🍰 Recipe Collections: Delicious Desserts

[Amethyst]

Cannoli Cake

Servings: 16

Ingredients:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups buttermilk, room temp
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Ricotta Frosting:

1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
4 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
1 cup mini chocolate chips, for topping

Directions:

Prep pans: Line two 8-in cake pans with parchment paper and spray the insides with nonstick cooking spray.

Cake Batter: In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Add butter and sugar to a stand mixer, then mix on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, then mix.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add ½ cup buttermilk and mix. Repeat with flour and buttermilk, ending with flour, until all is combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Pour batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

Torte Cakes: Once cakes have cooled completely, use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake round in half, horizontally, resulting in 4 thin cake rounds.

Ricotta Frosting: Measure out ricotta, then place it on a plate lined with several paper towels. Place a few paper towels on top of it, and press down to remove some of the moisture from the ricotta. Add ricotta to a mixing bowl with cream cheese and powdered sugar, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

In a separate bowl, add heavy cream and vanilla, then beat until stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream (and zest, if using) into the ricotta mixture.

Assemble: Place one baked cake round on a cake stand or cake board. Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on top. Apply the second cake layer, and spread more frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake layers. Spread a thin layer of frosting all around the outsides of the cake. (It will have the look of a naked cake.) I like a little extra frosting on top.

Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Notes:

Freezing Instructions: Wrap the baked and cooled cake rounds in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months before assembling and frosting the cake. The ricotta frosting should not be frozen and is best made day-of.

Store Cannoli Cake well covered in the fridge.

Nutritional Facts:

Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 487IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe courtesy of Tastes Better From Scratch.com

[Amethyst]

Low-Fat Refined Sugar-Free Cheesecake

Servings: 10 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Ingredients:

Cookie Crust:

7 oz (200g) refined sugar free cookies or graham crackers
1/4 cup (60g) melted butter(or coconut oil)

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 pound (450g) light cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (450g) 2% fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup (150g) honey or maple syrup
1/4 tsp (1g) salt
3 eggs, room temperature
lemon zest from 1 lemon
2 tsp (10g) vanilla extract
2 tbsp (16g) cornstarch

Refined Sugar-Free Strawberry Sauce:

9 oz (250g) fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice
2-3 tsp honey, optional

For decoration:

fresh strawberries

Directions:

Prepare the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line with parchment paper an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan (with a removable base). Place the refined sugar-free cookies or graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and crush until crumbs form. Add melted butter or coconut oil and mix until evenly moistened.

Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan using the back of a spoon.

Bake for 10-13 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 300F (150C).

Prepare yogurt cream cheese filling:

In a large bowl, mix the light cream cheese with honey (maple syrup )until smooth. Add salt, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and cornstarch, and mix until combined.

Add eggs one at a time until each egg is incorporated. Add yogurt and mix until well combined. Try to not overmix the batter to incorporate as little air as possible.

Pour the yogurt cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust.

Bake at 300F (150 °C) for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and leave it in the oven.

Remove and run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the pan. Let it cool completely at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the refined sugar-free strawberry sauce:

Place strawberries and orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring constantly.

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened and remove from heat. Sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside to cool. If it seems it needs more sweetness, add 2-3 teaspoons of honey and stir to combine.

Top the cheesecake with fresh strawberries and serve with strawberry sauce if desired, and enjoy!

Nutritional Facts:

Serving: 1 serving out of 10Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 36.9gProtein: 11.6gFat: 10.7gSaturated Fat: 5.5gCholesterol: 75mgSugar: 24.8g

Recipe courtesy of Home Cooking Adventure.com

[Amethyst]

Lemon Raspberry Cake

Servings: 8
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 23 minutes
Refrigerate: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 38 minutes

Ingredients:

Lemon Cake:

2 cups sugar
zest of two lemons
1½ cups butter, softened
3 large eggs + 2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3⅔ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups buttermilk

Raspberry Buttercream:

12 ounces fresh raspberries
1½ cups butter, softened
5½ cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons cream or half and half
1 cup raspberry jam
fresh raspberries, for decorating

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant. Add the butter and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and egg whites, vanilla, and lemon juice, and mix until well blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix just until combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake 23-26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, puree the raspberries using a blender or food processor. Strain the raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Add the butter to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat until light and fluffy. Add the raspberry puree and powdered sugar, and mix until combined. Add cream as needed to make a smooth frosting. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake, level each of the cake layers. Place a cake layer on a serving platter or cake stand and spread a ¼ inch thick layer of frosting over the top. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edges of the cake layer to hold in the jam. Spread ½ cup of raspberry jam evenly over the buttercream.

Repeat with the next cake layer, then top with the remaining cake layer. Spread a thin coat of frosting over and around the cake to seal in the crumbs.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After the frosting has set, spread a thicker layer of frosting around the sides and top of the cake, then decorate as desired (I just did little dollops with an open star tip).

Refrigerate any leftover cake.

Notes:

Make ahead of time. The separate ingredients can be stored to be assembled later. If storing fully frosted, avoid adding fresh fruit until serving.

Store unfrosted cake layers. Wrap cooled layers in plastic. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days or wrap them again with foil and freeze for up to 2 months. No need to thaw before assembling the cake.

Store assembled cake with a crumb coating. Once the crumb coating has set, wrap the cake with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze it for up to 1 month.

Store a fully frosted cake. Place the frosted cake in a cake container, or once the frosting has set, gently wrap it with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or wrap it again with foil and freeze for 2-3 months.

Leftover cake. Use a piece of plastic to cover any of the exposed cake to help keep it from drying out. The cake can last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remove fresh fruit topping before storing.

Room-temperature ingredients combine much more easily than cold ingredients.

Don’t overmix your cake batter to keep a tender texture.

Doneness. Don’t open the oven door or your cake can bake unevenly and fall. Start checking for doneness when the lowest bake time is reached and bake longer as needed.

Line the pan with Parchment Paper before adding the cake batter to prevent sticking.

Cool the cakes in the pan for a few minutes before inverting them onto wire racks to cool completely.

Nutritional Facts:

Serving: 1cake, Calories: 1532kcal, Carbohydrates: 211g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 74g, Saturated Fat: 46g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 251mg, Sodium: 1030mg, Potassium: 368mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 156g, Vitamin A: 2334IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 155mg, Iron: 2mg

Recipe courtesy of Lil Luna.com

[Amethyst]

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

prep time 15 Min
cook time 30 Min
yield 3 pints

Ingredients:

2 cups small-diced rhubarb
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
1 1/4 cups hulled strawberries, crushed
4 cups granulated sugar
1 box 1.75 oz of Sure-Jell fruit pectin

Directions:

Sterilize the containers you plan on storing your jam in.

Put the diced rhubarb, water, and lemon juice into a saucepan and cook for about 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring periodically. Once the rhubarb has reduced, take the pan off the burner and let it cool.

Clean, hull, and crush the strawberries.

Add the strawberries and cooled rhubarb to a large bowl. *You should have approximately 2 cups total of the fruit after you combine the crushed strawberries with the cooled rhubarb.

Add the sugar to the fruit mixture and stir to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pectin Prep:

In a small saucepan, add 3/4 cup of water and 1 package Sure Jell original fruit pectin. On medium heat, bring to a boil while stirring constantly. (It will be clumpy at first but will dissolve as the mixture heats up.) Once it reaches a full boil, cook for 1 minute.

Remove the pectin mixture from the heat and add it to the fruit mixture in the large bowl. Stir for about 3 minutes to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy.

Immediately ladle the jam into the prepared containers, making sure to leave 1/2 inch space at the top for freezing. Wipe the edge and outside of the container, place the lid on, and label your jam jar with name and date.

Let your containers stay at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing. Freeze up to a year or refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

Recipe courtesy of Just a Pinch.com

[Amethyst]

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Filling and Baileys Frosting

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Makes: 1 dozen

Ingredients:

½ cup Stout of your choice (I like Guinness)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
⅓ cup sour cream
1 batch Irish Whiskey Filling (recipe below)
1 batch Baileys Frosting (recipe below)

Irish Whiskey Filling:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
1 teaspoon Irish whiskey

Bailey’s Frosting:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cavity cupcake tin with papers.

Bring stout and butter to a simmer in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder to the saucepan and whisk the mixture until it’s smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a separate large bowl with a hand mixer (or whisk), beat together egg and sour cream until combined.

Add the chocolate stout mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.

Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way.

Bake for about 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes and then take them out to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cooled completely, core out a small section from the middle using either a knife or a cupcake corer.

Spoon Irish whiskey filling into the centers of cupcakes. Frost cupcakes with Baileys frosting. I used a Wilton 1A pastry tip for mine.

Irish Whiskey Filling:

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil (keep a close eye on it and remove from heat right when it starts boiling). Pour cream over the chocolate in the bowl and let it sit for 1 minute.

Then, stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Add butter, Baileys, and Irish whiskey, and stir to combine.

Bailey’s Frosting:

In the bowl of a mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, mix butter on medium speed until it’s nice and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time and beat until well-combined.

Add the Baileys and beat until combined. If frosting is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time.

Notes:

For an easy way to core cupcakes, I recommend this Cupcake Corer (affiliate link)

How to store:

You can store these chocolate stout cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

If you want to keep them for longer, you can store them in the fridge for about 5 days.

If keeping in the fridge, I recommend letting the cupcakes sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.

Variations on recipe:

I think the three elements of these chocolate stout cupcakes are perfection when they’re combined. But if you don’t love one of them, you can easily alter it. Or you can change an ingredient or add one to give the cupcakes a spin of your own!

Here are some fun ideas:

If the cupcakes are too boozy for you, leave the Irish whiskey out of the filling and make a plain chocolate ganache instead. You can also leave the Baileys out of the frosting and make a simple vanilla buttercream frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting instead.

Instead of making a chocolate ganache whiskey filling, make a caramel whiskey filling instead.

Add espresso powder to the cupcake batter, filling, or frosting for more richness and a great complementary flavor.

Use flavored Baileys for the frosting. I like their chocolate flavor or their cherry chocolate flavor.

A cream cheese frosting with Baileys added in would also be delicious.

Mix chocolate chips or nuts into the cupcake batter.

Add mint extract to the cupcake batter for a festive chocolate mint flavor.

Leave out the filling to save on time.

Recipe courtesy of We Are Not Martha.com

[Amethyst]

Easter Cupcakes (Coconut & Chocolate)

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
Yield: 15 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
1/2 cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water*

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped*
2/3 cup (160ml) heavy cream

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting & Garnish:

8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 and 3/4 cups (330g) confectioners’ sugar
3/4 teaspoon coconut extract*
salt, to taste
1 cup (100g) sweetened shredded/flaked coconut, for topping*
candy-coated chocolate eggs, for garnish

Directions:

Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 3 cupcake liners, or bake in batches.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot coffee/water, and whisk until the batter is completely combined. The batter is thin.

Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. You should have enough batter for 15 cupcakes.

Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the chocolate ganache: Place finely chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over the chocolate, then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Ganache is thin. The finer you chop the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. If needed, see Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache. Once the ganache is smooth, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour to thicken before filling the cupcakes.

Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes must be completely cooled—and even chilled for 20–30 minutes in the refrigerator if they’re particularly sticky on top—before filling and topping.

Fill the cupcakes: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a little pocket about 1 inch deep. The piece you removed will be sort of cone-shaped. Spoon some of the chocolate ganache inside each carved-out cupcake—use however much will fit. (I use either a teaspoon measuring spoon or a Wilton piping tip #12 to fill cupcakes. Usually, you can fit between 1–2 teaspoons of filling in each.) Slice/tear off the pointy end of the “cone” piece of cupcake you removed, and gently press the round piece back on top of the filling. See my How to Fill Cupcakes post if you need extra visuals or help with this step.

Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, coconut extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add another pinch of salt if it’s too sweet, or another 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar if you want it a little thicker.

Frost cooled cupcakes. I used Wilton piping tip #12 to pipe it, but you can also just spread the frosting on with a knife or icing spatula.

To finish, hold a frosted cupcake over a bowl or plate of the shredded coconut and sprinkle the coconut on top, gently pressing it so it sticks to the frosting. Top each cupcake with 2 or 3 candy-coated chocolate eggs.

Serve immediately or store covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving. Cover and store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend a Cupcake Carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.

Notes:

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bake the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and fill/frost the day of serving. Frosting and chocolate ganache can be prepared the day before, too. Cover each and refrigerate overnight.

The ganache will be thick. If needed, to thin out, spoon ganache into a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Stir constantly until thinned out. Unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before assembling and serving.

Cupcakes Sinking: The cupcakes may look like they’re sinking in the center while they’re baking, but they should pop back up by the time baking is finished. It doesn’t matter all that much if they sink a bit in the center, though, because you’re cutting out the middles and filling them.

Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY Buttermilk Substitute if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cupcakes won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.

Hot Coffee or Hot Water: Hot liquid enhances the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also encourages it to bloom and dissolve appropriately. I promise these cupcakes don’t taste like coffee at all! If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water. For a deeper and richer flavor, though, use coffee (regular or decaf, but make sure it’s black with no sugar or cream). You can either brew it in a coffee maker or make Instant Coffee.

Chocolate for Ganache: Real, quality chocolate is ideal for ganache to set properly. I use a 4-ounce baking bar found in the grocery store baking aisle, such as Ghirardelli or Baker’s brands.

Coconut Extract: A necessary ingredient in this frosting. Without it, you will lose all of the coconut flavor. It’s typically found with the other extracts in the baking aisle. Coconut milk and coconut cream will not add enough flavor, and you don’t want to add more liquid to the frosting. If you’d prefer a plain cream cheese frosting, you can replace the coconut extract with vanilla extract.

Sweetened Shredded/Flaked Coconut: If you prefer the shreds to be a little smaller, you can pulse them a few times in a food processor. If desired, you can toast some or all of the coconut. Spread it on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 6–8 minutes, until browned to your liking. Allow to cool completely before using.

Can I Make This Into a Cake? Absolutely. Use my Chocolate Cake Recipe for 2 cake layers, and 1.5x this recipe for coconut cream cheese frosting. Spread about a cup of coconut cream cheese frosting on one cooled cake layer, top with 2nd cake layer, spread on the remaining frosting, and top the cake with chocolate ganache and/or sweetened shredded coconut.

Recipe courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction.com

[Amethyst]

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Cool Time: 4 hrs 45 mins
Total Time: 6 hrs
Servings: 16

Ingredients:

Brown Butter:

11 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cheesecake Filling:

8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Carrot Cake:

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups grated carrot

Directions:

Place butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until little browned bits begin to form in the bottom of the pan and turn an amber color, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line an 8x8-inch square pan with enough parchment paper to have overhang on all sides.

For cheesecake filling, beat cream cheese, white sugar, egg, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt together with an electric mixer until completely smooth and combined. Set aside.

For carrot cake, to cooled browned butter, add brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and allspice and whisk until thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute. Add egg and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and whisk until thoroughly smooth and combined. Add flour and baking soda and mix until just incorporated. Stir in grated carrots.

Place about 1/2 of the carrot cake batter into the pan and smooth into an even layer (it will be a somewhat thin layer). Pour cheesecake filling over the top of the carrot cake layer. Place dollops of the remaining carrot cake batter over the cheesecake filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the layers together a few times, taking care not to go all the way to the bottom of the pan. Tap the pan on the counter several times to help the batter resettle into an even layer.

Bake in the preheated oven until bars are puffed and have only a slight jiggle in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Allow bars to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours.

Remove bars from the pan using the parchment overhang. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Run a sharp knife under hot water, then dry it off on a towel. Use the hot knife to cut the bars into 16 servings. Wipe off the knife as needed between cuts. Keep extra bars stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.com

[Amethyst]

Mint Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Resting time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
Servings: 18 cheesecakes

Ingredients:

Cheesecake Layer:

18 mint Oreo cookies
16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (114 g) sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring, optional
¾ cup (133 g) mini chocolate chips

Ganache:

4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate baking bar
4 ounces heavy cream

Directions:

Cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a standard-sized cupcake pan (not a mini cupcake pan) with 18 paper liners and place one Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add cream cheese. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add granulated sugar, then mix until smooth. Next, add eggs and mix until incorporated. Then, add sour cream and mix until incorporated. Last, add vanilla, peppermint, and food coloring (optional) and mix until incorporated. We’re adding each ingredient separately to prevent lumps from forming. Take care not to over-mix or whip extra air into the batter (this causes sinking later on).

Add mini chocolate chips and gently stir to incorporate.

Distribute batter evenly between cups. Gently tap the pan onto counter top a few times to level filling and remove excess air bubbles.

Bake for about 17-19 minutes, or until the cheesecake looks set and the centers only slightly jiggle. Turn the oven off and crack the door a few inches. Allow cheesecakes to rest for 2-3 minutes before removing from the oven. Remove and allow cheesecakes to cool for 30 minutes.

Ganache:

While cheesecakes are cooling, prepare the ganache topping.

Finely chop the chocolate, place it into a heat-proof bowl, and set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add heavy cream.

Heat until barely simmering (do not let it come to a full rolling boil; this is too hot).

Remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate. Allow to sit, undisturbed, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Gently stir until the chocolate has melted. Larger pieces of chocolate will take longer to melt.

Allow ganache to cool for 10 minutes before adding a spoonful to each cheesecake. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill cheesecakes for 2 hours before serving.

Notes:

Mini cheesecake size: This recipe makes 18 standard-size cupcake cheesecakes. “Mini” refers to the size compared to a regular whole cheesecake and does not refer to a mini muffin tin. You are welcome to use mini muffin tins for this recipe, but it has not been tested, so baking times and quantities will vary.

Bring ingredients to room temperature: This is important for making a creamy cheesecake filling. If even one ingredient is cold, it can create lumps in the batter.

Fixing lumpy batter: Try pressing it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lumps.

Storage: Cheesecakes will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
They also freeze well for up to a month. Allow your cheesecakes to cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Allow to thaw for 2 to 3 hours on the countertop before serving.

Variations:

Mix-ins - Substitute mini chocolate chips with crushed Oreo cookies, chopped chocolate, or omit mix-ins entirely for a smooth mint cheesecake.

Toppings - Substitute the ganache with whipped cream, half an Oreo cookie, crumbled Oreo cookies, chocolate shavings, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce

Nutritional Facts:

Serving: 1cheesecake | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 3mg

Recipe courtesy of The Toasty Kitchen.com

[Amethyst]

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Eggs

Yield: 30 serving(s)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
14 ounces of peanut butter
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped (optional)
milk chocolate candy coating

Directions:

Put the butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl. Mix them on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, 1/3 cup of the peanuts (if using), and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well-blended.

Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until the candy is a workable texture: not too sticky and easy to handle. If necessary, add a little more powdered sugar to get it to a workable consistency.

Roll a small amount of the mixture in your hands until it is an egg shape.

Put it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and repeat with the remaining candy until all the mixture is gone (about three dozen eggs). Put the eggs in the refrigerator to firm up for about an hour.

Once firm, put the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one-minute increments until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating. When the coating is melted, dip the eggs in the coating and return them to the foil-lined sheet.

While the eggs are still wet, sprinkle the tops with the remaining chopped peanuts (if desired). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the coating. Store in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, bring to room temperature (they taste better this way).

Notes:

Eggs may be frozen for easier handling. Only remove a few eggs from the fridge at a time so they don’t thaw when trying to work with them.

Nutritional Facts:

calories: 200kcal, carbohydrates: 20g, cholesterol: 12mg, fat: 13g, fiber: 1g, protein: 4g, saturated fat: 5g, sodium: 104mg, sugar: 16g, unsaturated fat: 8g

Recipe courtesy of Just a Pinch.com

[Amethyst]

Easy Easter Toffee

Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Overall Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

Base:

48 plain saltine crackers (or more if your baking sheet allows)
16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar

Topping:

6 oz of creamy white chocolate chips (go for a good-quality brand)
1-2 drops of gel food dye for color (optional but fun: try green, pink, or yellow)
A mix of festive candies or sprinkles, perfect for Easter or spring vibes, use however much you like

Directions:

Heat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper that’s large enough to cover the sides.

Put crackers down flat on the prepared parchment, fitting them in one even layer.

Melt your butter and dark brown sugar together over medium heat in a saucepan. Stir it constantly while boiling for 5 minutes until it looks combined and bubbly.

Drizzle the hot butter-sugar mixture evenly onto the crackers, covering them well.

Slide the tray into the oven for 4-5 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the mixture is boiling and bubbly.

Take the pan out of the oven and scatter the white chocolate chips over while the toffee is still warm. Let them sit until they start to melt.

Use an offset spatula to smooth out the softened chocolate into an even layer. If you’re using food coloring, mix it into the melted chocolate, then top with sprinkles or candy quickly before it sets.

Place the tray into the fridge and leave it there for at least 2 hours (overnight is fine too).

Once fully hardened, snap the toffee into smaller chunks or cut it into pieces. Store it, gift it, or dig in immediately!

Notes:

Candy melts in fun colors are a great substitute for white chocolate chips.

Keep it in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.

It freezes well, too! Pop it into a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.

Wrap it up in cute tins or bags, and you’ve got yourself a sweet Easter treat.

Full 5-minute boiling time creates a proper toffee texture

Use high-quality white chocolate for the best melting

Allow complete cooling for ideal texture

Score while slightly warm for clean breaks

Add shortening to thin thick chocolate

Work in cool temperatures for the best results

Storage Guide:

Keeps fresh in airtight containers at room temperature for 1 week

Extends to 2 weeks when refrigerated

Layer between parchment paper for gifting

Refrigerate in warm weather to maintain texture

Recipe Variations:

Experiment with different base crackers, chocolate types, or additional toppings. Try crushed nuts for texture or citrus extracts for fresh flavor notes. Each variation creates a unique twist on this versatile recipe.

Recipe FAQs:

Are there other cracker options I can use for this recipe?

Totally! Graham crackers work great for a mildly sweet base, and buttery Ritz crackers are another fun alternative. Just make sure to arrange them flat and snug.

What can I do if my white chocolate isn’t melting well?

White chocolate can be picky to work with. Use good-quality chips or bars, and if needed, melt it separately in the microwave for short bursts of about 15 seconds. Then spread it over the toffee layer evenly.

How can I tell when the butter and sugar are ready?

Let the mix boil for 5 minutes straight while stirring. It’ll turn a golden caramel shade, bubble all over, and thicken just a bit when it’s ready to go.

Can this treat be made in advance for Easter?

Of course! Store the toffee in an airtight container. You can keep it fresh at room temp for a week or in the fridge for up to two weeks, so prep it ahead without worry.

Why is my toffee chewy and not crunchy?

This happens if the sugar-butter mixture doesn’t cook long enough. Make sure it boils for a full 5 minutes, and look for that thick, bubbly, caramel texture before you pour it over the crackers.

Can I create versions of this for other holidays?

Definitely! Switch up the sprinkles and decorations for any celebration, like red and green for Christmas, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, or Halloween colors. You can even use team colors for game day.

Recipe courtesy of Lili Cooks.com

[Amethyst]

Vanilla Bean St. Patrick’s Day Cookies

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 24 3-4 inch cookies

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
seeds scraped from 1 whole vanilla bean*
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean*
3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted (sift after measuring)
3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
salt, to taste
optional: gel food coloring for tinting
optional: sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on How to Cream Butter and Sugar..) Add the vanilla bean seeds and beat again until combined and the butter is creamy, about 1-2 more minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The dough will be a bit soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Place each portion on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky.

The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.

Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a piece of parchment on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.

Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. If it’s sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough. (Note: It doesn’t seem like a lot of dough, but you get a lot of cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.)

Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Make the buttercream frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and vanilla bean seeds together on medium speed until butter is creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.

Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if the frosting is too sweet. To color the frosting, divide the frosting between 2-3 bowls (or however many colors of frosting you want). Stir in 1-2 tiny drops of gel food coloring (or more, depending on your desired color).

Frost the cooled cookies: You can decorate the cookies with a knife, icing spatula, or use a piping bag and piping tip. Top with sprinkles, if desired. In the pictured cookies, I filled a piping bag with spoonfuls of both green and uncolored frosting and used an Ateco 30 piping tip. Pipe hearts as the 3 leaves and a line as the stem.

Frosting does not harden or crust very much, though you could gently stack 1 frosted cookie on top of another, but expect some slight squishing. Store frosted cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Store unfrosted cookies covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes:

Freezing Instructions: Plain or frosted sugar cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months before rolling it out. Prepare the dough through step 3, divide in half, flatten both halves into a disk as we do with pie crust, wrap each in plastic wrap, and then freeze. To thaw, thaw the disks in the refrigerator and then bring to room temperature for about 1 hour. Roll out the dough as directed in step 4 and then chill the rolled out dough in the refrigerator for 45 minutes – 1 hour before cutting into shapes and baking.

Room Temperature: Room temperature butter is essential. If the dough is too sticky, your butter may have been too soft. Room temperature butter is actually cool to the touch. You can read more about it in this room-temperature butter post. A room-temperature egg is preferred so it’s quickly and evenly mixed into the cookie dough.

Vanilla Bean: This recipe calls for the seeds from 1 whole vanilla bean in the cookie dough and from 1/2 of a vanilla bean in the frosting. (For extra flavor, feel free to use 1 whole bean in the frosting too.) To get the seeds out of a vanilla bean, use a small knife to cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and then use the dull side of the knife to scrape out the vanilla seeds.

Using Vanilla Bean Paste Instead: If you have Vanilla Bean Paste, you can use that instead of vanilla bean. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste when you add the vanilla extract. If you want to replace the vanilla extract AND vanilla bean with vanilla bean paste, add 1 Tablespoon paste when you would add the vanilla extract.

Can I Tint the Cookie Dough? If you want to skip the icing but are still itching for a green or other colored dessert, you can add a couple of drops of gel food coloring when you add the dry ingredients/flour mixture.
Decorating St. Patrick’s Day Cookies with Buttercream:

This frosting doesn’t really crust: Though the frosting somewhat sets, it doesn’t fully crust. If you prefer a crusting buttercream, you can replace half of the butter with shortening.

You can tint this frosting: Feel free to tint the vanilla bean buttercream. So the buttercream maintains its consistency, I recommend gel food coloring. I used Americolor leaf green. Though I will say that I loved how the cookies with uncolored buttercream looked because you can really see the vanilla bean specks!

Make it two-toned: Do you remember when I showed you how to make Two-Toned Frosting roses? Some of the pictured shamrock cookies have two-toned green buttercream. To do that, spoon 2 or more colors of buttercream into your piping bag. I used uncolored buttercream (white-ish) and green. When you pipe, the colors will swirl together, and each frosted cookie will look different. Very pretty!

The Trick is the Order of Steps.

After the cookie dough comes together, roll the dough out and chill the rolled-out sections of dough. Cut the chilled dough into shamrocks or other shapes and then bake.

Notice how I roll out the dough BEFORE chilling it in the refrigerator?

That’s the trick, and let me explain why it works. To prevent the cookies from over-spreading, the cookie dough must be refrigerated first. Roll the dough out right after you prepare it and then chill it. (At this point, the dough is too soft to cut into shapes.) Don’t chill the cookie dough and then try to roll it out because it will be too cold and stiff to roll. I divide the dough in half before rolling it out, and I highly recommend you do the same because smaller sections of dough are a lot easier to handle.

Shamrock Cookie Cutters from Amazon.com

Recipe courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction.com

[Amethyst]

Easter Blossom Cookies

Time: 55 minutes mins prep + 8 minutes mins
cook + 30 minutes mins cooling
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients:

pastel sanding sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup salted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
24 Hershey Hugs, unwrapped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add each color of sanding sugar to a small bowl. Set bowls and baking sheets aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.

Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), cream together granulated sugar and butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 5-7 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in egg, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Keeping the speed on low, quickly scoop in dry ingredients, adding about ⅓ to ½ cup at a time. Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients appear fully incorporated in the dough. Remove bowl from mixer and scrape sides of bowl, mixing in any wayward dry ingredients.

Using a 1-teaspoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll it between your hands to form a ball. Drop ball in a color of sanding sugar and roll to coat. Place finished cookie dough ball on prepared baking sheet. Repeat this step until all the dough has been used.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies begin to turn a light golden color.

Remove cookies from oven and immediately press a Hershey Hug in the middle of each cookie. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes:

Storage Instructions:

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To preserve the shape of Hershey Hugs, avoid stacking until fully set. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Freezing Instructions:

Before Baking:

Scoop and shape dough into balls and roll in sanding sugar.
Freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container.

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Let rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, then follow remaining recipe instructions like normal.

After Baking:

Cool cookies completely and let Hershey Hugs set.

Freeze in a single layer until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers.

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Hershey Kisses Options:

This recipe uses Hershey Hugs Kisses for the fun pattern and flavor, but you can definitely switch up the type you use – just be sure to add them right after baking so they’ll set properly without melting too much.
A Few Options That Work Well:

Milk Chocolate Kisses: The classic, holds shape well

Cookies ’n’ Creme Kisses: Extra sweet and eye-catching

Caramel-filled Kisses: Gooier center, more indulgent

Specialty Seasonal Flavors: Such as peppermint or hot cocoa. Hershey Kisses can stay fresh for a while when properly stored, so these cookies can be a great chance to use up any candies you may have left over.

Substituting the Extracts:

Vanilla extract is essential for flavor, but almond extract is totally optional and customizable depending on your tastes.

Options for Extracts:

Omit the Almond Extract: Skip it if you’re avoiding nuts or want a more neutral cookie.

Swap Almond for Lemon Extract: Bright and fresh; use ¼ to ½ teaspoon as a substitute.

Swap Almond for Orange Extract: A subtle citrus twist that pairs beautifully with spring colors and leans into the “blossom” theme.

Try Coconut Extract: For a tropical vibe that’s great for spring. Use sparingly, like ¼ teaspoon.

If removing almond extract, there’s no need to adjust the other ingredients – the cookies will still bake up beautifully with 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Chrisy’s Final Notes:

How to Tell When Cookies Are Done: They should look dry on top and set around the edges – when in doubt, don’t wait for browning.

Worried About Cracking When Adding the Kisses? Try pressing it in slowly or with a gentle twist.

Make-Ahead Tip: Dough can be chilled up to 24 hours in advance. Let sit at room temp for 10 minutes before scooping.

Sanding Sugar Tip: This sparkly sugar won’t melt—perfect for a clean, colorful finish. Regular sugar won’t give the same effect.

Kisses Getting Melty? Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes max before transferring to a cooling rack.

Nutritional Facts;

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe courtesy of Homemade Hooplah.com

[Amethyst]

Easy Dandelion Shortbread Cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp sea salt
¾ cup dandelion petals, about 2 cups whole flowers
¼ tsp orange blossom water, optional

Directions:

Cut the buds of the dandelion apart to use just the petals. Discard the green portions or they will make the mixture bitter. This is easiest by cutting off the base and peeling the remaining green away.

Rinse the petals thoroughly in a bowl of cold water.

Strain the petals, ensuring there’s no excess water.

Dry the petals on paper towels. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer.

Add the salt, flour, and orange blossom water.

Beat on low speed until the flour is just combined and the mixture is crumbly.

Gently fold in the dandelion petals and beat until just mixed.

Bring the mixture into a log shape using your hands and compress until everything holds together. Roll until the log is about 1 ½” in diameter.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This helps the dough firm up and makes it easier to slice.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once firm, slice the log into ¼” thick cookies.

Place evenly on the baking sheet with at least ½” between them. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown on the edges.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Once cooled, lay them out on a wooden cutting board for a rustic presentation. Serve your dandelion shortbread cookies and enjoy!

Notes:

Petals Only: Don’t use the entire plant. Ensure to use only the yellow petals from the flower heads of the dandelion and cut the green flower base to avoid a bitter flavor.

Softened Butter: Ensure your butter is at room temperature or softened before creaming it with sugar. This helps create a smooth and creamy dough, resulting in tender cookies.

Avoid Overmixing: When adding the flour and petals, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cookies tough.

Even Slices: Try to slice the dough evenly to ensure all cookies bake at the same rate. A consistent thickness helps them bake uniformly.

Watch the Edges: For best results, keep an eye on the cookies as they bake. They should be golden brown on the edges but still pale in the center. This gives the best texture.

Storage:

Store: Store your dandelion shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Freeze: If you want to keep them longer, they store well. You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 1 month. Just wrap it well and store it inside a freezer-safe container. Bake directly from frozen. Just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Variation Ideas:

If you want to try something different or make this dandelion flower recipe your own, here are some variation ideas you might want to consider.

Lemon Zest: Add the zest of one lemon to the dough for a bright, citrusy flavor.

Other Edible Flowers: Feel free to substitute the dandelion petals with other edible flowers like chamomile, lavender, or violets for different flavors and colors.

Dandelion Greens: Add finely chopped dandelion greens for an extra kick of strong flavor and bitterness.

Dandelion Honey Jelly: Replace half of the granulated sugar with honey for a deeper, richer sweetness. Honey adds a lovely flavor that complements the dandelion petals.

Almond Extract: Replace the orange blossom water with almond extract for a nutty flavor.

Vegan Option: Use a cup of vegan butter instead of regular butter for a vegan-friendly version of this recipe. It works just as well and tastes delicious.

Dandelion Wine Infused: If available at home, add a tablespoon of dandelion wine to the dough for a subtle hint of floral wine flavor. This adds a sophisticated twist and depth to the cookies.

Herbs and Spices: Mix in some finely chopped fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme, or spices like cinnamon or cardamom, for a unique twist on the original recipe.

Note from Amethyst: You can buy dried dandelion petals from Etsy. Not sure how they would work, being dried and all, you might need to re-hydrate them just a little. But that may be easier than going out and picking flowers that are clean!

Nutritional Facts:

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Recipe courtesy of Thriving Parenting.com

[Amethyst]

Easter Cookies (Decorated & Festive)

Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes (includes cooling)
Yield: 24 3-4 inch cookies

Ingredients:

and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)*

For Decorating:

royal icing or easy cookie glaze icing (see blog post above to read about each)
gel food coloring
sanding sugar sprinkles
mini marshmallows, halved (for bunny tails)

Directions:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on How to Cream Butter and Sugar.)

Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be a bit soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.

Lightly dust one of the rolled-out dough portions with flour. Place a piece of parchment paper on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours and up to 2 days.

Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. If it’s sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. I used an Egg Cookie Cutter, Bunny Cookie Cutters, and the Carrot From This Set.

Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough. (Note: It doesn’t seem like a lot of dough, but you get a lot of cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.)

Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11–12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheets halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Decorate: Prepare Royal Icing or Cookie Glaze Icing. If you’re using royal icing, it’s best to use piping bags and tips. If you’re using the cookie glaze icing, you can use a squeeze bottle or piping bags/tips.

Keep in mind that if you want sharp design detail on the Easter eggs, it’s best to use royal icing and piping bags/tips.

For the carrots and bunnies: Keep most of the icing white for the bunnies and carrot tops, and tint some orange for the carrots. Using icing tip #4 or a squeeze bottle, outline and flood the bunnies and the carrot tops with white icing. Immediately top with sanding sugar sprinkles. And, for the bunnies, add a halved marshmallow “tail” while the icing is still wet.

If making the carrot cookies, outline and flood the orange icing after applying the green sprinkles on the carrot tops. Allow icing to set. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set. If it’s helpful, decorate the cookies directly on a baking sheet so you can place the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help speed up the icing setting. Royal icing sets within about 2 hours, and cookie glaze icing sets in about 24 hours.

For the Easter eggs: Divide the icing among a few bowls. I used 4 colors: sky blue, lemon yellow, violet, and fuchsia. I left some icing white. Using icing tip #4, outline and flood with your base color(s). Allow icing to set (I place the cookies in the refrigerator so the icing sets in about 30 minutes). Using piping tip #2 or piping tip #1, add decorative designs in different colors like polka dots, squiggles, plaid, or stripes.

Allow icing to set. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set. If it’s helpful, decorate the cookies directly on a baking sheet so you can place the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help speed up the icing setting. Royal icing sets within about 2 hours.

Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve them. Once the icing has set, these cookies are great for gifting or sending. Plain or decorated cookies stay soft for about 5 days when covered tightly at room temperature. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Notes:

Freezing Instructions: Plain or decorated sugar cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Wait for the icing to set completely before layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months before rolling it out. Prepare the dough through step 3, divide in half, flatten both halves into discs as we do with pie crust, wrap each in plastic wrap, then freeze.

To thaw, thaw the discs in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature for about 1 hour. Roll out the dough as directed in step 4, then chill the rolled-out dough in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour before cutting into shapes and baking.

Room Temperature: Room-temperature butter is essential. If the dough is too sticky, your butter may have been too soft. Room-temperature butter is actually cool to the touch. A room-temperature egg is preferred so it’s quickly and evenly mixed into the cookie dough.

Flavors: I love flavoring this cookie dough with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract as listed in the ingredients above. For a lighter flavor, use 1/4 teaspoon. Instead of the almond extract, try using 1 teaspoon of maple extract, coconut extract, lemon extract, or peppermint extract. If using lemon extract, you can also add 1 Tablespoon lemon zest.

Recipe courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction.com

[Amethyst]

Vegan Cut-Out Cookies with Apricot Jam

Prep Time: 24 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 54 minutes
Servings: 23 cookies

Ingredients:

10.6 oz Flour
½ cup Granulated sugar
2 tablespoon Vanilla Sugar
1 pinch Kosher salt
1 cup Ground almonds
8.82 oz Margarine
3 tablespoon Water
5.3 oz Apricot jam
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Dough:

Place 10.6 oz Flour, ½ cup Granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon Vanilla sugar, 1 pinch Kosher salt, and 1 cup Ground almonds in a bowl and form a mold in the middle.

Cut 8.82 oz Margarine into pieces and pour into the well.

Mix lightly with your hands.

Add 3 tablespoon Water and knead into a dough using a food processor (dough hook).

Then wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Cutouts:

Preheat the oven to 170°C / 338°F fan and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Spread some flour on the work surface and roll out ⅓ of the dough to 3 mm / ⅛ inch. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge until needed.

Cut out Easter cookies using the cookie cutter. Always make sure that there are the same number of cookies with and without the Easter motif so that there are no problems when assembling.

Bake the cut-out cookies for 10-12 minutes.

Once baked, transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool.

Assemble:

Spread some of the apricot jam onto the cookies without the Easter motif.

Then place the cookies with the Easter motif on top and press them together lightly.

Arrange the filled cookies, dust them with powdered sugar, and serve.

Notes:

You can also bake the two trays at the same time. Just make sure that you swap the trays halfway through baking (approx. 6 minutes) so that all the cookies are baked evenly.

If you’re baking two trays at once, be sure to rotate them halfway through so everything bakes evenly.

Remember to count an equal number of cookies with holes in the middle and without. That way, there are no surprises with assembling!

These cookies are perfect for any sunny spring day or Easter celebration. Pair them with your favorite coffee, tea, or easy spring cocktail!

Substitutions:

Apricot Jam: You can have a lot of fun mixing up the flavor and color of these cookies by substituting the apricot jam with another flavor. Try black currant jam or sweet orange marmalade for a fun, fruity flavor, or mix it up with a sweet vegan spread like Biscoff.

FAQ’s:

How Do I Store Easter Cookies?

These sweet cookies are super easy to store! Place leftover cookies in an airtight container or plastic bag, seal, and store them at room temperature for up to five days.

If you’d like them to last a little longer, try freezing the cookies! Wrap each finished cookie in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to three months and then thaw them in the fridge overnight.

Are These Cookies Only For Easter?

No! You can enjoy these yummy cookies at any time of year! Just mix up the smaller cookie-cutter shape to match your holiday or special occasion!

Are These Cookies Allergen-Free?

These sweet treats are totally plant-based, so there are no eggs or dairy; however, they do contain wheat flour and almonds.

Recipe courtesy of Combine Good Flavors.com

[Amethyst]

Irish Shortbread with Lemon and Currants

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients:

¾ cup salted butter softened (1 ½ sticks)
⅓ cup sugar + more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon lemon juice
zest of ½ of a lemon finely grated
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup currants
pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour, currants, and salt.

Work carefully until the dough comes together; try not to overwork the dough. Shape the dough into a 9-inch circle.

Transfer the disc-shaped dough to the prepared baking sheet.

Level the surface with a rolling pin, and trim the edges of the dough neatly. Crimp the edges, prick the surface with a fork, and score with a sharp knife into 12 equal wedges.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until it becomes a pale golden color. Remove from the oven, sprinkle sugar on the top, and cut along the scored edges into wedges. Let cool before serving.

Notes:

Splurge on the high-quality butter for this recipe. You’ll be glad you did!

Nutritional Facts:

Serving: 1g | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g

Recipe courtesy of 31 Daily.com

[Amethyst]

Carrot Cake Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 21 cookies

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (at least 11% protein) (140 grams total, if you double or triple the recipe, double or triple this amount)
½-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used ½)
1 pinch salt
½ cup butter, softened
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Extras:

3-4 ounces of good-quality chocolate (I used white chocolate)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, then add the carrots and combine on low, add the nuts and mix to just combine.

Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface, and gently knead until the cookie dough is combined. Form the dough into a log approximately 8 inches/21 cm. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 60 minutes.

Remove the dough log from the fridge and cut into 21 slices approximately ¼ inch / .70 cm thick.

Place the sliced cookies on 1-2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, chill while the oven is pre-heating.

Pre-heat oven to 325F (163C).

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until they start to brown around the edges. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate or dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!

Notes:

For room temperature ingredients, remove from the fridge 45-60 minutes before using.

The baked, completely cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5-7 days.

To freeze the cookies, place parchment paper in between the layers of the completely cooled cookies. This prevents them from sticking together when they are in the containers for freezing.

Or you can also place the baked, cooled cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then move the frozen cookies to either airtight bags or containers. The carrot cookies will last up to 6 months in the freezer.

What nuts are best to use?

I used chopped walnuts, but you could of course use pecans, hazelnuts, or even almonds.

Can the dough be made in advance?

Yes, it can be made in advance. Raw cookie dough will keep for up to 2-4 days in the fridge. Wrap well or place in an airtight container.

Nutritional Facts:

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Recipe courtesy of An Italian in my Kitchen.com

[Amethyst]

Rhubarb Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 36 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
3/4 cup flaked coconut OR old-fashioned oats

Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix well.

Stir in the diced rhubarb and coconut.

Drop by rounded tablespoons on a greased baking sheet (parchment-lined would make for even easier cleanup). Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Spread over the cooled cookies.

Notes:

Using Frozen Rhubarb:

If you choose to use frozen rhubarb, measure it out while frozen, then thaw completely. Drain the excess water and pat the rhubarb dry (but do NOT squeeze the moisture out).

How Should I Store Soft Rhubarb Cookies?

I recommend keeping these in an airtight container in a single layer. If you need to layer the soft rhubarb cookies, add a piece of waxed paper between layers so they don’t stick together! Due to the addition of the cream cheese frosting, you do need to keep these refrigerated.

Because the rhubarb holds so much moisture, these are best if eaten within 2-3 days. You can also freeze leftover cookies for up to a month.

Recipe courtesy of Dance Around the Kitchen.com

[Amethyst]

Lavender Honey Custard Tart

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

3 oz (90g) butter, softened
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1/4 tsp (1g) salt
1 egg
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (2g) edible lavender

Honey Cream Filling:

1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (70g) caster sugar
1 tbsp (10g) cornmeal
1 tsp (5g) salt
1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup (90g) honey
1/3 cup (80g) whipping cream
1 tsp (4g) cider vinegar
1 tsp (2g) edible lavender

Directions:

Prepare the tart crust:

You can make this a day ahead and keep it in the freezer.

In a bowl, beat butter on medium speed until creamy.

Add the sugar, all at once, and beat on medium speed until creamy.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Mix until combined.

Add the flour, salt, and lavender, and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.

Press the dough onto the bottom and edges of a 7-inch (18cm) tart pan. Cut the excess dough.

Put in the freezer for at least an hour or overnight.

Prepare the honey tart filling:

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

In a saucepan, bring to a simmer the whipping cream and lavender. Let it infuse for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, salt, cornmeal, honey, and vanilla extract until all is incorporated.

Beat in the egg, the vinegar, and the infused whipping cream. Mix until incorporated.

Take the tart shell out of the freezer and pour the honey mixture into it.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the middle of the tart is a little bit jiggly and the edges are golden brown.

Set aside to cool completely and sprinkle with sea salt.

Nutritional Facts:

Serving: 1 serving out of 6Calories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 50.9gProtein: 4.7gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16.5gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 431mgFiber: 0.7gSugar: 33.4g

Recipe courtesy of Homecooking Adventure.com

[Amethyst]

Contest-Winning Rhubarb Meringue Pie

Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 50 min
Cook: 1 hour 5 min

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 tablespoon lightly beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
3 to 4-1/2 teaspoons cold water

Filling:

3 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Meringue:

4 teaspoons plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar; cut in shortening until crumbly. Combine egg and vinegar; sprinkle over crumb mixture. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond the edge of the plate; flute edge.

Place rhubarb in the crust. Whisk the sugar, flour, salt, egg yolks, and cream; pour over the rhubarb. Bake at 350° until filling is set and the pie jiggles when gently shaken, 50-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine 4 teaspoons of sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Add cornstarch mixture; beat on high until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edge to crust. Bake until meringue is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Facts:

1 piece: 388 calories, 19g fat (9g saturated fat), 129mg cholesterol, 131mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (37g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.com