One Cup Royal Icing

Sometimes you just need a little bit of icing to decorate some cookies.  I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It looked like it would make just the right amount.

Meringue powder can be found in most craft stores.  I think you can also find it at Walmart in the craft section.

Start with bowls and tools that are grease free.  Add 2 cups confectioners sugar.

1 Tablespoon meringue powder

A pinch of cream of tartar.  I used the 1/32 teaspoon measure

1 teaspoon clear vanilla.  If you want to use white icing make sure you use clear flavoring.

 Add 3 1/2 Tablespoons water

Now beat on lowest speed for 7-10 minutes.  Set a timer because 7 minutes is a really long time.  Next time I am using the mixer on the stand because 7 minutes with a hand mixer seemed to be forever.

About halfway through the mixing.

After 8 minutes.

I put the icing in a pastry bag.

Then I decorated my cookies.

It will take some time to get really good at the decorating but they will do for our gameday eats this weekend.

One Cup Royal Icing Recipe

2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon meringue powder
pinch of cream of tartar
1 teaspoon flavoring
3-4 Tablespoons water

Buttercream Icing

I have been on a search for the perfect icing for cookies.  I wanted something a little different.  This one turned out perfect, and I think you could use it for cupcakes or cakes as well.  Very easy to make.  It is a little deceptive about how much it makes.

It really doesn't take much to make this icing.

Start with 2 sticks of room temperature sticks of butter.  Room temp is a little bit more firm than softened.

Whip the butter.  It will take a little work because it is firm.

Add 4 cups confectioners' sugar one cup at at time and mix after each cup.

Add 1 teaspoon clear vanilla.  If you are going to color the icing using clear isn't as important.

Add 4 Tablespoons milk.  Can use light cream if you like.

Pour in a little at a time and mix after each addition.

Give it another good whip and scrap down the sides.

Add the coloring.  Let me say this here.  I have been on a search for the perfect color to represent the Crimson Tide.  After this mixing I am still looking.  I think I would be better off using red than trying to create crimson.

This turned out more of a mauve than crimson. At least it taste good.

I ended up not using these to decorate the cookies.  You can find these in lots of places now.  I think I saw them at Walmart.  They come in handy when decorating cookies.

I've got my cookies lined up and ready to go.  These are the best sugar cookies if I do say so myself.

I used an offset spatula to ice the cookies.

Sorry about the pink elephants.

Then I came back with the royal icing to decorate.  I added a small chocolate chip for the eyes.

How many players jerseys can you name?

This is my basket of food colors.  There are two types.  The bottles you squeeze the color into the icing.  The small pots you use a toothpick to put the color into the icing. The squeeze bottles are easier but sometimes you can't find the right color.

Buttercream Icing Recipe

4 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup unsalted butter room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons milk

Apple Barn Apple Fritters

A couple of weeks ago we made a trip to the mountains.  One of our favorite places to go is the Apple Barn.  Part of that reason is for these apple fritters, their fried chicken's not bad either. On that trip we bought some fresh apples to bring home and so I had to try the fritters.

These fritters use cake flour instead of plain flour.  I always wondered why they tasted so light.

Start with 1 egg

Add 1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons melted butter

The zest of one orange

Then the juice of the orange.  My orange was large so I didn't squeeze too hard.

Peel and chop one cup of apple.  The pieces don't need to be too big or too small, just right.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Then add 3 cups sifted cake flour.  I really need to get a bigger sifter.

Mix the batter well.

Heat the oil to 350 and drop by tablespoonful into the hot oil. They have to have something they use to drop the fritters with because theirs turned out into pretty round fritters.  Mine were not too pretty, but it doesn't matter because they taste good.

When the are golden brown on both sides remove and drain on a rack.  Those racks were the best thing I have bought in a while.

You can dust with powdered sugar.

Apple Barn Apple Fritters Recipe

1 cup milk
1 egg
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 orange, zest and juice
1 cup apple chopped
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Peach Strudel

I know, I know I have made strudels before but this is the first peach one.  The main difference between peaches and apples for strudel are that the peaches have more juice in them so it gets a little messy.  I had some peaches that needed to be used and I found this recipe.  So I had to try it.

Actually I filled in with a couple of nectarines.  The peaches were a little small and there were some bruises on them so the nectarines were a nice addition.

Let the piece of puff pastry thaw while you are cutting the peaches up.  You don't want it to be too thawed.  I did that one time and it was too soft to work with.

All the peeled and chopped peaches.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla to the peaches.

Add 1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

Roll out the puff pastry.  They say into a 14x12 rectangle.  I never have measured mine.

It's all rolled out.

Add the peaches down the middle.  There were probably too many peaches when all was said and done.  But you want there to be plenty of fruit.

I added the chopped pecans along the top instead of tossing them with the peaches.

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Fold over both sides to close up the strudel. Pinch the bottoms closed really well.

In a bowl crack an egg.

Add 1 Tablespoon of water. Whisk them together.

Brush the egg mixture all over the top and sides of the strudel.

Nice and shiny.

If you like you can sprinkle the top with 2 Tablespoons of coarse sugar. Cut a couple of slits in the top. Place in a preheated 400 oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Fresh from the oven.  You can see all the juices leaking out of the bottom.  It doesn't matter it was still good.

I had baked this earlier in the day but if yours is still warm a little vanilla ice cream would be good with this.

Peach Strudel Recipe

1 pkg 16 oz frozen peaches or 4-6 fresh peaches

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 pkg puff pastry sheets thawed 

2 Tablespoons coarse sugar

1 egg

1 Tablespoons water