Posts made in February, 2023

• Preheat the oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the first six ingredients; reserve a 1/2 cup in a separate bowl.
• Beat the butter until soft. Add the bulk of the spice mix, continuing to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt. Slowly work this into the butter mix.
• Use a teaspoon scoop or spoon to form small balls. Roll them in the reserved sugar-spice mix. Set them spaced out on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Due to the cocoa, it is hard to gauge doneness by color, so look for them to be set with some light crackling. These don’t crackle as much as standard snickerdoodles, though. Let them rest on the sheet for about 10 minutes, then transition them to a rack to completely cool.
• Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

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• Place the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse to combine. Cut the butter into cubes and add, pulsing until the pieces are pea-sized.
• In a liquid measured cup, combine the ice water and vinegar. With the processor running, pour in the liquid until the dough comes together. It will look crumbly but should come together if squeezed between fingers.
• Turn out the dough and divide it in half. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours. Store in fridge for a few days or freeze for later.

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the prepared pie dough to be about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch cutter, cut dough, reforming scraps to roll out again.
• Dollop about a teaspoon of lemon curd into the center of half of the dough rounds.
• In a small bowl, beat together the egg and water. Brush the egg mix around the edges that surround the curd; do not discard egg wash. Top each with a remaining dough circle, stretching them slightly to cover. Press edges firmly to seal, then apply the tines of a fork to bind the halves. Chill hand pies in fridge for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven at 425-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place hand pies on parchment. Brush tops with remaining egg wash, then use the tip of a knife to cut a small x in each to vent steam during baking. If desired, sprinkle coarse sugar over the tops.
• Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until pies are golden. Move to a rack or different sheet to completely cool. Store in a covered container. Best eaten within a day or two.

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• Line a 9×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Use a food processor or a gallon bag, rolling pin, and muscle to crush all of the vanilla wafers.
• In a big bowl, stir together the cookies crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, nuts, vanilla, and salt. Completely mix and coat.
• Dump the mixture into the prepared pan. Level it out, then use waxed paper and a heavy object such as a glass to evenly compress the crumbs. Chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.
• Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board. Slice up and store in a sealed container either at room temperature or in the fridge.

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• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick cooking spray.
• Prepare the apples. Peel then dice up one of the apples. The other two, peel and slice thinly.
• To a large bowl, add the brown sugar and eggs. Whisk for about a minute until thoroughly combined and creamy.
• Add the sour cream/yogurt, pure vanilla extract, and melted butter. Whisk well.
• In a separate medium size bowl, combine flour, kosher salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Before the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, add the diced apples. Continue to fold in until no streaks of flour remain.
• Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, then use an offset spatula to smooth it out. Shingle the thinly sliced apples on top. The sprinkle turbinado sugar all over the slices.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Pull out the cake and brush on the honey across all of the nooks and crannies. Place the cake back in oven to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is turning golden brown. The apples on top should be fork-tender with the center cake passing the toothpick test.
• Let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing in. Store covered in the fridge. Cake can also be frozen for later enjoyment.

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