::Lemon Cookies::

I came across this recipe on the Betty Croker website. I needed something quick and easy that wouldn't heat up my kitchen too much for a pot luck BBQ. These were perfect. Completely refreshing and not heavy at all. Even the kids went crazy for them. They were the first desert to disappear from the table!

::Ingredients::

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist lemon cake mix

1/3 cup shortening (I used Crisco Vegetable)

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 container lemon frosting*

::Directions::

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, beat cake mix, shortening, butter and egg on medium speed about 2 minutes or until blended.

2. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, dropped by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart. (You know I used a 1 Tbsp. cookie scoop.)

3. Bake 9-12 minutes or until lightly brown around edges. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet; cool completely. Frost with frosting. Store covered.

According to the website, you can also roll the dough out by separating the dough into 4 equal parts, roll each part 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured surface with cloth-covered rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until light brown around edges.

*I couldn't find Betty Crocker lemon frosting. So, I used a Pilsbury lemon frosting in a can. Here's the tip...I don't ever use the frosting straight from the container. I empty all of contents into a bowl and whip it with a hand mixer (or Kitchenaid for more than 2 cans) and beat it until I like the look. I do this especially before piping onto cupcakes for that "homemade" look.

::Strawberry Cream Cookies::

We tried making these for ourselves today and they are delicious. They'd be so pretty for a little girl's tea or just because really. I'm going to make a second batch for a work party. This first one was a trial and I couldn't stop eating them. They're SO much lighter tasting than you'd imagine. Such a great alternative to heavier cookies.

Above: if you're lazy like I can be...this is how they turn out if you just use a small cookie scoop and skip the rolling.

Below: rolling after using the cookie scoop to make them uniform in size.

::Ingredients::

1 cup butter, softened

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

Seedless strawberry jam (any flavor you really like would probably be just fine)

::Directions::

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle (I used the underside of my 1/2 tsp measuring spoon), make a 1/2 inch deep indentation in the center of each ball; fill with about 1/4 tsp jam. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

They will still look white on the top, so lift up one or two with a spatula and when they are a light brown, they're done enough. They will stiffen up a little as they cool, so don't worry if they're still a little soft.

Yields about 5 dozen cookies.

Up Date

Alright, I promised that I would blog about the experience we had using the giant cupcake pan from Wilton. We tried it out as a birthday cake for my mom. I didn't have a lot of time, so I used a boxed cake mix. These looked like each well was filled sufficiently, but not so much. Next time we use it, we're making a lot of cupcakes too, so I'll just be borrowing some of the batter from those. Other than that, it turned out darling, except that my frosting skills leave MUCH to be desired. Good thing McKayla's birthday cake will be covered in marshmallow fondant. The problem with the wells not being filled enough - the top was over-hanging the bottom by quite a bit and looked funny. Other than that...because of the darker pan, the outside of the cake was done enough that crumb coating wouldn't even be required. I sprayed the pan with baking spray (non-stick spray with added flour) so there was no sticking at ALL, both sides slid right out.

I'm not sure this is a very informative post, but if you have any specific questions about what I did, just let me know.