Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies

Christmas is coming up quick! And I said I was going to share with you my grandma's almond, cream cheese, and candied cherry cookies, and I am! These are my favorite cookies on the entire planet. I'm not exaggerating. They're these sweet little cherry-cream-cheesy-almond-y cookies with an incredible cream cheese icing, topped with a maraschino cherry. Mm mm. Could I get a lifetime supply of these cookies? Please and thank you.

Every year, my grandmother would send everyone in my family home with a big bag of cookies, fudge, and bars. Her cherry cream cheese cookies were the first ones gone. When she stopped making these cookies a few years back, my heart broke. Okay, now I'm exaggerating, but I was pretty sad about it! It wasn't until this year that she told me they were cookies from a mix in a box... Cookies from a mix in a box that are no longer sold. So, I made it my goal to figure out how to make the same cookies from scratch this year.

Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies
Author: Herbivore Haven
Makes: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup candied cherries, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup  butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 36 maraschino cherries (for topping)
• 1/2 cup candied cherries, finely chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the maraschino cherries on paper towels to drain while preparing cookies. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the softened butter and cream cheese. Mix by hand or with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar, almond extract, and salt to the mixture. Mix until the ingredients are combined. Mix in 1 1/4 cup of the flour until just combined. Add the candied cherries and the remaining flour and continue mixing until well combined.
3. Lightly flour a work surface. Form the dough into a large ball. The dough make look crumbly, but once you work with it, it will stick together. Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a circle cookie cutter, or the open end of a glass, and cut out circles in the dough. Place each cookie on the prepared cookie sheet about 1/2 an inch apart.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until bottoms are light brown. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter. Mix until creamy. Gradually mix in the 2 cups of powdered sugar. Mix in the milk. For a thicker consistency, mix in more powdered sugar as desired.
6. Top each cookie with a dollop of the frosting and a single maraschino cherry. Enjoy!

To store: Layer unfrosted cookies between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw cookies, if frozen. Frost and top cookies with maraschino cherries.

Read More →

Five Minute Fudge

Growing up, one of my favorite things about Christmas time was the fudge my grandmother would always have. She also made these delicious almond, cream cheese and candied cherry cookies, (which I will be sharing with you very, very soon!) This year, I thought I would try out a few different recipes for fudge, so that I could share them with her. The first batch, I did a classic five minute fudge.

The fudge turned out wonderfully creamy and chocolaty, and was incredibly easy to make! I doubled the batch and made fudge with walnuts, and some without!

With five minute fudge, you can heat up the ingredients in the microwave, or on the stove-top. Either way it takes about 5 minutes and comes out delicious!

Five Minute Fudge
Author: Herbivore Haven

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk (about half of a 12 oz. can)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
On the stove-top:

1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with waxed paper, set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt. Bring to boil and stir constantly. Boil 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and nuts (if desired) and mix until the chocolate is melted.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until set for at least 4 hours or over night. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

In the microwave:

1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with waxed paper, set aside.
2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk, and butter. Microwave in one-minute increments until melted, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Mix until all of the chocolate chips are melted, then add the vanilla and salt. Stir until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until set for at least 4 hours or over night. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

Read More →

Eggnog Cookies

Happy Friday! My brother and I are both going to be home for Christmas, which means we're doing the 'nog. Eggnog cookies, that is.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of eggnog, but my brother loves it. Every year for Christmas, I get him a huge jug of eggnog and a bottle of bourbon, but this year, I thought I'd add a little something different and make him a big batch of eggnog cookies too. Although I don't really like eggnog, I loved these cookies. They smelled so lovely, I couldn't resist.

Soft, fluffy, sweet, eggnog-y cookies with a light, creamy eggnog icing? Who could resist?

Eggnog Cookies
Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from Mrs. Fields Cookie Book
Makes: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup eggnog

Eggnog Icing:

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons eggnog
• sprinkle of ground nutmeg (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the mixture and beat until smooth. Add eggnog and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the flour mixture into the eggnog mixture and stir until well combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
4. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop spoonfuls of dough onto the cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
5. Make the icing: In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and eggnog together. Add more sugar or eggnog, depending on the consistency you prefer.
6. Drizzle the icing on cooled cookies and sprinkle with nutmeg. Store in a air tight container in the refrigerator.

Read More →

Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas breakfast at my house will more than likely consist of fudge, cookies, and eggnog cinnamon rolls. The best eggnog cinnamon rolls, ever, to be exact. The perfect way to start your Christmas morning after spending the previous days running around like a chicken with it's head cut off...

Sweet, soft, gooey, cinnamon-y, eggnog cinnamon rolls with a warm, gooey eggnog icing. Mm, mm.

Even if you aren't the biggest fan of the taste of eggnog, you'll love these!

Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from Half Baked Harvest
Makes: 16 rolls

Ingredients:
Cinnamon Rolls:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 small packet)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup room temperature eggnog
• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 egg
• 4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

• 1/2- 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (separated)

Icing:

• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons eggnog
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, place the yeast and brown sugar. Add the warm water and gently stir. Let the mixture sit until the yeast is foamy on top, about 10 minutes.
2. To the bowl, add the melted butter, warm eggnog, vanilla yogurt and eggs, mix until combined. Add in the flour, salt and vanilla extract. Knead the dough until the dough is smooth and forms a ball, about 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl spray the bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm area for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. (I preheated the oven to 150 degrees, shut it off, and put the dough in the oven to rise).
3. Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with 3 tablespoons of butter.
4. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 9x24 inches). Spread about 6 tablespoons of the melted butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon filling evenly over the butter and lightly push the mixture into the butter. Starting with the long edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you roll. When you reach the end of the dough, pinch along the edge to seal. Cut slices with a knife, or place the dental floss under the roll about an inch away from the very end of the roll. Take the ends of the floss in each hand and wrap them around the roll. Keeping the ends of the floss in each hand, don’t let go and then tighten the floss so it starts to cut through the roll. Again, don’t change hands. Tighten until the floss comes out and the individual roll is separated. Cut the roll about every inch.
5. Place the rolls in the buttered pan about 1/2 an inch apart. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until the dough is doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the remaining butter on top of each roll. Bake the rolls at 350 for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
7. In the meantime, make the frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter. Whisk until it's creamy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Add the eggnog and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Drizzle the frosting on each warm roll. Enjoy!

Read More →

Updated Gingerbread Muffins

Happy Monday! After making my first batch of gingerbread muffins, I had a few ideas to update the recipe a bit and bake them up a totally different way.

Although the first recipe was very delicious, these muffins were packed full of even more flavor and slightly more moist (sorry).

Gingerbread Muffins
Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from A Beautiful Bite
Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray or line each cup with muffin papers.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, unsweetened applesauce, molasses and egg. Mix until well combined.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture into the batter, mixing until well combined. Slowly add in the milk, mixing well.
5. Spoon the muffin batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. In the meantime, make the glaze: Mix all ingredients together until there are no clumps. Add milk as desired for a thinner consistency. Add powdered sugar as desired for a thicker consistency.
8. Once the muffins have baked, remove each muffin from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Drizzle the glaze over each muffin and enjoy!

Read More →