Showing posts with label cream cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cream cheese. Show all posts

6.13.2010

::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.

11.21.2009

::Carrot Cake Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting::

I tried these out today and they were SO easy. Such a great fall/Thanksgiving type treat. Since I'm not really a huge fan of pie, I'm pretty sure these bars will be making it to our Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients:

Bars::
1 box (1lb 2oz) carrot cake mix
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp maple flavor

Icing::
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 to 3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with baked spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, beat bar ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread evenly in pan.
3. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until top is evenly golden brown and bars spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
4. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla and cinnamon with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting evenly over cooled bars. Store covered in refrigerator.