Strawberry Lemonade Brownines

Do you like Strawberry Lemonade?  These brownies are that...in food form!!  They are super yummy!  They were a nice break from the chocolate recipes I usually do.  Instead of the lemon glaze, I got some of my homemade freezer strawberry jam and poured it over top.  It was fabulous!!

Ingredients

½	cup unsalted butter, softened
¾	cup flour
2	eggs, large
2	tbsp lemon zest
2	tbsp lemon juice
¾	cup granulated sugar
¼	teaspoon sea salt
For the tart lemon glaze (I didn't do the glaze, but if you want it, here's the recipe):
4	tbsp lemon juice
8	tsp lemon zest
1	cup icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.  Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.  Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set. Cut into bars and serve. 

Lofthouse Copycat Cookies

Have you ever had Lofthouse cookies?  They are the fabulous sugar cookies that have colored frostings (depending on the season) and sprinkles.  They are super soft and super yummy and super addictive! The only down side is they are usually $4 for 8 cookies.  I'm a bit of cheapster and can't fork out that much money....but luckily I usually don't have to.  Here in Ogden, there is the Lofthouse cookie outlet over on 2nd street in the BDO outlet store (if you want specific instructions to get there and I will give them to you) and they sell them for $1.25 a box.  I love going there when I need treats to take to my daughter's school.  Anywho....now that I have done my advertising speal, back to the post.  As you can tell, I really do like these cookies and have been wanting  to make some that could satisfy my cravings for them and I would have to drive clear out of my way for them (which is probably a good thing they are farther away because I would be in lots of trouble and not fit into  my pants even more than I already don't).  Usually with cookies, I am all about the chocolate....okay....with anything I am all about the chocolate.  But these cookies are some of my favorites, even though they don't have chocolate. =)  So now that I have bored you to death, I guess I should give you the recipe huh?  I got the original recipe here and did a few little tweaks to it.  This recipe makes a lot so feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies

Cookies:
6 cups all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda 
1 t. baking powder 
1 c. butter, at room temperature 
2 c. granulated sugar 
3 eggs 
4 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. sour cream

Frosting:
1 c. butter, room temperature 
1 t. vanilla extract 
1 t. almond extract (optional but I love almond extract in frostings!)
4 c. powdered sugar (you may need more or less, depending on how thick you want the frosting
6 T. heavy cream (you won't need it all, I actually didn't even need any of it and you can use milk too)
Several drops food coloring 
Multi-colored Sprinkles

Directions:
Cream the butter and sugar until it is well incorporated.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat until well combined.  Slowly ad the dry ingredients.  The dough may be a bit sticky,  so don't fret.  Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours. You can either cover the bowl and do it in that or take the dough out and wrap in plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray your cookie sheets with non stick spray.

Roll out your dough to about 1/4 thickness (I actually do mine a little bit thicker)  If the dough is too sticky to roll out, add some flour and sugar.  I usually have a bag of a flour/sugar mix that I keep on hand for my sugar cookie dough.  I just sprinkle some on the counter and incorporate it into the dough as you are rolling it out.  Then take whatever shape cookie dough cutters you want and cut out your cookies.  I use a cup to get the round ones.  Then back your cookies for about 7 minutes.  You don't want them to over cook because then they will be crunchy and not soft (unless you are weird and like your sugar cookies crunchy ;P )  Once the cookies are done baking, let them cool on a cooling rack.  Once completely cooked, frost away!  And don't forget to let your little munchkins help decorate a few.

Root Beer Cookies

Everyone in my family are HUGE fans of root beer.  I have tried several recipes to try and get the root beer flavor in them.  I've done several cupcake versions and a few cookie versions.  I haven't been completely satisfied with them.  It seems like the root beer flavor always bakes out of it.  But then one day, while visiting one of my favorite blogs, Chef in Training, I found her recipe for root beer cookies.  I figured, what they hey, I'll give them a try.  Boy am I glad I did!  They were super yummy!  My hubby doesn't like white chocolate chips and he even really liked these (enough that he requested I make a batch for him to take to work to share, which he only does with the really good ones =)  )

ROOT BEER COOKIES

3/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 small box vanilla instant pudding (dry)

2 eggs

2 tsp. Root beer concentrate

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

white chocolate chips (however much you like, but probably around 1 cup)

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and root beer.  Beat until incorporated.  Add pudding mix, baking soda, and flour until well mixed.  Stir in white chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoons (or about 1 in big, or use a cookie dough scoop) onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  They get a big glass of milk and enjoy!!!