S'more Pizza

Hi Friends, and welcome back!  We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Now that we put our cookie sheets away for awhile, and all of our Christmas decorations are finally packed up, we thought we would get our baking on again.  One thing we begin craving in the fall when the weather gets crisp is s'mores.  We are country girls so grew up with bonfires and s'mores.  We are convinced nostalgia makes them taste even better when we still eat them today.  When Mar found a recipe for s'more pizza, we knew we had to try it.  Kait had a pizza stone and Mar had all of the ingredients.  It was a match made in sisterhood.  Here is how it turned out!






Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup coarsely crumbled graham crackers
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• Flour (for dusting)
• 1 pound store bought pizza dough, halved
• Vegetable oil (for drizzling)
• Two 3-ounce bards semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

1. Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven and set a rack on the top shelf
2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and heat the stone for at least 45 minutes
3. In a food processor, combine the crumbled graham crackers with the sugars, butter, vanilla, and salt.  Process to fine crumbs 
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of pizza dough to a 12 inch round

5. Transfer 1 round of dough to a lightly floured pizza peel
6. Very lightly drizzle the round with vegetable oil and gently rub the oil over the dough
7. Slide the dough onto the hot stone and bake for about 2 minutes until it starts to brown on the bottom and puff on top
8. Using your pizza peel, remove the pizza crust and sprinkled with half of the graham cracker crumbs, half of the chocolate, and half of the marshmallows

9. Return the pizza to the stone and bake for 1 minute
10. Transfer the pizza to the top shelf of the oven and bake for about 1 minute, until the marshmallows are browned

11. Sift powdered sugar on top
12. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve right away

13. Repeat with the remaining dough, oil, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate and marshmallows to make a sound pizza

Recipe from: Food & Wine

What are you baking today?  Mari & Kait

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from us at 2 Baking Birdies!  We hope you are having a safe and festive holiday full of lots of joy, laughter… and cookies!  Yesterday was the end of 25 Days of Cookies, so we don't have a cookie recipe to share, but did want to show off these amazing aprons our Mom made us.  Didn't she do an amazing job?!  Thanks, Mom!  And thank you to all of you for following our baking journey!  See you in 2014 with even more tasty recipes!

Marianne & Kait

Gingerbread Cookies

So here it is- the final recipe of the cookie countdown to Christmas. We can't believe that we've actually made 25 cookie recipes in 25 days. We have so many cookies and many of our friends and family have been able to enjoy them! We have loved every minute of this experience but are looking forward to a short break. But we will be back to bake more! Sometime I'll tally the total amount of flour, butter and sugar we went through during the last 25 days and post that too! For now, here's your recipe.








Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/8 cup buter, softened
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a medium bow, mix together the molasses, brown sugar, water and butter until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, allspice, ginger, cloves and cinnamon, stir them into the wet mixture until all of the dry is absorbed. Cover the dough and chill for at least 3 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4" thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the oven. Remove from the cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Once cool, decorate how you would like!!

What are you baking today? Mari & Kait

Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread

Ever since we made the Chocolate & Cherry Shortbread cookies, Kait has been wanting to try another shortbread recipe.  Since Marianne doesn't like fruit in things, she agreed to take another stab at it as well.  This time we went with a chocolate hazelnut shortbread, which was such a delicious decision!












Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract

For icing:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon hazelnut extract
• 1/2 tablespoon milk

Directions:

1. Using your food processor fitted with the dough blade, pulse flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until fully combined
2. Add butter and hazelnut extract and pulse until mixture comes together (it will still seem slightly dry)
3. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter
4. Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes
5. Preheat oen to 300 degrees
6. Remove the dough from the freezer and cut into discs, about 1/4 inch thick
7. Place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cookies are firm
8. Let cool
9. In a small bowl, mix ingredients for icing together until combined
10. Use a fork to drizzle over cooled cookies

Recipe and image from: Mad in Crafts

What are you baking today?  Mari & Kait

Monster Cookies

We aren't sure if these are really "Christmas cookies" or not but Marianne's boyfriend has been asking for them since before the blog started. So when we were running low on some ingredients (flour) we gave in. These don't have any flour in them, so they might be considered gluten free. 

They are easy to make and very yummy!. Just don't over bake them or they will be brown and hard.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 12 ounce jar creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside
3. In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars and mix well
4. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter and mix well
5. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins (optional), baking soda, and oatmeal
6. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes - do not over bake
8. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool
9. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags

Recipe from: Food Network

What are you baking today?  Mari & Kait

Turtle Cookies

Kait is such a sucker for turtle cookies, but for some reason has never thought about making them for herself.  That all changed when we came across this recipe.  We were worried they would be too difficult to make, but this recipe proved otherwise.  It is so simple, and the results are delicious!  This has officially become Kait's favorite recipe we have baked during the 25 Days of Cookies.











Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups pecans, finely chopped
• 14 soft caramel candies
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon shortening

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside
2. Add butter and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer, and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy
3. Add in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, and mix until incorporated
4. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until just combined
5. Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, cover completed, and refrigerate for at least one hour
6. Preheat oven to 350
7. Whisk egg whites in a small bowl until frothy
8. Place chopped pecans in another bowl
9. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls and dip in egg white, and then roll in pecans
10. Place balls about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet
11. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indention in the center of each ball
12. Bake until just set, about 12 minutes
13. Remove from oven and gently re-press indentations
14. Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth, stirring occasionally
15. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture
16. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
17. Place chocolate and shortening in a small plastic bag
18. Set bag in a bowl of warm water to soften 
19. Gently kneed the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed
20. Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag
21. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies

Recipe and image from: The Kitchen is My Playground

What are you baking today?  Mari & Kait

Eggnog Cookies

To us, the holiday season just is not the same without a nice cold glass of eggnog.  Not just any store bought eggnog though... our Nana's eggnog.  That is one family recipe we need to get because it is by far the best (and strongest) we have ever had.  When Kait came across this recipe for eggnog cookies, it reminded us of our Nana's eggnog and it made us smile.  We knew we had to make them and we cannot wait to share them with our Nana too!










Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 cup eggnog
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons eggnog
• 1-2 teaspoons bourbon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Additional nutmeg for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Add the egg and beat well
4. Pour in eggnog and continue mixing
5. While the mixer is on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until everything is just combined
6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours
7. Preheat oven to 350
8. Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto a parchment lined cookie sheet
9. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden
10. Allow cookies to cool on wire racks
11. Once cookies are cool, make the icing by stirring together the powdered sugar, eggnog, bourbon, and nutmeg
12. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with nutmeg before the icing sets

Recipe and image from: Home in the Finger Lakes

What are you baking today?  Mari & Kait