Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

I'm not sure when I became a little old lady, but I'm pretty sure I was born that way and am just aging gracefully into my born identity. One of the reasons I know this is because my favorite Christmas cookies are shortbread cookies. I've posted several shortbread recipes on this site, and now I have another one that I love nearly as much as my favorite.

This shortbread from SprinkleBakes is phenomenal. The addition of actual tea leaves both flavors the tea and gives a slight crunch, almost like poppyseeds, to the cookies. The original recipe has options for fancy versions that look beautiful (and I opted for one of them) and an easy slice-and-bake method.

I think these will be repeated for years to come. 

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

4 Tbsp. Earl Grey Tea

4 cups flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 300°F. 

In a large bowl, combine the tea, flour salt and powdered sugar with a whisk. 

In a large mixer, cream the butter for 30 minutes. Add the dry ingredients, and mix on low speed. The dough will slowly form and be thick. 

Remove the dough, and pat into a disk on plastic wrap. Chill for 10 minutes. Dust a work surface with flour, and roll dough to 1/4-inch thick or slightly thicker if you want to use an embossed rolling pin. To use an embossed rolling pin, flour the dough lightly and the rolling pin generously and roll dough to imprint the dough. If not using an embossed rolling pin, simply cut into squares or rectangles. 

Chill dough again 10 minutes in a freezer or until firm. Then bake for 20 to 22 minutes until bottoms are set and cookies are matte. Cool completely before serving. Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on the size you cut them. 

Vanilla Bundt Cake

This cake from Preppy Kitchen works perfectly for me each and every time. Trust me, I tested that theory by making 25 Bundt cakes in a short time span. Each one came out perfectly, so you can bet that I'm sharing the recipe here to find it again.

Vanilla Bundt Cake
3 cups flour (360 g.)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar (400 g.)
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup milk, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating until each one is fully incorporated. After adding 3 eggs, add 3 Tbsp. of flour mixture, and mix until combined. Beat in remaining eggs, one at a time, and then beat in vanilla.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a low speed until combined. Add half the milk mixture, and mix until combined. Repeat, alternating with flour and milk and ending with the last of the flour. 

Carefully coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with shortening. (This means use a pastry brush to get every crack and crevice.) Coat with flour to ensure its thoroughly greased, and fix any spots that aren't fully greased. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and tap gently a few times to settle the batter.

Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Loosen with a butter knife on the edges, and invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Cinnamon Chai Coffee Cake

I've always enjoyed coffee cake, dating way back to childhood and Bisquick coffee cakes. This chai version from A Classic Twist caught my eye because I love chai flavors. It's quick enough to pull together within an hour, and it's a wonderful balance of sweet and spice. 

Cinnamon Chai Coffee Cake
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil

3 eggs

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla
Crumble Topping and Swirl

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 salt

Cinnamon Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper, and set it aside. 

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl. In another medium bowl, combine the sugar, coconut oil, eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Slowly pair the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently mix until no clumps remain. 

Pour half this mixture into the prepared pan. 

Combine the crumble topping together, and sprinkle half the mixture onto the batter. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top of the crumble. Then sprinkle the remaining crumble topping over the batter. 

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake is cooking, prepare the glaze by combining the ingredients together. Once the cake comes out of the oven, drizzle with glaze. Serve warm. 

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole

This recipe from Half-Baked Harvest sounded like one our entire family would enjoy: noodles, cheese, chicken and broccoli. We absolutely loved this and devoured the leftovers with pleasure. 

Well, all of us except my youngest who refused to even try it. Apparently it looked too different for him to process because he took one look at it, got up, carried his plate to the garbage and dumped it. (He does have a genetic disorder that impacts all aspects of his functioning, so most kids might say they don't want to eat it ... he lacks the words, but he can still communicate that message.)

Regardless, we will definitely repeat this recipe in our household. It was a great way to use up some broccoli that was stuck in the back of the freezer, and it's a perfect blend of flavors. It would even be delicious without the chicken for a meatless meal.

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3/4 lb. boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 lb. short-cut pasta
3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, and cook about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Add the butter, thyme, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne, and cook until golden and toasted, about 2-3 minutes. 

Add the broth and milk. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, and add the pasta and broccoli. (I waited until the end to add the frozen broccoli, right before I put it in the oven.) Stir frequently until pasta is al dente, and the broth has been absorbed, about 8-10 minutes. 

Stir in parmesan and 1 cup of cheese. If needed, transfer casserole into an oven-safe dish. Scatter remaining cheese on top, and bake 20 minutes. Serve warm with additional thyme and fresh basil if available. Serves 6-8.

Caramel Apple Cookies

These cookies from Buttermilk by Sam are the essence of fall: oats, apples and caramel flavors combined with a hint of cinnamon. Although I highly recommend following the recipe, even without the apples, you still get a delicious cookie.

Caramel Apple Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup (135 g.) brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (100 g.) oats
3/4 cup (100 g.) flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
22 g. freeze-dried apples, ground into a powder
12-13 chewy sea salt caramels

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Beat together butter and brown sugar for 5 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, and beat an additional 2 minutes. Add the salt, soda, vanilla and oats, and beat to combine. Fold in the flour and apples. 

Scoop about 2 Tbsp. of dough for each cookie, using damp hands if needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Wrap the dough around a caramel, and place dough ball on cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden. Cool completely on cookie sheets to prevent caramel from sticking to parchment paper and breaking the cookies. Makes 12-13 cookies.