Recipe: Sugar Cookies

With Christmas just around the corner, it only seems appropriate to share our favourite sugar cookie recipe. I found the recipe over here and after making them for countless parties and holidays, I can say it is tried and true. These cookies never disappoint and are so soft and delicious. They truly converted me to loving sugar cookies, so much that I make sure to send most of them home with friends to avoid eating them all in one sitting. Here's what we do:

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream soft butter and sugar in mixer until smooth. Add vanilla and egg. Mix. Combine flour and baking powder before adding to wet mixture. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until stiff, then remove from mixer and finish kneading by hand. Dough does not need to be chilled (however it can be if you need to make it in advance). Roll to desired thickness, cut and bake for 6-8 minutes depending on the oven. Let cool and frost with royal icing. 

Tip for royal icing: I use two egg whites when I make my icing and the juice of one fresh lemon. In order to get the consistency I want, I slowly add water and stir after the initial mixing is done. Separate into bowls, add food color and pour into a container that has a screw on tip. I prefer the wide mouth Wilton ones from Michael's. Different tip sizes will allow you to alter your details on your cookies. Tooth picks are also very helpful for moving icing where you want it to go. Last thing, patience! Decorating cookies is not for the impatient.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Soup season is among us. The time of year where you just want all the warm cosy meals that take minimal effort. Soup is also near impossible to mess up, making it a staple during the cold months. I love the bright, vibrant colors of this recipe and the taste even more. Send any soup recipes our way. We would love to try something new!

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1.5 tbs of olive oil

3/4 cup of shallots (onions)

1 tbs minced or grated ginger

1 clove of chopped garlic

9 cups of peeled, cubed butternut squash 

(approximately one large squash)

3 cups of chicken broth

1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp red curry paste

3/4 cup light coconut milk

juice of one lime

Directions

In a medium pot, warm the olive oil and cook shallots until soft. Toss in garlic and ginger and let cook for one minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the squash, broth and salt then increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until squash is soft (about 20 minutes). Let cool slightly. Toss in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into pot. 

Combine curry paste and coconut milk and mix until well blended. Add curry paste mixture into pureed soup and stir together. Add desired amount of lime juice to enhance flavor. Top with cream or plain greek yogurt for an added creaminess. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma "Eat Well" by Charity Ferreira (Oxmoor House, 2008)

Orange Pineapple Salad

Orange pineapple salad has been a tasty dish we've been eating for years in the O'Hearon house. It wasn't until my Mom sent me a picture of the recipe that I realized it originated from my Aunt Julie. It is a simple refreshing dish you can add as a side with any meal. It is best during summer time when the BBQ is hot and the food is fresh and light. We also love it for easter which is why I'm sharing it today. I need to whip it up for our easter dinner tomorrow. I love hosting. Here's what you'll need:

One package of orange jello
One cup of cold water
One small can of crushed pineapple
½ cup sugar
One small carton of whipping cream
½ cup shredded mild cheese

Dissolve jello powder in cup of cold water.  Boil crushed pineapple and sugar until dissolved and then combine with un-set jello. Let set in the fridge until firm (about 2-3 hours). Mix whipping cream in mixer and add cream along with cheddar cheese to the jello mixture. Set in mould until firm. Enjoy!

Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last year one of my goals for the year was to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. We all have our preferences but to me the best kind of chocolate chip cookie is a flat, chewy one. In 2017 I tried at least a dozen different recipes, consumed more cookie dough than I would like to admit and we ended up the year feeling defeated. It was a few days into the new year that I found this recipe somewhere on pinterest, tweaked it a touch and found our new go-to recipe. We've made at least four batches of them and they don't last more than a couple days around here. Even my Dad, who often finds something wrong with what I make has no complaints.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup semi-melted butter

1 cup brown sugar 

¾ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 ¾ - 2 cups flour

2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. Add baking soda and salt. Mix. Add flour and chocolate chips. Mix. If 1 ¾ cup of flour is not enough (i.e. batter is still super wet) add more flour. If the batter is too sticky, the cookies will be flatter than pancakes. Still delicious, but too flat. Bake at 350 degrees until edges are golden brown. The middle will still appear soft and will sink in perfectly while cooling. Try not to eat them all in one sitting!