1-2-3 Cookies!

I came home from the dorm today for a couple of hours to do laundry. Yes I am that college student who still mooches off of her parents. My bosses have been absolutely dying for a taste of my baking, and to be honest I haven't been home in a while to bake. I rummaged through the pantry and all I could find was cake mix. So I decided to whip up my famous 1-2-3 cookies. These cookies are the easiest fake outs around. No one will realize that they are semi-homemade.

1-2-3 Cookies

Ingredients

1 box of devil's food cake mix

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

sugar for rolling cookies

Directions

Step 1: Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Step 3: Shape dough into 1 in. balls and roll in sugar. Place balls about 2 in. apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Step 4: Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool about 30 minutes before enjoying.

Yields about 45 cookies

Secret 1: Use a teaspoon to shape dough balls, it is much easier than guessing!

Secret 2: Don't overcook the cookies.

Secret 3: Let the cookies cool completely.

The Taste:

These cookies are sweet! The perfect crunch meets you at your first bite, the second impression is the chewy center. Perfection you could say.

This is the perfect way to indulge yourself with a simple and delectable treat. Sharing with others makes it that much sweeter, so whip up a batch and enjoy the moments.

-The Curious Cook

Valentine's Day Cookies

Who wants to waste time on Valentine's Day cooking away? I know I have done that in the past and found out the hard way that it is almost impossible to slave all day, and be happy doing it. These cookies are an easy Valentine's Day fix. No messy rolling or unnecessary heart cut outs to worry about. Just plain simple deliciousness!

Perfect Pink Valentine's Day Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

1 stick of softened unsalted butter

1 egg

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Pink or Red colored sugars for decorating

Directions:

Step 1: Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2: Beat food coloring, sugar, butter, and eggs in a large bowl.

Step 3: In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add into the wet mixture. When well mixed add the vanilla.

Step 4: Let dough chill for 5-10 minutes so it will be easier to handle.

Step 5: Make 1 inch dough balls and place them on an un-greased cookie sheet. Dip a small glass in the sugar of your choice and slightly flatten each cookie. Bake 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

Makes 30 cookies

My Secrets:

Secret 1: Make sure your butter is soft!

Secret 2: Mix the dry ingredients well, this will ensure the cookies will rise.

Secret 3: Do chill your cookies for a bit or they will stick to your fingers.

Secret 4: Do not over bake!

The Taste:

Yum! These cookies are just bundles of buttery goodness. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside makes them melt in your mouth. They are the most vibrant pink shade, and the colored sugar adds a sweet touch!

Even if you don't have a Valentine, as did I until yesterday, plan to make these for your family and friends. This is a great way to show someone you care, I mean, who doesn't like a batch of freshly baked pink cookies! I wish a Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Love,

The Curious Cook

Cupcakes!

One of my most favorite desserts is the well known cupcake. Any cupcake will do for me, but I prefer certain ones over others. Have you ever seen one of those meek looking, ill frosted, definitely not worthy of the name, kind of cupcake? Unfortunately, I think we have all come across a bad cupcake, which I think is silly because cupcakes can be made into art at little cost.

Any kind of cupcake batter will do. If you are using box fabulous! If not, even better, but the truth is, you don't need to worry about that. To make a good cupcake is obviously beating the batter to a kind of fluffy goodness and not overcooking them. The key after that, decorating them! Here are my secrets.

Secret One: Color your icing, it draws the eye in. I mean who wouldn't pick a bright color over plain white?

Secret Two: Double your normal icing recipe and refrigerate before use, when piping you will need twice as much icing and will want it to keep its shape.

Secret Three: Invest in a piping tip. I suggest a 1M star tip. You can use a zip-lock back instead of buying a professional one. Pipe a spiral of icing at the outer edge of the cupcake moving inward. When you get to the middle, pipe a little bit extra to make a little peak of icing.

Secret Four: Use anything to top the icing from sprinkles to colored sugar. Anything that will add an extra pop, and remember less is more.

Secret Five: Refrigerate your cupcakes so the icing will not sink or lose its shape.

The Taste:

Your cupcakes will always taste phenomenal if you use these tips! Yes, you do have to have a decent recipe and cook the cupcakes correctly, that's a given, but when they look this beautiful they move up to a whole other level of deliciousness. The extra icing on the cupcakes is always enjoyable, I mean the average cupcake lover does love the icing more than the cupcake itself.

In all I wish you happy and fun cupcake baking. Even the most simplest of desserts can be made into a "must have" item. These decorations will ensure you success and happy devourers.

-The Curious Cook