No-Shortening Buttercream Frosting

Here's the buttercream frosting recipe I used on my Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies.

I don't usually like frosting, but this is my new favorite, 

and I LOVE that it doesn't use shortening--it's practically healthy...(ha).

Shortening-Free Buttercream Frosting

From twopeasandtheirpod.com

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt (literally--just taste & add more if needed)

6 Tbsp heavy cream*

Food coloring & sprinkles, optional

Cream together butter and vanilla.  Slowly beat in powdered sugar and salt.  When becomes smooth & creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 Tbsp at a time.  Finally, beat at medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes; until light and fluffy.  Add food coloring if desired.

*You can use 1/2 and 1/2 or milk if you don't have any, although cream tastes wonderful!

Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies

I usually opt for chewy, fudgy, & rich-chocolatey

over

soft, light, fluffy, and sweet.

Until Valentine's Day comes...there's something about it that makes me abandon everything I stand for the rest of the year when it comes to sweets.

So I indulge in sweet & fluffy things,

like sugar cookies.

I have a sugar cookie recipe I use at Christmas, which yields a thinner, crispier cookie.  It's delicious and tastes like my childhood.

But I tried this soft one this year for Valentine's,

and,

what can I say?

I'm in love.

Try 'em and let me know what you think.  :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Update:  Click here for the shortening-free frosting I used for these cookies!

Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies

From twopeasandtheirpod via recipesecrets.net

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 cups white sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sour cream

In large bowl, whisk together flour, soda, powder, and salt; set aside.

Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar at medium speed for a couple minutes, until light & fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add in vanilla and sour cream at low speed until incorporated.

Add in dry ingredients and beat in a low speed until just combined (dough will be sticky).  Divide dough in two and flatten into rectangles (about 1 1/2 inches thick) and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight, or at least a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 425 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a floured countertop and with a floured rolling pin, roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut out cookies with desired cookie cutters, place on baking sheets, and bake for about 7 minutes--take the cookies out when they are barely golden around edges.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack immediately and let cool before frosting.  May store in an air-tight container.  Enjoy!

**Click here for the shortening-free buttercream frosting I used!

Homemade Cocoa Brownies

Rich.  Fudgy.  Simple.  Chocolate.  Brownies.

I recently brought these to a baby shower and they were loved.

  

I was nervous when I first took them out of the oven because they looked cake-y (you might as well make cake instead of make cake-y brownies...according to me). 

But no, they were rich and fudgy.  Just how brownies should be.

Homemade Cocoa Brownies
From Tasty Kitchen
9 servings (pictured is a halved recipe in a mini pan)


1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips (or less)

Cream butter and sugar together.  Beat in eggs & vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
Spread batter into a lightly greased 8 or 9-inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool before serving.

Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake

My husband likes to call it dangerously decadent chocolate cheesecake! I make this once or twice a year for special occasions and have yet to take a decent picture of it...but trust me, it's divine. If you're into luxuriously rich, chocolatey desserts, this cheesecake is for you. I like to serve it with strawberries on the side.

And a huge glass of milk.

Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake
At least 8 servings

Crust:

1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs*

2 Tbsp white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

In small bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into bottom and sides of lightly-greased, 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. (Sometimes, in a hurry, I'll stick it in the freezer to help it cool faster.)

Filling:

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened (room temp)

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

In small saucepan, heat chocolate chips and whipping cream, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat.

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs and beat on low until just blended. Stir in vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture until blended. Pour over cooled crust and bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. (Cheesecake tip: When the cheesecake is almost done, I like to turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and let the cheesecake sit for 30 min or so. This tends to help prevent cracking...although this recipe has a topping that covers up any cracks!)

Topping:**

1/4 cup heavy chipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In small saucepan, heat whipping cream and vanilla, stirring constantly, until just before boiling. Have chocolate chips ready; pour in the hot cream and stir until smooth. Spread over baked cheesecake and refrigerate overnight (the flavor is better the day after). Serve with fresh strawberries.

*I usually use about 20 oreos (with the filling scraped off) and run them through the food processor to get them really fine.

**Sometimes I half the topping recipe to make the topping thinner; either way is yummy (in the photos above, I did not half the topping--it shows how thick the layer is).