[TEA TIME TREAT] Lemon Coconut Pixies

Heat oven 300°F. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and lemon peel in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to lemon mixture, beating until blended. Stir in coconut. Cover; refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container in cool, dry place.

[FOOD DIARY] Oatmeal Toffee Bars

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan (...or whatever you own. I could only find my square pan. The smaller the pan, the longer you may have to bake the bars since they will be much thicker).

Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Set aside 1/4 cup toffee bits.

Stir remaining toffee bits and oats into batter.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle reserved toffee bits over surface. Bake 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes clean. 

Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Enjoy!

Shannon

[TEA TIME TREAT] Mint Chocolate Cake

Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9 inch pan with baking spray with flour. Make cake mix as directed on the box, using water, oil, 1½ teaspoons of mint extract, and the egg whites. Reserve 1 cup of batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan. Drop green batter by generous tablespoonfuls randomly into 12-14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batter with metal spatula or knife with S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan ¼ turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.  Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted center comes clean. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely for about an hour. Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining extract, 9 drops of green food color and yellow food color until blended. Spread whipped topping over fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store in refrigerator. 

[TEA TIME TREAT] Chocolate and Peanut Butter Coconut Fudge

Melt chocolate, peanut butter, condensed milk, and butter in microwave. Add a cup of shredded coconut. Disperse into a square pan. Refrigerate until solid. In the meantime, mix 1 cup of powdered sugar, ½ cup peanut butter, ¼ cup maple syrup, and 4 tablespoons of water in a saucepan on a stove top, until smooth. Finally, spread the icing on top of the fudge, and sprinkle with some shredded coconut. Place back in refrigerator for an additional 15-30 minutes or until thickened.

[FOOD DIARY] LEMON CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl (or kitchen aid bowl, hehe) cream together the sugar and butter.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Stir in vanilla and lemon.

Combine flour and baking powder, then add to the creamed mixture and mix well. 

Finally stir in milk until batter is smooth.

Spoon batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool.

Follow the steps here to create a thick and creamy frosting. Be sure to add a fun spring color!

Roll cupcakes in a bowl of sprinkles!

Voila. A perfect cupcake for spring!

Until next time,
Shannon

[TEA TIME TREAT] White Chips Brownies

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Beat eggs in large bowl until foamy; gradually beat in sugar. Add butter and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; add to egg mixture, beating until blended. Stir in white chips. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until brownies being to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. Be sure to add a whole bunch of nuts on top to add a bit of crunch (optional).

[FOOD DIARY] Peach Custard Pies

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Measure flour by dip-level-pour method, or by sifting. Mix flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until particles are pea-sized. Sprinkle with water, one teaspoon at a time, mixing with fork until the flour is moistened. 

 Gather dough together with fingers so it cleans bowl. Press into ball. Place on lightly floured wax paper, or aluminum foil, then divide in half.

Prepare rolling pin by adding flour. Flatten with hand and roll it out to be not quite 1/8" thick. Roll lightly, being careful not to add extra flour as that makes the pastry tough. Try to maintain round edges.

Keep pastry circular and transfer to pie pan. Repeat the process for the remaining pie pan.

Arrange peaches in pie shell, forming a layer of tightly packed peaches.

 Combine sweetened condensed milk, eggs, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large mixer bowl; beat until smooth. Pour over peaches. Bake for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, combine your ingredients for the struesel topping with a pastry blender.

Sprinkle both pies with the streusel topping, and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

 
You can serve this both warm and cold., but make sure you store it in the refrigerator.

Until next week,
Shannon