Orange Creamsicle Cookies

** Excuse me for the bad picture and also please note that OXO has not asked me or contacted me in anyway regarding this post. I am not getting anything for my mentioning of this container. I just wanted to share something that works for me.**

I still have not figured out a really cute way to picture cookies. I am not sure what my problem is but the picture never comes out right so I decided this time around to show you the cookies in my new cookie jar. This is the new OXO 5 qt cookie jar that I bought a couple of weeks ago and I love it. I would just put the cookies in some Tupperware and the cookies never stayed fresh so I knew I had to get something that was airtight especially since we seem to always get a small ant infestation once a year as well and would not want to see ants on my cookies.This jar keeps the cookies fresh, I tested it last week with a batch of chocolate chip cheesecake cookies (sorry no pictures) and I don't think I will ever see any ants so I am very happy with my purchase.

This time around I decided on making some Orange Creamsicle Cookies that taste exactly like orange creamsicle ice cream. These are light and moist and slightly sweet, exactly what I expect out of a cookie. I don't like hard cookies at all (another bonus of this cookie jar is that the cookies do not get hard, LOVE IT!).

I found this recipe over at Sprinkled with Flour which came from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. I will let you click over there for the recipe.

I will work on getting better cookie pictures and baking more sweets for you soon.

White Chocolate Strawberry Snacking Cake

I love strawberries. I mean I really, REALLY love strawberries. Strawberries and whip cream, strawberries and chocolate, strawberry milkshakes, strawberry ice cream, strawberry coke floats. I don't care, as long as it has a nice natural strawberry flavor and I can have all of it. Strawberry is on the top of my list of favorite flavors, right along with anything chocolate/peanut butter. But anyway, enough about my fascination.

I bought this wonderful book full of great cakes that has this lovely recipe for a white chocolate strawberry cake and I knew I had to try it. Of course, I have had the book for over a year and haven't baked a single thing from it but that's not important.

The book, Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman is worth it if you like snacking cakes (it is the best way to describe it). Think pound, loaf, bundt or crumb type of cakes. No stack cakes covered in icing in this book. The types of cake you can have for breakfast or a snack or with some tea or coffee without the guilt (or something like that). I may not know what I am talking about since we never have guilt when it comes to cake, in any shape or form in this house.

Now onto this cake, it was delicious. Sweet, but not to sweet. Moist and flavorful. I had some strawberry in every bite. Totally worth making at least once. I doubt it will last long if you do.

Here is the original recipe and my changes are at the end.

White Chocolate Strawberry Cake
Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups AP flour, unbleached
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1 cup sugar
8 oz strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup white chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350F.
Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan (I used pan grease and had no sticking problems)

Combine the egg, egg yolk, sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla in a measuring cup or bowl and mix the ingredients together and set aside.

Combine 1 1/4 cups flour , baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together with a mixer on medium/high speed until combined and light and fluffy.

Turn the mixer to medium/low speed and slowly pour the egg/sour cream mixture into the bowl. Make sure to scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Then slowly add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time until all of the mixture is combined making sure to keep the mixer on 30 seconds after the last addition. Make sure to scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup flour and add to the mixture along with the white chocolate chips. Slowly mixing them with a spatula.

Pour the batter into the pan and cook for 45-50 minutes. My cake was done at around 35-40 mark so just start watching it around 30 minutes.

My changes are as follows:

I added  at least 8.5 oz , probably closer to 9 oz  of strawberries to the batter and I didn't slice them but cut them into tiny chunks
I added a little more than 1/2 cup of sour cream.
I also added a little more than 1 cup of white chocolate chips

I am not sure if by adding the extra ingredients if it changed the moistness of the cake or not but this cake came out perfect for me.

Whatever you do, make sure to go buy some strawberries or go pick some and make this cake. You will not regret it.

I'm back with Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Grieving makes baking hard.

Life doesn't seem that interesting and depression, the deep, dark depression that can easily take over is just to much while trying to keep living life. I didn't have time to really think about how I felt while my dad was sick and after he passed away, the emotions took me over from every direction. The last six weeks has been filled with lots of tears, sadness, depression along with laughter and happiness. I will always miss my dad. I love him dearly. He was such a big part of my life that it is hard to not have him here, just a phone call/short drive away. It is a slow process and things are getting better everyday. I am trying to get back to the things that make me happy and baking always made me happy.

Everyone loves a good cupcake, right?

I am kicking off my return with these rich and indulgent cupcakes. These cupcakes are just like a chocolate chip cookie. Okay, a soft, gooey cookie with butter frosting on top. They remind me of better, happier times. Times when there was less pain and life was good. Oh the chocolate chip cookie cupcake, how I love you. These are the kind of cupcakes you serve to the true sugar lover in your life. Incredibly sweet, buttery goodness that will bring a smile to your face and an intense sugar rush.

I adapted my cupcakes from Annie's Eats. Please kick on the link for her recipe. I didn't do the cookie dough filling but you might want to give it a try.

Stay tune for more sugary goodness.

Where have I been?

I would love to be able to bake and post pictures of my baked goods however, my dad has leukemia and I have been taking care of him which is why I have been absent for so long. I hope when things get a little more stable I will be back in the kitchen and sharing with you guys.