Lemony Lemon Cookies

I picked up some lemons at the grocery store the other day to make something yummy. I finally decided on a few recipes; so, it is lemon day at the Darroch house. I spent the morning making these Lemony Lemon Cookies and some Lemon Brownies (look for that post in a few days). 

While the kids and I ran out to do some errands, my husband came home for lunch. I didn't know he was planning to come home; so when I received his text about tasty lemon cookies, I was surprised but happy that he like them. 

If you like lemon, you will love these cookies. They pack one heck of a punch.

What You Will Need:
KitchenAid Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Small Scoop
Baking Sheet(s)
Silicone Mat(s) (This is optional, but I highly recommend it.)
Cooling Rack(s)

Ingredients:
For Cookies
3/4 cup Soy Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup Potato Starch
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 cup Sugar
1 large Egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

For Glaze
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
1/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

Directions:
In two separate small bowls, zest and juice lemons. (Make sure you wash the lemons before you zest them.) Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, xanthum gum, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. Set aside.

In KitchenAid Mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar together with paddle attachment.

Add egg.

Add vanilla.

Add lemon juice.

Add dry ingredients and mix on medium until smooth.

Don't be surprised, the dough is a very soft dough. I experimented with different sized cookies and found that small cookies work best. I also found that if you refrigerate the dough for 1/2-1 hour, the cookies won't spread quite as much. 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Drop by tablespoon size balls on silicone mat lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. (I used a small scoop.) Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. (Place cooling rack on baking sheet to catch run off of glaze.)

In a small bowl mix together glaze ingredients until smooth.

When cookies are cooled completely, spoon glaze onto cookies.

Be careful who is around when you eat these cookies, because they will make you pucker up. And you don't want to get caught puckering up to the wrong person. ;) 

Warning: These cookies also disappear very quickly. 

"Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now!"

Don't lose sight of your passion!

Sheryl

Fried Pork Tenderloin

This is another one of our family favorites. My mom used to make this all the time when I was growing up. Of course, it wasn't gluten free back then. I have since started making it with gluten free bread crumbs, and continue to make it on a regular basis for my family. 

Shortly after I started dating my husband, I found out that fried pork tenderloin was also a favorite of his family. Sometimes they serve it at Christmas Eve dinner. That was just another sign that we were clearly meant to spend the rest of our lives together in wedded bliss. They do say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. . Don't worry - I got this!

Anyway, I really prefer my pork tenderloin fried in butter, but we are working on watching our cholesterol; so, we use olive oil instead. When my sister-in-law makes it for Christmas Eve, she uses margarine. Whichever fat you choose to fry it in, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

What You Will Need:
Meat Mallet
Skillet

Ingredients:
2 Pork Tenderloins
1 cup of Gluten Free Bread Crumbs (Made from My Best Gluten Free Bread - posted on May 29, 2013)
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
2 Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Water
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - enough to cover the bottom of the skillet

Directions:
Remove silver skin from pork tenderloins and slice them into 1 inch slices.

Lay pork slices on their side, cover with plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet until slices are approximately 1/4 inch thick.

In a small container, mix together bread crumbs, italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. In a separate small container, beat eggs and water.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.

Dip pork in egg mixture.

Dip pork in bread crumbs.

Place breaded pork in skillet, and cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Remove each batch and place it on a paper towel lined plate or a rack inside a baking sheet. You may have to put more oil in the pan between batches.

Serve it your favorite vegetable and a yummy potato. Tonight I served it with baked home cut french fries and corn on the cob. I know, I had two starches. I'm just wild and crazy that way. 

So crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Yum!

"Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something, when the Bible clearly says, "I CAN do all things through Christ!"

Sheryl

Bumpy Cake Cupcakes

Oh Yeah! That is right, bumpy cake cupcakes. Bumpy cake was always one of my favorites as a kid. If you grew up in Michigan, you should be familiar with bumpy cake. If not, that is a true shame, and you have my condolences. 

My mom and I love bumpy cake. Sometimes we would keep one in our freezer. That way, when we got a hankering for it, all we had to do was walk to the kitchen. We usually just cut a piece or two from the cake, and saved the rest for later. Most of the time we didn't wait for it to defrost. It was so hard to be patient, and the cake was even amazing frozen.

These cupcakes are a gluten free tribute to that amazing cake. The second I tasted one, all of those great memories came flooding in. They are ridiculously good. 

What You Will Need:
Cupcake Tins
Cupcake Liners
KitchenAid Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Cooling Racks

Ingredients:
For Cupcakes
1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 cups Sugar
4 Large Eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 cup Soy Flour
3/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
3/4 cup Potato Starch
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cup Milk, hot

For Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
3 cups Powdered Sugar
3 3/4 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

For Chocolate Frosting
18 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate
4 1/2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

Directions:
For Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthum gum and salt. Set aside.

In KitchenAid Mixer bowl, beat butter with paddle attachment on medium until smooth - approximately 2 minutes.

Slowly add sugar. Beat on medium-high until fluffy - approximately 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add cocoa and vanilla. Beat at medium for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with rubber spatula.

Add eggs one at a time. Beat for 1 minute on low-medium after each egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with rubber spatula.

Add dry ingredients 1/4 cup at a time with mixer on low. Scrape down sides of the bowl with rubber spatula.

Carefully and slowly add milk. Mix until smooth, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula if necessary.

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

I know, these already look incredible, but this is just the beginning. Things are about to get insane.

For the Buttercream Frosting

In KitchenAid Mixer bowl, beat butter with paddle attachment on medium until smooth - approximately 2 minutes.

Slowly add the sugar. Mix on low until well combineds.

Add vanilla. Mix on medium-high until smooth and fluffy.

Fill a gallon size ziploc storage bag with buttercream frosting. Clip the corner of the bag.

Pipe buttercream frosting on cupcakes in two lines. Freeze frosted cupcakes for at least 30 minutes.

For Chocolate Frosting
Chop chocolate.

Place chopped chocolate and oil in a medium, microwave safe bowl.

Heat on high for approximately 1 1/2 minutes in 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth.

Pour chocolate in a container that is just wider than the cupcakes. I used a plastic cup. Dip cupcakes in chocolate, and set on a cooling rack to set.

Now we are talking! You know you want to eat them. If you could just reach into your computer, but that isn't possible. What is possible is you following these directions, and making some of your own. Don't wait! These are going to be one of your new favorites.

Just look at that moist chocolate cake, the sweet buttercream frosting, and the rich chocolate frosting. I think I am drooling just thinking about them. I have had to work really hard not to eat all of them in one day. They are that good!

Ask my son, Tommy, he wanted to eat them all. I think he is sneaking them behind my back. ;)

"Take risks: If you win, you will be happy. If you lose, you will be wise."

In my opinion, either way, you win!

Sheryl