Lemon Basil Butter Cookies

I love this time of year. Summer's just begun. We are starting to get rid of our traditional "June Gloom". We've had lovely sunny afternoons but not too many hot days. Our garden looks beautiful, with all the promise of an early garden, before pests and diseases come along.

 And we're up to our ears in lemons and basil!

I love lemon and basil together.  I've made creamy pasta dishes with them, cheesey pasta dishes with them, and even made lemon and basil flavored pasta.

I can't even tell you how many times we've had lemon and basil chicken.  On the grill, roasted, pan-fried.. it's all delicious.

Today I wanted something sweet and lemony.  And basil-y too.   Since everything goes with cookies, I decided on Lemon Basil Butter Cookies.

This is truly a delicious combination.  The butter cookies are tender and delicate and bursting with lemon and basil flavor.

Try these while basil is fresh and in season.  They'll be gone in a flash!

Lemon Basil Butter Cookies

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus one hour cool

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Keywords: bake basil lemon cookie

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Ingredients (36 cookies)

For the Cookies

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

For the Lemon Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar 

• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Instructions

• In a mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in the egg, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Reduce speed to low. Add flour, basil and salt. Mix until combined.
• Place the dough onto waxed paper and shape into two logs, roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Wrap each log in cling wrap. {I like to make a shape other than a circle - square, triangle, rectangle... it is easier to maintain the shape when cooling and slicing!} Freeze the dough for one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut each log into 1/4 inch slices.
• Place the slices onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden, about 16-18 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Make the Lemon Glaze - in a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, basil and lemon juice until smooth.
• Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour.
• Store in an air tight container.

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Crispy Baked Stuffed Parsnips #CIC

I think parsnips are a highly under-utilized vegetable.  You hardly ever see it on a menu, probably don't cook with it very often.

Parsips, though, are really veratile.  This pale, carrot-like root has a creamy sweet texture- treat it as you would a potato, or get creative with soups, stews and cakes.

Twice baked potatoes are the inspiration for this recipe.  The parsnips are sweet when roasted (like carrots), stuffed with a creamy ricotta cheese mixture, topped with bread crumbs and then baked for a crispy texture.

I particularly like the addition of cardamom to the filling.  Cardamom has a strong, unique spicy-sweet taste, which is slightly aromatic.  It smells like holidays to me.

And these parsnips would make a beautiful holiday side dish - you could make them (up to the point of baking) a day or two in advance and then bake just before serving.

That being said, this is a really easy recipe and would be wonderful any time of the year, holiday or not!  We had them with grilled steak and corn on the cob - perfection!

An InLinkz Link-up

Crispy Baked Stuffed Parsnips

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 - 35 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 12 medium parsnips, peeled
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (best to buy seeds and grind yourself for the most flavor)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Place parsnips in a skillet; add 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 to15 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and cool.

Cut a thin lengthwise slice out of each parsnip. Scoop out parsnip, leaving a 1/4-inch shell; set shells aside.

Process the removed parsnip in a food processor or blender until finely chopped. Add ricotta, onion, cardamom, salt and pepper. Spoon into parsnipshells.

Place in a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Combine crumbs, butter and paprika; sprinkle over parsnips.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the parsnips are tender and the coating is crispy.

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Simple Lemon Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Lemons are one of my very favorite flavors to use in all kinds of dishes.  Lemons make great dessert dishes (like today's Simple Lemon Cerry Cheesecake Bars) but also are fantastic in savory dishes - like Creamy Lemon and Basil Pasta or Roasted Potatoes with Lemon Vinaigrette.

I like lemon so much that I am going to fill up this week with lemon recipes!  Feel free to add a link to your favorite lemon recipes in the comments.  I'd love to hear about them!

These bars are truly simple to make with only 8 ingredients, but those ingredients come together into a beautiful and irresistable dessert.

The crust is a sweet and tender shortbread and the filling is brightly lemony.  The cherry preserves on top add both a beautiful color contrast and a touch of sweet cherry flavor.

With only about 10 minutes of "work" time, these are the essense of simplicity.  Be sure not to tell anyone either - they are so lovely and delicious, no one will ever know!

Simple Lemon Cherry Cheesecake Bars

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours bake/chill

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Ingredients (25 bars)

For the Crust

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
• 1 egg

For the Topping

• 4 tablespoons cherry preserves

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and butter; blend well. Add flour and mix until crumbly. Press mixture in bottom of sprayed pan.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients and beat well.
5. Remove pan from oven. Pour the filling over the partially baked crust.
6. In small bowl, stir 2 tablespoons of the cherry preserves until softened. Spoon over filling mixture. With tip of spoon, carefully swirl preserves into top of filling. (Do not disturb crust.)
7. Return pan to oven; bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 30 minutes.
8. Stir remaining preserves and spread evenly over bars.
9. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Cut into bars.
10. Store in refrigerator.

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Easter Candy Bark

The Easter Bunny was generous in our house this year.  In an effort to prevent myself from eating all of it (sigh) I decided to make this bark and share it.

The making it part was easy.  Sharing it?  Not so much.  This is fantastic and addictive stuff.  Sweet and salty with wonderful textures.

I made mine with Easter trail mix and honey roasted peanuts as well as crumbled vanilla sandwich cookies and Easter candy.

I think you could use more or less anything in place of the trail mix and peanuts.

You want something salty and with some texture - think potato chips, pretzels, crackers, nuts...

Raisins or other dried fruit is also wonderful here.

And of course, Easter candy.

This was a huge hit at the office.

At least the part that they got to eat.  I'll have to make twice as much next year.

Easter Candy Bark

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Cook Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients (1 1/2 pounds)

• 1 cup trail mix (or mixture of nuts and raisins)
• 1/3 cup broken up vanilla sandwich cookies
• 1/3 cup honey roasted peanuts
• 1 1/2 cups Easter candy (jelly beans, candy coated chocolates... whatever you have on hand)
• 1 pound (16 ounces) vanilla candy coating
• decorative sprinkles

Instructions

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Evenly distribute the trail mix and crumbled vanilla cookies.
• Melt candy coating per package directions and pour over prepared layer. Using a spatula, spread the coating coating to cover completely in a thin layer.
• Immediately scatter candy over bark and lightly press into warm coating to adhere. Sprinke with decorative sprinkles as desired.
• Allow to set before breaking into pieces. Store in airtight container.

Note: White chocolate and vanilla candy coating can seem interchangeable. Though candy coating works best for this recipe (as it is easier to work with when melted), I used white chocolate chips. In that case, carefully melt the chocolate according to the package instructions and then mix all of the ingredients (except decorative sprinkles) into the white chocolate before preading on the parchment covered sheet.

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Cauliflower and Ricotta Pizza

Today is March's CIC - Crazy Ingredient Challenge! Each month our group decide on two ingredients and we each set about creating a new never before posted recipe to share on the 20th of the month.

This month was cauliflower and cheese.  I was all set to do a soup.  A beer cheese soup with roasted cauliflower maybe.

But on the day I was going to make the soup, we got a pizza oven and I just knew I had to make pizza!

I wanted  a pizza that reminded me of the crispy, delicious pizzas we had in Rome.  I used my favorite pizza dough recipe and topped it with some flavorful pizza sauce.  Then I added pesto, which would work really well with the cauliflower.  A half cup each of ricotta cheese and cauliflower pieces on top came next and then some mozzarella.

This cooks in just 3 or 4 minutes in our pizza oven, but can be cooked in a hot oven for about 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese bubbly.

This was a fantastic way to use caulifower!  The caulifower roasted beautifully and I loved the mix of tomato sauce and pesto.  And truly, pizza is not pizza without creamy ricotta cheese and thin cripsy crust!

So glad we had this ingredient combo this month.  I can't wait to see what we have next month!

Be sure to visit all our hard working bloggers and see the great recipes.

This recipe is part of the March 2015 CIC group link up. If you're a blogger and interested in joining us, contact Dawn from Spatulas On Parade and she can send you the FB group link. The more the merrier.  Email Dawn for more info.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Orange Ricotta Cheesecake Bars

Time for our Crazy Ingredient Challenge!   If you haven’t visited before, this challenge is to create a recipe with two truly unique ingredients that are not traditionally cooked together. I always love to stretch my culinary skills and to share with you the results of the challenge.  Each month and just keeps getting better and more creative. This is one group of talented chef’s who come up with these recipes!

Do you want to up your kitchen adventure and be a part of the Crazy Ingredient Challenge? Ready to challenge your culinary mind? Shake it up a bit and have a new adventure in your kitchen in 2014 and 2015. If you want to be a part of this group, you can request to join our Facebook page or contact Dawn over at Spatulas On Parade.

This month's ingredients were bread crumbs and citrus.  Those ingredients leave a lot of room for creativity...  A savory orange chicken?  Crispy lemon tilapia?  Turkey meatballs?

I decided to make something sweet.  The bread crumbs gave the crust a beautiful crunchy texture, and the fresh orange juice was a perfect balance for the creamy sweetness of the ricotta cheesecake.

This reminds me of my Grandma's lemon bars - but a little lighter and creamy with a more subtle citrus flavor.

Before you get to my recipe, check out the wonderful creations from my fellow participants!

An InLinkz Link-up

Orange Ricotta Cheesecake Bars

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients (36 bars)

For the Crust

• 2 cups plain bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom syrup

For the Orange Ricotta Filling

• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, drained
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Make the Crust

• Pulse flour, confectioner's sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, salt and orange blossom syrup in food processor. Add butter and process to blend; then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal.
• Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and, press firmly with fingers into even layer over entire pan bottom and about 1/2-inch up sides.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and then bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Make the Filling

• Whisk ricotta, eggs, sugar, and flour in medium bowl, then stir in orange zest, juice, salt, and vanilla to blend well.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Stir filling mixture before pouring into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours. Cut into bars, wiping knife clean between cuts. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

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Pumpkin Blondies with Coconut Caramel Frosting

I love pumpkin.  It's so versatile - from the traditional pie, to roasted in pumpkin chili or buttery fluffy mashed pumpkin (great alternative for mashed potatoes!), pumpkin can be used in almost anything!

I've got to confess though, that I am not the biggest fan of pumpkin pie.  I love the flavors, but something about it just isn't my favorite.

I do love blondies - they are both delcious and easy to make.  Perfect combo.  When I thought about adding pumpkin to my favorite blondies, I came up with these Pumpkin Blondies with Coconut Caramel Frosting.  They are like pumpkin pie's tropical cousin!

Sweetly decadent, these blondies are rich with the flavors of pumpkin pie with just a hint of the tropics!

Pumpkin Blondies with Coconut Caramel Frosting

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 - 40 minutes

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Ingredients (36 blondies)

For the Blondies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

For the Frosting

• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

Make the Blondies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Grease with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree.
• Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Make the Frosting

• Cream the butter and vanilla.
• Add brown sugar gradually while continuing to beat.
• Stir in coconut.
• Add cream in small amounts to achieve desired consistency.

Finish the Blondies

• When the blondies have cooled completely, use the parchment paper to carefully remove the blondies from the pan.
• Frost with the coconut caramel frosting.
• Cut into 36 pieces.

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Pumpkin and Bacon Twists

Today is Crazy Ingredient Challenge Day! CIC is the headed up by Dawn at Spatula’s On Parade - this is one group of talented chefs who come up with these recipes each month, made with, well, crazy ingredients! 

Pumpkin and bacon are the ingredients for this month. I think these are fantastic ingredients - both alone and together. Both work wonderfully in either sweet or savory dishes, leaving the field of potential recipe ideas wide open. I thought about soup, or pie... maybe truffles. With so many options, I had a hard time deciding. 

Then it came to me - when we were travelling over the summer, we spent a weekend in a fantastic bed and breakfast. The proprietor made puff pastry bacon twists that were amazing. I thought that adding a pumpkin filling would make them even better. And you know what? Pumpkin did make them even better!

These Pumpkin Bacon Twists are the perfect balance of sweet and savory, with a silky rich and spiced filling and just a bit of heat.

Parchment paper keeps the pastry from sticking to the baking sheet and also makes for easier cleanup. If you don't have parchment paper, you can spray the baking sheet with cooking spray instead. However, cooking spray may cause the bottoms of the pastries to brown more quickly, so watch the pastries carefully!

These would be great for a brunch party. To make ahead, cover and freeze the unbaked pastries on the baking sheets until firm. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and store in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. To bake, place the pastries onto baking sheets and bake as directed above.

Before you get to the recipe, be sure to check out my fellow chefs' pumpkin and bacon recipes!

An InLinkz Link-up

Pumpkin Bacon Twists

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

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Ingredients (18 twists)

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkion pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
• 5 slices uncooked bacon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle two tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture onto your work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface.
4. Add the pumpkin puree to the remaining brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.
5. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14x10-inch rectangle. Spread the pumkin mixture onto the pastry. Fold the pastry sheet in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 18 strips.
6. Cut the bacon slices in half lengthwise, then crosswise, making 20 (about 5x1/2-inch) strips.
7. Place 1 bacon strip on each pastry strip. Twist the pastry and bacon together and place on the baking sheets, pressing down the ends.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown and the bacon is crisp. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes.

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