Shortbread drop cookies with guava filling

Hi! Here in Puerto Rico we have some tradicional candy that are already part of our cultural you may say; like when I was small and lived in NYC, the big Apple and always had candy apples for summer and never could find these in other states so easily, well something like that.  Anyway, well these we love here and they are called "Polvorones" and others call them "mantecaditos" either way they are delish!!!!
This recipe makes about 50  small pieces.

Polvorones:

1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups of All Purpose flour

Beat together the butter and Crisco with electric mixer, Cream well. Add sugar gradually and beat for 2min aprox. Then add in vanilla and slowly the flour cup by cup and beat until it forms a ball like mass. Refrigerate for 30 mins or I just put it in the freezer for 10 min if I'm in a rush, like always. Take out and make little 1" balls (or andy shape) and flatten them buy making a circle with the back end of the tale of the wooden stick. Bake on a cookie sheet with patchment paper for 10-15min on 350F.

Filling:
Guava Paste or any filling you like!

Once baked and cooled some guava paste and cut into pieces and heat in microwave for 20 seconds and when its all melted just fill in the centers. Let cool completely; watch out for burns with the hot guava. These are also sooo good alone or you can just fill them with anything you like! Once again enjoy making and eating!

These were filled with some dark chocolate ganache I had left over from some macarons I had made earlier in the day. Enjoy!!

Red Velvet Macarons with Mascapone cheese and vanilla bean filling

Oh, Macarons, Macarons, Macarons, Macarons.....Everytime I make these they make me sing!! I promised to post the recipe about 2 weeks ago at the fan page at Facebook and Its finallllly here. It was about time I posted it but between my kids and Valentines Day, it has been a total rush in my life lately. Well here we goooo!

Macarons (Basic recipe)

100gr ground Almonds or almond flour
100-110gr egg whites ( about 3 whites aged for 24hrs)
200 gr powdered sugar
1tsp vanilla (or other flavor) subtitute for red velvet flavor
4-5 tbsp of granulated sugar

In a small bowl mix powdered sugar with almonds and process in a food processor for about 30 seg. Always sift them together afterwards and eliminate any lumps.  In Large bowl wisk whites with electric beater and when they start to get foamy add sugar 1 tbsp at a time.  Keep beating until thick and glossy like merengue. At this point add coloring and or extract. Do not over beat. Then fold dry ingredients into merengue slowly using spatula. Fill in piping bag and pipe on patchment paper or silkpat the shape desired; here in this particular recipe I made hearts for valentine and subtituted the vanilla for red velvet flavoring and didnt have to add any coloring because this flavoring is pretty red.  So after piping leave on counter top for about 30-60 mins for it to form the skins on top, you can touch it and see it made the skin and thats the moment to bake.

Preheat oven to 150C and bake for abount 15 mins. I usually just pick one up and if it still sticks to the bottom they need more time.  Ok, some people say to let cool completely but what I do is that I wait 5 mins and start removing them with my small thin spatula, then cool and fill with favorite filling.

Mascapone cheese filling

1- 8onz Mascapone cheese or cream cheese
3/4 stick of real butter
vanilla extract or bean paste
about 2 cups of powdered sugar

Beat cheese and butter well until creamed and add the extract then slowly on low spoon in the sugar little by little. Turn beater up to medium high and beat for about 1 min until well incorporated.

Once your macarons are cooled and your filling reading,  fill a pastry bag and continue to fill and sandwhich your macarons.

This is just the basic recipe I make but you can make variations with the fillings and adding color to them and other extract, etc, their is No limit, just express your self with them and have a great time making and eating them!! After eating one you cant stop!!!!

Substitute Ingredients List

When I started in the baking world everything was sooo new to me and I couldnt get many of the ingredients in various recipes and Oh God I ended leaving them to the side because I had no one to explain; I didn't have anyone else close who already baked so I was lost. One day I came across a magazine, a very old one, that had a list of substitutes for many ingredients. When I didn't find something in the market I could easily substitute it for another ingredient and finish the recipe that my heart longed for....soooo here I simplified it a little and posted it for you.  I assure you that it will be helpful at some moment ;))

Ingredient  =  Substitute

• Fresh whole milk  1 cup  =   1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2cup water
• Mustard 1 Tbsp  =   1 tsp powder mustard
• Tomato Juice  1 cup  =   1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1cup water     
• Sugar 1 cup  =   1 cup honey
• Honey 1 cup  =   1 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water
• Baking Powder 1 Tsp  =  1/2 tsp cream of tartar and 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Buttermilk 1 cup  =    1 cup of milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• Semisweet chocolate 1onz  =   1onz unsweeted chocolate mixed 1tbsp sugar
• Corn syrup 1 cup   =   1 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water
• Egg 1  =   2 eggwhites  or 2 yokes or 1/4cup egg subt.
• Molasses  1 cup  =  1 cup honey
• Granulated Sugar 1 cup  =  1cup brown sugar or 2 cups powdered sugar 
• Cake flour 1 cup  =  1 cup minus 2 tbsp of All Purpose flour
• Sour Cream 1 cup  =  1 cup evaporated milk plus 1 tbsp vinegar 
• Pumpkin Spice 1 tsp  =  1/2tsp cinnamon 1/4tsp nutmeg and 1/8tsp ginger
• Mascapone cheese 8onz  =  8onz regular cream cheese                                               

Hope you find it useful as much as I did! Happy Substituting!!!!

Like I promised Eggnog/Coquito cupcakes

I have been the entire week crazy with these cupcakes because they taste just like Christmas! And here they are:

Aren't they cute and they not only look good but they taste awesome. So try them out!
For these I just used a regular vanilla cupcake recipe and added my homemade eggnog; you my use your receipe for eggnog or a store bought one.

 For this recipe:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg and 1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup eggnog
Eggnog buttercream /frosting
Nonpareils and/or sprinkles (for decoration)

Preheat oven 350 F. Line a standard 12cupcake pan with liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the sugar and butter together until fluffy, 2-3 min. Add egg and whites one at a time, beating well on low speed after each addition then beat in vanilla.  Add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the eggnog in 2 additions, beating on low until just combined.  Scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed. Do not overbeat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until lightly golden or toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool while your prepare your buttercream or frosting.

Well for these cupcakes I made a Eggnog cream cheese frosting, but you may make a vanilla buttercream and add some eggnog or ginger, or you may even make a frosting using Crisco and some spice rum. You pick your favorite!

Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 12onz of Cream cheese 
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp of eggnog
• 1/2 tsp of ginger
• 1 cup of confectioners sugar, sifted

In a bowl using a mixer beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the eggnog and ginger. With the mixer on low speed add the sugar slowly and beat for a couple of minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

For decorating these I just used big circle tip to frost them and just added some golden sugar sprinkles. Well I hope you enjoy these as much as my twins and I did eating them up, because they are to die for!!

Royal Icing Recipe for Decorating Cookies

Hi  I dont know how this happened but I realized I didnt post my royal Icing recipe for decorating cookies. Sorry about that gals but here it is:
You will need:

1. Confectioners sugar about 1lb
2. 3 eggwhites (large eggs)
3. 1/2 tsp lemon juice
4. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

All you do is in a beaters bowl you put eggwhites and start to beat using your paddle attachment until you see it starts to become foamy (at the first few bubbles) then add sugar cup by cup til you have a fluffy and pretty stiff peak form at the tip of your paddle when it is removed from your beater.  Now you add your lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat just to incorporate. You may use at the moment or store in an airtight container. If you have any questions just comment at the bottom or email me at sweetbakingboutique@gmail.com or just visit me at facebook. 

Getting into the Christmas Spirit with the wonderful gingerbread smell!!

Like I said before whats not to Love about Christmas? Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I just love the gatherings and the homemade gift giving! All year I'm wondering what I may come up with for gifts because I'm a homemade gift making freak. Its good to receive store bought gifts but to me its Extra special to receive something that's homemade. Soooo I started out with gingerbread cookies and the smell drives me crazy. And to begin with here is my recipe:

Gingerbread Cookies 

• 1/2 cup Butter (unsalted)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 -3 cups of All Purpose Flour ( decide when adding depending if it looks dry)
• 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger spice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground clove 
• 1/8 ground pepper
• 1/2 cup honey 

Instructions:

Beat together butter and sugar until well mixed then add egg and honey. In a separate bowl mix all other ingredients and slowly add to the butter and sugar mixture. Once the mixture forms a ball remove from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When the dough is cool I roll it out into a 1/4"to1/2'and using my cookie cutter I make the desire shape and place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10mins at 350F.

 Once the cookies are baked and cooled you may decorate them with royal icing recipe in my earlier posts.
Well hope you be having lots of fun making and eating these great tasting and smelling cookies! Oh and sorry about not adding finished photo, blog is not letting me post the rest, but will be adding them to facebook, soooo visit me there!!

Gingerbread cookies and Eggnog cuppies!

Preparing for Christmas!! My favorite time of year! Love the weather, the food, the goodies, the decorations and the people become more loveable. Hey whats not to Loooove about Christmas!!  And since we are getting ready for Christmas we are going to share some gingerbread cookie recipe and decoration; And will be making a wonderful Eggnog cupcake recipe. Oh soooo good specially for us dieters, yeah right!  All this, this weekend soooo stay tuned!

Victoria!