Here’s a GREAT spring recipe that was submitted for our 2013 Scrumptious Spring Sweepstakes by Nancy. It’s a delicious recipe called Simply Butter Cookies. Here’s her wonderful story:

“When I attended my first culinary arts course I discovered this famous bakery located in Paris (I have not had the honor to travel there), that gives away their delicate butter cookies to patron you shop or come in their bakery. I learned to make these at home. They are my hubby’s favorite cookie now and I use them in many ways. This is an adapted recipe in salute to Poilane, a dedicated Parisian Bakery and all the love he put in these little treats. We love them with ice cream too! A perfect spring treat.”

Recipe:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place butter in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the butter is smooth. Add the sugar and process and scrape until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to process, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour, pulse about 12 times, until the dough forms clumps.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the ball in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap the disks in plastic. Chill the disks until they are firm, about 4 hours.
Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch. Cut out cookies using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, and place them on the lined sheets, leaving space between them.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are set but pale and brown around the edges. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature. This makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Scrumptious Spring Sweepstakes Entry

This wonderful spring recipe comes to us from Susan who took a year long effort to make this cake perfect for her husband.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons of Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla extract
2 cups FINELY grated carrot (I use the smallest grater I have)
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained (see tips below)
1 Cup of flaked coconut
1 Cup toasted chopped pecans

Buttermilk Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup REAL Butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) of REAL Butter
2 (8 oz) packages of softened cream cheese
6 cups of powdered sugar
3 Rodelle Gourmet vanilla extract
2 cups of toasted pecan pieces (optional)

Method:
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax or parchment paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper.
Set pans aside.
Take all of the required cups of pecans (include the amount for the frosting if you are using them), spread them evenly over a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven while working on the cake (be careful not to burn them) about 5 minutes
Stir together first 4 ingredients – (I always use a paper plate, it makes it easier to put the ingredients in the stand mixer when I’m ready for it, just fold the plate and pour)
Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Time for the Buttermilk Glaze; Combine all ingredients except vanilla in saucepan; bring to boil. Boil 5-6 minutes, until thick and syrupy; add vanilla. Pour glaze over top while cake is still warm and in pans, allow cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove cakes from pan to cool on racks until you are ready to frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Combine all ingredients, except nuts in stand mixer until creamy – for best results do this while cakes re baking and refrigerate the frosting while the cakes cool.
Spread frosting between each layer as you assemble the cake, building up the edges where there will be a gap on the side as you go along; frost the sides of the cake and the top.
Take the chopped pecans in your hand and press them along the sides of the cake and viola you are done!

Tips:
Carrot cake always tastes better and it will cut cleaner once it has been refrigerated for a couple of hours.
Place the shredded carrots and crushed pineapple in a cheesecloth or very clean kitchen towel and squeeze out excess moisture to your desired amount.
Dip the spatula used for frosting the cake in cold water to get a nice clean appearance to the top of the frosting.
Add a little caramel sauce and a sprinkling of cinnamon to the plates before you serve

Scrumptious Spring Sweepstakes Entry

Here is a delicious recipe submitted to us from Tammy! These delicious bagels were inspired by her families’ love for the prior store bought type. She said that her family loved them so much, that she just couldn’t afford to keep buying as many as they were eating so- she was inspired to create a homemade version.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
1 cup raisins soaked in hot water for 5 minutes; pat dry with paper towel
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 TB honey
4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 TB canola oil
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 TB kosher salt
3/4 cups flour
1 large egg white for brushing bagel
Take lukewarm water, brown sugar, honey, yeast, and oil in a large bowl; mix until yeast is dissolved then add wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, and raisins. Stir in about 2 1/2 cups of flour to form a soft dough. Put out on lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to form a smooth and firm ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 12- 2 ounce pieces. Roll each into a 10 inch rope, pinch ends together and set aside, let rest for 20 minutes.
Bring to boil 6 quarts of water and 2 TB light brown sugar. Cook each bagel for 45 seconds transfer to a clean towel. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper brush each with egg white bake for 15 minutes then flip over and cook for 5 more minutes. Cool and store in a tightly covered bowl. Serve with butter or cream cheese.

Be sure to enter in our 2013 Scrumptious Spring Sweepstakes for your chance to win a KitchenAid® 5-qt. Stand Mixer and some Rodelle goodies!