Favorite soft sugar cookies

I made these cookies star shaped for our back-to-school, all-star, grandchildren!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies - from allrecipes.com
(I added a little almond extract)

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies I

Rated: Submitted By: Janel Deppe Photo By: justamom Servings: 30

"Soft sugar cookies =)"

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream 5 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 2 tablespoons evaporated milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 4 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Cream together 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs. Add sour cream.
2.	Mix together 5 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add to the egg-sugar mixture.
3.	Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
4.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5.	Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes.
6.	To Make Frosting: In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat together the softened cream cheese and evaporated milk until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt and confectioners' sugar. Beat until well blended. Color as desired and frost cooled cookies.

Sugar Cookie Icing - also from allrecipes.com
(I made the icing thicker and spread it on the cookies)

Sugar Cookie Icing

Rated: Submitted By: JBS BOX Photo By: HappyHousewife Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 12

"Sugar cookie icing is a quick and easy recipe using ingredients you most likely already have on hand."

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup confectioners' sugar 2 teaspoons milk 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract assorted food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2.	Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Tumeric Tea

How To: Making Turmeric Tea
Published: 8/7/2013

From Dr Weil

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a culinary spice that spans cultures - it is a major ingredient in Indian curries, and is what makes American mustard yellow. Evidence is accumulating that this brightly colored relative of ginger is a promising disease-preventive agent as well, outperforming many pharmaceuticals in its effects against chronic, debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, arthritis, cancer and even possibly depression - all with virtually no adverse side effects.

To get more turmeric into your diet, consider drinking it in tea form. The recipe is simple, and you can experiment with the ingredients and flavorings until you find a combination that suits your taste.

Turmeric Tea

1. Bring four cups of water to a boil.
2. Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup, add honey and/or lemon to taste.

Some people like to add a teaspoon of ginger along with the turmeric. While ground versions are more convenient, it's worthwhile to experiment with freshly grated turmeric for a more vibrant flavor. These distinctive, deep-orange roots are increasingly available in American grocery and natural food stores. Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Cake

Love this cake!

I made this last week for our Sunday Dinner on the deck. All the family was here so that means 17 hungry grandchildren running around. We gave the kids ice cream bars and the adults (mostly the ladies) gathered around the table and devoured every bit of this 9x12 cake. We just kept cutting off little pieces as we chatted. We told the kids - "this is the grown up dessert."

The recipe (and picture) is from Cinnamon and Spice and Everything Nice

Chocolate Sour Cream Snack Cake

Ingredients

1 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 + 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa*

1 + 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening or butter, softened

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream (regular or light, not non-fat)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

frosting:

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream (not non-fat)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted

4 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x13x2 inch baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt together. Add shortening, milk and sour cream; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add eggs and vanilla; beat 2 more minute.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center. Cool on wire racks 15-20 minutes, turn out and cool completely. Frost with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting.
4. To make frosting: in a large mixing bowl cream butter and sour cream together until fluffy on medium speed, beat in vanilla and cocoa powder, add one cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time until you reach a nice, thick consistency, continue to beat on medium speed until fluffy 3-4 minutes. Spread evenly over top of cake.

Notes

*Use Dutch-processed or European cocoa.

Recipe adapted from McCalls ©1910

Read more: http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/chocolate-sour-cream-snack-cake/#ixzz2bGUFj1FW

Pizza Dough

I received this recipe from the owner of a Chicago pizzeria - it's the best!

Pizza Dough

4-5 cups flour
2 Tbs (or packages) yeast
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)

(I use rapid rise (instant) yeast. If you use the active dry yeast that comes in the packages, follow more traditional bread making steps where you hydrate the yeast in water and mix in with the liquids.)

• Combine and mix 2 cups of the flour with all dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large mixer fitted with a bread mixing blade. 
• Add water and oil and mix until combined. Add the rest of the flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. 
• Let rise until double. This dough rises quickly but timing depends on many factors so expect 20-40 minutes.
• Briefly mix dough to deflate it and then divide into portions. This makes 2 large or 4-8 smaller pizzas (depending on size).
• Shape pizzas - I roll out the dough with a rolling pin or your can stretch and pat it into shape in lightly oiled pans. I like my crusts quite thin but this recipe works with any style crust.
• You can top and bake the them right away or partially pre-bake the un-topped pizza crusts and finish them in the oven or on the grill later. The crusts can be frozen at this point too.
• Bake at 500 for about 5 minutes for pre-baking (take them out just before they start to brown) and 15-30 minutes, until browned, for a topped pizza (timing depends on the toppings).

These crusts make amazing grilled pizza. I bought the book Pizza on the Grill for cooking and topping ideas. It's great.

Simple French Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Years ago I learned to make this simple dressing from a dear French friend. I use it almost daily in all its variations.

I make this with no recipe - more by feel. Here are the general directions, but you need to experiment with the proportions.

This makes enough for a large salad. But you can make extra and store it in a jar in the refrigerator. Just shake before serving.

French Vinaigrette

• Use a sturdy bowl.
• Start with good quality dijon mustard - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
• Add salt and fresh ground pepper. You need plenty of salt - remember you will be flavoring a big bowl of greens.
• Add any other flavorings you'd like - honey (same amount as mustard) for a sweet dressing (great with bitter greens), and fresh or dried herbs - my French friend liked to add a finely chopped shallot
• Add about 2 tablespoons of the acid - this can be lemon juice or vinegar
• Gradually whisk in the oil - 3 or 4 times the amount of the acid - about 6 tablespoons. I use very good quality olive oil. As you whisk in the oil, the mixture will emulsify and become creamy.
• Taste, adjust seasoning, and toss with greens.

Chocolate Mousse

I've worked on perfecting this recipe for years

Chocolate Mousse

3 eggs, separated

4 ounces dark chocolate (flavor is important – so use good quality - I like to use a few different varieties – you can add some cocoa if you want it extra chocolatey)

¼ cup milk

½ cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

• Heat chocolate, sugar, and milk in pan over low heat. Be gentle and stir often so the chocolate doesn't scorch.  Heat until chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. Take off the heat for a minute.
• Beat egg yolks with a fork or whisk. Pour a little of the warm chocolate mixture into the yolks and stir in to carefully raise the temperature without curdling the eggs.
• Whisk egg mixture into the chocolate pan. Cook gently with lots of stirring (whisk is best) until you just see a bubble or two (to make sure the eggs are cooked).
• Pour into bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mixture should be like thick pancake batter. If it's too thick, whisk in a little more milk.
• Meanwhile whip the egg whites until almost stiff (holds soft peaks). When chocolate is cooled, carefully fold in egg whites (spatula works best).
• Whip cream until stiff. Fold it into chocolate mixture. You can reserve some for a topping if you like.
• Spoon into pretty bowls or stemmed glasses. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls (made with a peeler) or a bit of fruit.

Mango Mousse

I learned to make this when we lived in the Caribbean and had 3 glorious Mango trees in our yard.

Mango Mousse

1 env. unflavored gelatin

6 tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. cold water

1 1/2 c. fresh mango puree (from 2 lg. ripe mangoes)

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 lg. egg whites, at room temp.

1/2 pt. (1 c.) heavy or whipping cream

In microwavable 1-quart bowl, combine gelatin and 4 tablespoons sugar. Stir in water and microwave uncovered on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until gelatin and sugar dissolves. Stir in mango puree and lemon juice. Chill mixture just until it mounds slightly. In small bowl, with electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into mango puree mixture.

In small bowl with beaters, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold mango mixture into whipped cream (reserve a little cream if desired, for garnish). Divide mango mousse among 6 serving dishes. Chill mousse until firm. To serve, garnish with whipped cream, mango slice and mint sprigs, if desired.

Serves 6