Best Fluffy Pancakes

 https://cafedelites.com/best-fluffy-pancakes/

Best Fluffy Pancakes

Look no further because a steaming stack of perfectly soft, Best Fluffy Pancakes are right here! Weekends will never be the same again!

Prep Time5minutes mins

Cook Time20minutes mins

Total Time25minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 pancakes

 

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Karina - Cafe Delites

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose | plain flour, (290 g | 10 oz)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar or sweetener, (60g | 2 oz)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups milk, (440ml)
• 1/4 cup butter, (60g | 2 oz)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Instructions

• Combine together the flour, sugar (or sweetener), baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large-sized bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the milk, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla and egg. 
• Use a wire whisk to whisk the wet ingredients together first before slowly folding them into the dry ingredients. Mix together until smooth (there may be a couple of lumps but that's okay).

  (The batter will be thick and creamy in consistency. If you find the batter too thick -- doesn't pour off the ladle or out of the measuring cup smoothly -- fold a couple tablespoons of extra milk into the batter at a time until reaching desired consistency).
• Set the batter aside and allow to rest while heating up your pan or griddle. 
• Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over low-medium heat and wipe over with a little butter to lightly grease pan. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pan and spread out gently into a round shape with the back of your ladle or measuring cup.
• When the underside is golden and bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip with a spatula and cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Serve with honey, maple syrup, fruit, ice cream or frozen yoghurt, or enjoy plain!

Blue Velvet cupcakes

https://juliescafebakery.com/amazing-blue-velvet-cupcakes/

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2 cups sugar
• ½ pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp Wilton royal blue gel food coloring
• 1 small dab of violet gel food coloring (I dipped in a toothpick and used that much)
• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• For the frosting
• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (I hate sifting; I whir it up in the food processor instead to aerate and get lumps out)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and line cupcake pans with liners
2. Cream sugar and butter in mixing bowl till light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg
3. Mix cocoa and food coloring together to make a paste -- this took a while to mix thoroughly with all gel, but it came together nicely; add this paste to sugar mixture and mix well again
4. Sift (or buzz in food processor) flour and salt, and add to creamed mixture a bit at a time, alternating with buttermilk, then mix in vanilla
5. Combine baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl and add to cake batter; mix just to combine
6. Scoop thick batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full, and bake for probably 25-30 minutes, but start checking at 20 -- mine were done at about the 22/23 minute mark; watch for toothpick inserted in center to come out clean
7. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow cool completely on a wire rack
8. Now make frosting!
9. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer until nice and smooth
10. Add sugar gradually and beat on low till combined, then beat on high speed until very light and very fluffy

High Tea Sandwich Cookies

https://www.sugarandsoul.co/downton-abbey-earl-grey-cookies/#wprm-recipe-container-24785

—> used lavender earl grey, skipped the glaze and cut them into inch squares to make sandwich cookies with lemon cardamom caramel

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 bag Earl Grey tea leaves 2 bags can be used for a stronger flavor
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Blend the butter and earl grey tea leaves together and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, longer is fine. If you are running short on time, this step can be skipped and the tea can be added with the powdered sugar. Just note that the flavor may not be as strong.
• Once the butter has finished setting. Preheat oven to 350­° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Cream the butter and tea mixture and powdered sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer.
• Add in the flour and salt. continue to mix until a soft dough forms. The mix will be dry and crumbly at first but will come together.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut out cookies using a 2 in round cookie cutter.
• Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown in color.

Once cooled, whisk together the glaze ingredients and dip or drizzle the cookies as desired and place on wax paper to set.

Notes

• Slightly Adapted from Dine & Dish.
• If using a large loose leaf tea, run the tea through a food processor or use a pestle and mortar to ground it so it's finer.
• 1 cookie is 3 Weight Watchers SmartPoints.
• The longer these cookies sit, the more intense the flavor will get.

Millionaire’s Shortbread (aka Twix squares)

https://sugarspunrun.com/millionaires-shortbread/

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 226g
• 1/3 cup sugar 70g
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 70g
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 260g

Caramel

• 2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk 825ml
• 14 Tablespoons butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces (198g)
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed (200g)
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup 80ml
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Ganache

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 340g
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 120ml
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 5ml
• sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter until well creamed.
• Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
• Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and stir well, pausing to scrape down the sides and mixing until ingredients are well-combined.
• Add flour, gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time), pausing to scrape down sides of bowl. Halfway through the addition of the flour, sprinkle in the salt with the beater still running.
• Don't over-beat the dough, you want it to be slightly crumbly to make it easier to press into the pan.
• Drop dough over prepared pan and gently, firmly, evenly, press dough into the bottom of the pan.  To make it easier, I usually lay a piece of wax paper over the dough and use the palm of my hand to smooth the surface (and then discard wax paper).
• Bake on 350F (177C) for 20-25 minutes -- edges should be lightly golden brown.
• Allow to cool while you prepare your caramel topping.

Caramel

• Combine condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir frequently until butter is melted and ingredients are well-combined. Continue to stir constantly until mixture begins to boil (this could take several minutes, but you don't need to increase the heat).
• Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer (slowly bubbling), still stirring constantly.  Continue to stir 10-15 minutes until mixture turns a rich caramel color and has thickened (should begin pulling away from the sides of the pot as you stir).
• Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
• Pour evenly over prepared shortbread, use a knife to spread evenly if needed.
• Allow to cool at room temperature for several hours or in the refrigerator for 1 hour before topping with chocolate.

Chocolate Topping

• Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.  
• Stir frequently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.  Allow chocolate to cool just slightly for about 5 minutes, and then evenly spread over prepared caramel layer.  Wait several minutes and then sprinkle with sea salt.  
• Allow chocolate to harden (I recommend placing in refrigerator for about 30 minutes -- my family prefers these treats refrigerated anyway) before cutting and serving.

Pear Raspberry Dutch Baby

http://jessicaburns.com/2014/01/pear-raspberry-dutch-baby/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pear-raspberry-dutch-baby

2 pears, sliced
1 cup raspberries, fresh
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cardamom
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
½ stick of butter

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Melt butter in an oven proof skillet. Add in sliced pears, raspberries, sugar and cardamom. Once coated, place in the oven for 10 minutes. Whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl, adding in the milk, flour and salt. Mix until just smooth.

Quickly remove the skillet from the oven and pour batter onto the fruit and put back in the oven. You’ll want to do this very quickly as to ensure the skillet and oven do not loose heat.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the Dutch Baby is puffy and golden. Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve immediately.