Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies can be adapted for any celebration. These can be frosted with butter cream frosting and decorated.  These can also be sprinkled with granulated sugar or colored sugar crystals. Also these can be left plain and used as mini dessert pizzas to be assembled on the spot. Makes about 5 dozen.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup Softened Butter (room temperature)

2 Cups Granulated Vanilla Sugar (white granulated sugar stored with a vanilla bean in the canister)

4 eggs

1 Teaspoon Homemade Vanilla

 5 Cups White or Unbleached Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

1. Cream together sugar and butter. 
2. Add in eggs and vanilla; mix well. 
3. Mix salt and baking powder in a small bowl, then whisk into flour. 
4. With mixer on pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well. 
5. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to over night. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
6. On a lightly floured surface roll out cookie dough to an even thickness of 1/4- 1/2 inch. 
7. Using a cookie cuter cut out shapes and place about 1 inch apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 
8. Place cookie sheet in the freezer. Placing the cookie sheet in the freezer for a few minutes before cooking helps cookies maintain their shape!
9. Immediately fill out the next cookie sheet. 
10. Then take the second cookie sheet and place in the freezer. 
11. Take the chilled cookie sheet out of the freezer and leave plain for frosting later or sprinkle with granulated or crystal sugar for sugar cookies. 
12.  Place chilled cookie sheets immediately in the preheated oven.
13. Bake 6-8 minute, till firm but not browned. 
14. Cool on rack.

Williamsburg Orange Cake

I used to make this cake for bake sales when I was in high school, and they always fetched a pretty penny!  this is yummy and moist!  This is a really easy all in one bowl-- mix and pour recipe. This is not your typical buttermilk cake recipe and is a great from scratch cake for beginners!

Ingredients
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour ( or 2 2/3 cup Cake Flour)
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar (I keep a vanilla bean in my sugar jar and only use cane sugar)
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1  1/2 Cups Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Sweet Cream Butter, Softened
1/4 Cup Crisco Shortening
3 Large Eggs (about 2/3 cup)
1  1/2 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup Golden Raisins, Cut Up (Or for a zip substitute Crasins!)
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts or Peacns
1 Tablespoon Orange Zest or grated Orange Peel (like to heap the tablespoon)

Top with Williamsburg Buttercream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-9 inch round cake pans.

Measure and pour all ingredients for the cake into a large bowl. Mix 1/2 minute on low spread will you use the spatula to scrape down bowl sides constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 more minutes, scraping occasionally to make sure all the dry mixture is evenly dispersed. Pour mixture evenly into three pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.  Then frost with the Williamsburg Butter cream frosting.

Williamsburg Butter Cream Frosting
1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, softened at room temperature.
4 1/2 Cups C & H Confectioners Sugar
4-5 Tablespoons Orange Flavoring, Orange Juice or Orange Liqueur - (each adds its own touch, when I was in high school I made this with Orange Liqueur, it had less alcohol than the flavoring had! Or Make your own Orange Extract!)
1 tablespoon Orange Zest or Grated Orange Peel

Whip butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in flavoring. Add orange zest or grated peel and beat until smooth. Ice the cakes by spreading a little icing in between each layer, frost the top, then the sides. Sever with a smile!

Daffodil Cake and Lemon Glaze

I love this cake for Easter.  I first made it when I was a young mother and I did it because it looked challenging! I can slice it in thin slices and it is light and lovely as its name. Top it with lemon glaze, fluffy home whipped cream and coconut, or serve it with whipped cream and berries! Basically this is kind of like two cakes intermixed to make a lovely delicate yellow and white marbled cake. this recipe is not as daunting as first appears.

Ingredients

1 Cup Sifted Cake Flour

3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (14 Tablespoons)

12 Large Egg Whites (1 1/2 cups)

1  1/2 Teaspoons Cream of Tarter

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Sugar

6 Egg Yolks

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl mix and stir together flour and 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar and set aside. 

In large mixing bowl, whip egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt until foamy. Slowly add in remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time while whipping the egg mixture til it forms stiff peaks. Set aside.

In a small bowl beat the six yolks about five minutes until the yolks are thick and lemon yellow.

Carefully fold the flavorings into the meringue mixture.

Gently sprinkle, 1/4 of the sugary flour mixture at a time, over the meringue mixture. Then gently fold until the flour mixture disappears. Be very careful not to over fold.

Carefully pour half the batter into another bowl.  Gently fold yolks into one of the batter bowls.

Alternately spoon yellow and white batter into an ungreased 10x4 inch tube pan (angel food pan). Whit a knife gently cut down through the batter to swirl or gently marble it.

Place pan on the bottom shelf of the oven to bake for about 40 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back when it is gently pressed by fingers. Invert pan on a funnel or bottle to cool. Then glaze or frost and serve.

Lemon Glaze

Ingredients
1 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Grated Lemon
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice (fresh)
About 2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Drop Yellow Food Color

Directions
Mix until smooth.