Cook

December 2, 2018 by: Sarah Adiutori

Gingerbread Men Recipe

I have baked gingerbread men for so many Christmases! I love them and while the competition is stiff, I have a rotation of about thirty different cookie recipes, I would say that they are my favorite Christmas cookie that I bake. When I first started baking them everyone had an opinion, most weren’t fans of gingerbread and others had only had the hard, usually stale, store bought kind. However, after they tasted the soft and adorably decorated gingerbread men I baked they quickly changed their minds! Now they are a Christmas staple in our family and I have even shipped a few boxes to friends upon request.

Gingerbread Men

1/2 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Cloves
1/2 Cup Molasses
1 Egg
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

Beat shortening. Add sugar, baking powder, spices and baking soda, mix well. Beat in molassess, egg and vinegar. Mix in flour. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for three hours. Roll and cutout dough with a gingerbread cookie cutter. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cool on wire rack and decorate with royal icing.

Tips: Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to avoid adding excess flour to the dough, which would cause the cookies to spread when baking.

Royal Icing

3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 Cups of Sifted Powdered Sugar
6 Tablespoons of Water*

Beat in stand mixer for 7-10 minutes on medium speed. Add icing to a disposable plastic piping bag, no need to use a tip, just snip a small piece off of the end. Pipe on eye, a smile, two buttons and squiggly lines on the legs and arms. For a pop of color you can add Gingerbread House Candy Decorations as buttons!

*Use 1 Tablespoon less water if you’d like stiffer icing.

January 28, 2018 by: Sarah Adiutori

Heart Shaped Pepperoni Pizza

Valentine’s Day is almost here, which means time for alloftheheartshapedthings!! For the past few years I have been making heart shaped pizza topped with pepperoni hearts. Besides being delicious because its’ pizza – duh! It is also super cute! Last year someone asked where they could buy pepperoni hearts and grocery stores stock some crazy holiday themed items, but I have yet to stumble across pepperoni hearts. Don’t worry! They are super easy to make and you don’t need a cookie cutter or anything fancy, just a clean pair of kitchen scissors and your favorite pepperoni. I’m going to list out the steps, but they are so easy, you probably won’t need them — you got this!! Can’t wait to see all of your Heart Shaped Pepperoni Pizzas!

Refrigerated Pre-Made Pizza Dough

Pizza Sauce

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Sliced Pepperoni

Olive Oil

Let pizza dough come to room temperature for at least an hour, you need the dough to be soft and pliable.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Using kitchen scissors, fold a piece of pepperoni in half and cut out a half heart shape just like you did in elementary school when you made valentines, when you unfold the pepperoni, you will have a heart. Repeat until you have a desired amount of pepperoni hearts.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil.
Place pizza dough on to the parchment lined baking sheet and shape your dough into a heart. If the dough isn’t cooperating, it is too cold, let it rest for 15 minutes and try again.
Using a fork, dock the pizza dough i.e. poke holes in the top of the pizza to stop the areas where you will put sauce from rising during the first bake.
Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the bottom has started to turn golden brown.
Remove pizza from oven and top with sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Return the pizza to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
Allow pizza to cool for a few minutes, slice and enjoy!

If you have a special someone who won’t be able to make your pizza party, here’s a cute snail mail surprise you can send to them…grab a gift card to a pizza place, snag a cute card – bonus points if it comes with an adorable enamel pin (I found the one pictured at Home Goods, but this one and this one are super cute too!) and send some snail mail love!

October 21, 2017 by: Sarah Adiutori

Fall Snack Mix Recipe

Whoever decided that mixing ALL THE THINGS together or at least all of your favorite snacks together was the best way to party is a national hero in my book! This Fall Snack Mix is the perfect mix of salty and sweet, chocolate and peanut butter, with a few pops of Fall, thanks to Brach’s Autumn Mix. This snack mix doesn’t have a real recipe or measurements, but just in case you are someone who doesn’t like a grocery list as a recipe, I have included the amounts I used. Feel free to add in more snack goodness or omit the stuff you don’t like, if you end up mixing up some of this addicting snack mix let me know! Now I am off to seal it into little bags with ribbons to pass out to friends, so that I am not tempted to keep snacking!