champagne cookies

Adventures with Left Over Mimosa Champagne: Part III

“There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne.” Bette Davis

Yield: 24 cookies
115 calories per cookie
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In your stand mixer bowl with the paddle attached, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add in the baking soda, baking powder, egg, and champagne. Mix, on a speed of 4, until smooth and well combined.

4. Add in the flour and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.

5. Place the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes. 

6. Using a tablespoon, portion out a rounded scoop of dough, and place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

7. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving about 1 inch between the dough balls and cover with sprinkles, if desired.

8. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.

Original recipe found here.

champagne cupcakes with chocolate frosting

Adventures with Left Over Mimosa Champagne: Part II

Yield: 16 cupcakes
260 calories per cupcake
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

ingredients
1 box white cake mix (Or, you can make the cake from scratch.)
1 can frosting (Or, you can make the frosting from scratch.)
3 egg whites

1¼ cup champagne
1/3 cup vegetable oil

preparation
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.

3. Using your hand mixer, beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.

4. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, pour the batter into the lined wells.

5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

6. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin to cool.

7. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and cover with sprinkles, if desired. See step 6 of "chocolate bundt cake" for piping tips.

Original recipe found here.

peanut butter pretzel bites

Peanut butter: Check

Chocolate: Check

Soft pretzel goodness: Check

Yield: 60 pretzel bites
60 calories per pretzel bite
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 150 minutes

ingredients

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 cup unfed sourdough starter, straight from the fridge

3 cups high gluten flour

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons yeast

1 bag of Reese’s Mini’s

preparation

1. In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, dry milk, sugar, vegetable oil, and salt.

3. With the dough hook attached, “stir” to blend.

4. Add the yeast mixture and “stir” until a shaggy dough forms.

5. Increase the stand mixer speed to 2 and knead until a smooth and cohesive dough forms, about 5 minutes.

6. Turn the dough out onto your counter top, knead by had a few turns, form a ball, and place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl.

7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to double in bulk, about 90 minutes.

8. Turn the dough out onto your counter top and divide in half. Place one half of the dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

9. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

10. Divide the dough by:

     a) Cutting the half into fourths, rolling each fourth into a rope, and cutting each rope five equal

pieces.

     b) Cutting the dough into a series of halves until you get 30 roughly equal pieces.

11. One by one, fill each piece of dough by gently flattening the dough with the palm of your hand, placing the Reese’s Mini on one side of the flattened dough, and folding over the dough to form an envelope.

12. Tightly pinch the seams closed.

13. Place the dough rectangle on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

14. Repeat with the remaining dough portions and the other half of the dough.

15. Lightly brush with an egg wash and sprinkle on nonpareils, salt, or candy sugar, if desired.

16. Bake until light brown, about 20 minutes. 

Original recipes found here and here.

strawberry cupcakes with meringue frosting

Sum-sum-summertime!

Complemented by Swiss meringue frosting, these fruity cupcakes are the perfect summer dessert!

Yield: 12 cupcakes
330 calories per cupcake
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

ingredients
the cupcakes
2/3 cup strawberries, fresh or thawed
1½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
2 egg whites, at room temperature

the frosting
1½ cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

preparation
the cupcakes:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a muffin tin with liners.

3. Process the strawberries in your food processor or hand mixer, forming a chunky puree.

4. In medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

5. In small bowl, combine the milk, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree.

6. In your stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. You may have to scrape down the sides of your bowl.

7. Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium high until well combined and fluffy.

8. Reduce the stand mixer speed to medium and slowly add the egg and egg whites, beating until blended, about 30 seconds. Do not over beat, as this will lead to sunken cake.

9. Add half of the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl, beating on low to blend, about 15 seconds.

10. Add the milk mixture and remaining flour mixture, beating on low to blend, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl, if necessary.

11. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 baking cups.

12. Bake for until cupcakes feel dry to the touch, about 22 minutes.

13. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin to cool.

the frosting:
14. Arrange your double boiler, or in my case, fill a pot 1/2 full with water and find a bowl that will sit comfortably on top and not drag in/touch the water. :)

15. Bring the water to a slow boil.

16. While you're waiting for the water to boil, combine all "the frosting" ingredients except for the vanilla extract, in the bowl.

11. Place the bowl over the pan and beat the mixture with your hand mixer for 7 minutes.

start

after 1 minute

after 2 minutes

after 3 minutes

after 4 minutes

after 5 minutes

after 6 minutes

after 7 minutes

12. Add in the vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes.

13. Set the frosting aside for 10 minutes to cool.

14. Fill your piping (or Ziplock) bag with the frosting.

15. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

16. Frost the cupcakes and garnish with sprinkles, if desired.

Other modifications

• Use rosewater, fruit juice, or (gasp) an alcohol like Bailey's instead of the 1/3 water called for in the frosting ingredients.

Original recipes found here and here.