lemon poppyseed bread.

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup poppy seed

1 tbsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

Cream butter, gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add poppy seed, vanilla, eggs and mix well. Combine remaining ingredients in a seperate bowl. Start with your flour mixture and add a little and then your buttermilk. Alternate until mixed well. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. (Because i used the mini loaf pans, i started watching the bread at about 30 minutes.)
Glaze: 1-2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tbsp. butter (melted), juice and peel of one lemon. When cake is cooling poke some holes in it. When it has cooled enough pour your glaze over it. I'm big on the presentation of things. I loved this twine i found at Hobby Lobby that gave it a little bit of an Anthropologie feel.

chocolate thumbprints.

ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups pecans, toasted and ground fine (optional)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16

pieces and softened

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

2 tbsp. corn syrup

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. With electric mixer on low speed, combine flour, nuts, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter, and mix until crumbly and slightly wet, about 2 minutes. Add yolks, vanilla, and 2 tbsp. heavy cream and mix until dough forms cohesive mass.
2. Roll dough into 1-1/4 inch thick balls and place 1-1/2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Press indent into each cookie using thumb dipped into water. Bake 10 minutes, then remove cookies from oven and gently reshape indentation with bottom of rounded teaspoon measure. Switch and rotate baking sheets and continue to bake until just beginning to brown on edges, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes, than transfer to wire rack and cool completely. 3. In saucepan over medium-low heat, combine chocolate, remaining cream, and corn syrup, stirring constantly until smooth; cool 1 hour. Fill indentation of each cookie with generous teaspoon of chocolate mixture. Let sit until firm, about 1 hour.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Crinkles.

[ingredients]:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/4 c. vegetable oil

2c. sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. powdered sugar

In a double boiler or microwave, melt chocolate. In a large bowl, blend together oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. In seperate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture gradually, mixing until well combined (the dough will be stiff). Chill overnight or until dough is firm enough to be rolled into balls.

Preheat oven to 350 degres. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and bake 10-13 minutes (if you want them soft and gooey). Let cool 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

b-a-n-a-n-a bread.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

2 eggs

2 c. flour

4 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. baking soda

3 mashed bananas

1/2 c. pecans (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Mix the above ingredients together.

Bake in 9x13 pan at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. This can make 2 loafs.

Icing:

1 mashed banana

1/2 c. pecans (optional)

1 Tbsp. butter

1 box powdered sugar (of have of a bag)

Put on while bread is hot.

chocolate-chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

2/3 c. cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vailla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teasponfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

sugar cookies.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter or margarine

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cream of tarter

Mix all ingredients together. Stir until soft dough forms. Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic and chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use lightly greased baking sheet. Roll out dough and cut Bake for 5-7 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Decorating Icing:

4 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

3/4 tsp. food coloring

1/2 tsp. mint extract (optional, could use vanilla)

1/4 c.-1/2 c. butter

Mix everything together, spread on cookies and sprinkle with added decorations before icing dries.

baked pumpkin bread.

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 
  

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Mix in the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg and butter until well blended. Pour into a 9x5 inch loaf pan and smooth the top.

3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.