL) flour
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp quick rolled oats
dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg
2 tsp (10 mL) butter, softened

Peel, core and chop the apple and place in a small single serving dish (each should hold approximately 1 cup or more). Mix all the other ingredients together and place on top of the apple. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes or until the apples are tender. You can do it in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes (better for single servings... once you get to 6-8 servings though, go for the oven)

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I got this recipe from Kraft as well. It's quite tasty! Perfect for when you need a little fish on the cheap.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

serves 3

Place a can of drained tuna, 2 cups water, 2 cups macaroni (or other small dry pasta), 1 cup milk and a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the pasta is tender, stirring frequently.

Add 2 cups (I usually do much less) shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or whatever you like) and a few spoons of grated parmesan. Stir until melted, then add 1 cup chopped celery and a dash of italian seasoning.