The Best Sugar Cookies Ever

holidaycookieswebIt’s time to start your holiday baking! We reached out to Lisi of Lisi’s Luscious Desserts for this simple recipe of an old time favorite. This sugar cookie turns out crisp, flaky and flavorful. The best part is the decorating possibilities. Enjoy sprinkling color sugar, sprinkles or icing with the kids!

The Best Sugar Cookies Ever

Yield: 60-70 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (NOT olive oil!)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

4 1/8 cups flour

Directions:

Cream sugar, butter, powdered sugar, and oil. Then cream in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix baking soda, cream of tartar, and flour. Start adding dry ingredients to creamed ingredients less than 1 cup at a time. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Drop 1-2″ balls on the cookie sheet. If you would like, you can flatten the balls with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in sugar. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are browned. Now you are ready to sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar, colored sugar sprinkles, etc. Here is the great post from Lisi

A Very Berry Breakfast

Berry BreakfastWith the local berry season well underway, we are full of many varieties of organic berries from all our local growers. Lisi from Lisi’s Luscious Desserts shares a healthy hot cereal ripe for your special touches. The hot cereal could be McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oats or Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, available here at the store. The cereal is cooked with berries and its combined with a little cold almond milk (or milk, soy or rice milk) and the addition of fresh cold fruits (the more colorful the better) which can make for a lot of happy campers. You can also make this with chopped apples, raisins, dried cherries and cinnamon too.

A Very Berry Breakfast

Ingredients

1/2 cup hot cereal (your choice!)

raspberries

blackberries

blueberries

strawberries

pomegranate seeds (so good if you can find)

and

any other fruit – mango is nice, red currants too

1-2 teaspoons sugar (brown is nice) or small bit of Truvia

1/3 cup cold milk (I use unsweetened almond milk – but any milk will do)

Directions

Measure cereal according to package and add water (this one calls for a cup). Mix in about 4-5 raspberries and 3-4 blackberries. Place in microwave for 2.5-3 minutes. The fruits will soften and liquefy to some extent and flavor the whole bowl with berry! Be careful pulling out as it is very hot. Sprinkle with sugar or Truvia. Top with cold milk. Heap on cold fruits.

Begin eating 🙂  A nice addition: Flax seed or wheat germ too.

Enjoy Lisi’s variation on this recipe here

Lisi’s Lemon Blueberry Buckle

Screen Shot 2014-06-17 at 2.10.04 PMLisi has shared this berry buckle recipe that can make great use of the berries in session. It’s a blueberry cake with a hint of lemon followed by streusel and then a zingy lemon syrup. This is great for afternoon tea or a morning brunch treat! Enjoy this great mix of sweet and tart:

Lemon Blueberry Buckle

Ingredients
Crumb topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup (2 ounces)
unsalted butter, room temp

cake
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (8 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or from your spice rack if you must :))
6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar zest of a lemon
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen, do not thaw)

lemon syrup
1/3 cup sugar juice of 2 lemons

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9 inch square pan.
For the crumb topping, mix the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest together. Add the butter and use your fingers or a fork to cut in the butter. Keep mixing and squishing until the butter is the size of peas. Place in the freezer until you are ready to use.

For the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. With the paddle attachment of your mixer (or with hand held beaters) cream the butter and sugar and zest together until lighter and fluffy. This should take 5 minutes or so on medium high. Add the eggs, one at at time, and scrape down the bowl and mix again. On the lowest speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, alternating and ending with flour. Mix until just combined. Remove, and fold by hand to make sure all incorporated. Gently fold in one cup of the blueberries, spread the batter onto the prepped pan, then top with the other cup of blueberries making sure to reach every corner. Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping over the berries. Bake for 45 to 50 m – or until lightly golden and firm on top.

While cooking, make the glaze. Combine the sugar and lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes – or until the glaze is syrupy. The glaze will bubble while cooking. Pour the glaze on the cake while hot out of the oven. If the glaze is too thick to pour (if it cooled) just re-heat. Enjoy

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(Adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson) 

http://lldesserts.com