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Grapefruit Poppy Bread

grapefruit, citrus, bread, cake, winter
Grapefruit Poppy Loaf with grapefruit glaze.

When a large group of bloggers decide to virtually get together for a party, you SHOW UP! The lovely wonderful ladies of Square Meal Round Table and What Annie's Eating put together this lovely tribute to the mighty GRAPEFRUIT.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit Poppy Loaves

Tis' the season for all things citrus from incredible blood oranges, meyer lemons and of course grapefruit. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy this seasonal citrus, at its peak. It's funny, I was never a huge grapefruit fan until my later years, of course, I definitely enjoy it with some sugar but I do enjoy it greatly now. My kids have also become HUGE grapefruit eaters, so I can't complain! Although, my poor husband has made a name for himself as the "Best Grapefruit Cutter" so I leave the cutting to him, I'll take them and bake!

Grapefruit Bread

With grapefruit in peak season, I thought a grapefruit poppy loaf would be a nice twist to a traditional lemon poppy seed bread. I had these little mini loaf ceramic dishes I had been dying to use so 6 little loaves came about. Perfect for snacking, gifting or even freezing for a morning you just don't want to bake.

These loaves are filled with grapefruit zest, juice and of course topped with a delicious grapefruit glaze that gives it that extra dose of sweetness and glamour. You can certainly skip the glaze and pour a touch of grapefruit juice on top instead.

I love cakes that take a few minutes to make but pack a ton of flavor and are sure to impress! You can find this recipe and a TON more grapefruit inspiration by checking out the Instagram hashtag: #greatfruitgrapefruit . I also have links to some amazing recipes below to check out.

As always, I love seeing your creations! If you make these adorable loaves, give me a tag on Instagram or Facebook or leave a comment below. Be sure to pin for later!
xoxo,
Cosette

Grapefruit Poppy Loaf
PIN for later!
Grapefruit Poppy Loaf
Ready for the oven!
Grapefruit Poppy Loaf
Perfectly golden out of the oven.
Grapefruit Poppy Loaf
The grapefruit glaze really ties the whole bread together.
Grapefruit Poppy Loaf
That drip.
Grapefruit Poppy Loaf
Perfect for a party or brunch.


More Grapefruit Inspiration

Print Recipe
 Grapefruit Poppy Loaves
Makes 6 mini loaves, check recipe notes for alternate baking vessels.
grapefruit, citrus, bread, cake, winter
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Loaves
Grapefruit Glaze
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Loaves
Grapefruit Glaze
grapefruit, citrus, bread, cake, winter
Instructions
Loaves
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour 6 mini loaf pans (mine were 3.5" x 5.5" and about 2" high).**see notes below for baking in standard loaf pan or bundt
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add your: eggs, sugar, vanilla, zest from 2 grapefruit and bourbon.
  3. Mix on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
  4. Add in your dry ingredients until just combined.
  5. Finally add your oil, yogurt and grapefruit juice and allow to mix for 2-3 minutes until batter is fully combined.
  6. Pour into prepared mini loaf pans, batter can be filled to almost the top, leave about ¼". Place your mini loaves on a sheet pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Tops should be golden in color. Remove from oven, let cool then remove from ceramic loaf pans. Prepare glaze and top when loaves are cool. Enjoy!
Grapefruit Glaze
  1. Combine your powdered sugar and grapefruit juice until a thick but pourable glaze forms.
Recipe Notes

**If you don't have mini loaf pans, this bakes great in a bundt pan. Coat your bundt pan well, I really love using Baker's Joy! Bake bundt for 55-60 minutes

**You can also prepare 2 standard size loaf pans (9.5" x 2") and bake those for about 45 minutes

**You can obviously omit the glaze, you may want to drizzle about a tablespoon of fresh grapefruit juice on top when they come out of the oven if you choose to omit the glaze. 

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Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies

A stack of these will definitely cure the winter blues.

 

February. I don't know about you but by this time of year I'm ready for sunshine and rainbows again. Nothing cheers me up more than a bag of citrus. Oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, blood oranges and of course lemons are in abundance right now. I truly think they are intended for our long winter months just to brighten our day. What better way to use them than in cookie form?

I also think that by this time in winter, we've consumed a few extra pounds munching on snacks and drinking wine, that summer bod is a long, long way away. So why not snack on another cookie? Am I right? With 3 kids and a husband, cookies disappear pretty fast around here. My oldest daughter has an egg allergy and cookies are one of the toughest desserts for her to have. I am always looking for new ways to create eggless cookies for her to enjoy.

Lemon Poppy Cookies

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies

You won't be able to keep these for long!

I bring you these Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies, and just by chance they also happen to be vegan so it's a win for everyone (except those of you who are gluten free, sorry). Bright lemon flavor, bits of poppy seeds and the glaze, ohhhhhhh the glaze is what makes these perfect! A soft and chewy cookie with the ever so slight crisp edges. I love a good chocolate chip cookie but really these are wayyyyyy more my style. Oh, and did I mention...one bowl and NO MIXER! Okay, I got you hooked now!!! If you are anywhere in the Pacific Northwest this weekend, I'm pretty sure these will be a necessity. 

As always, I love seeing your creations. Please be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook, I love to share your recreations in my stories. And don't forget to Pin for later!

xoxo,
Cosette

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies

Soft, chewy and perfect!

 

 


Print Recipe


Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies

Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour

Servings


Ingredients
Cookie

Lemon Glaze

Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour

Servings


Ingredients
Cookie

Lemon Glaze

vegan, lemon, poppy, cookies


Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds and sugar. Whisk to combine.

  2. Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and add your oil, water, lemon juice, vanilla and zest.

  3. Mix well and stir until a cohesive dough forms. If dough is still a bit crumbly, add a drop or two of water as needed.

  4. Place mixture in the fridge for an hour, or longer The refrigeration helps the cookies not to spread while baking.

  5. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

  6. Once your dough has chilled and your oven is preheated, using a cookie scoop, scoop your dough and slightly flatten each cookie.

  7. Fill each cookie sheet with 12 cookies, leaving about 1.5" between each cookie as they will spread. Keep your second sheet in the fridge while you bake your first one.

  8. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and let cool before adding glaze. Add your 2nd sheet and repeat.

  9. Prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar and lemon juice together until a thick glaze forms.

  10. Glaze cookies once completely cool. Store in an airtight container for a week. Enjoy!


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Ma'amoul Cookies

Cookies of my Childhood

When I think of home and my childhood, the scent of rose and orange blossom water linger in my mind. Those are the most distinct flavors and smells of most Middle Eastern desserts. 

I can remember watching my mom in the kitchen before all holidays and special events making special treats, one in particular, ma'amoul. Ma'amoul cookies are little pockets of goodness filled with walnuts or dates, of course scented with the aromas of orange blossom and rose waters. Delicate pastry is wrapped and baked into a perfect cookie to enjoy with morning coffee or on a cookie platter.

Labor of Love

Ma'amoul are definitely a labor of love, each individual cookie shaped and pressed with care, baked to perfection. The wooden molds are truly what make this dessert elegant and special with unique patterns and designs. You'll find that this cookie doesn't contain any traditional flour, but instead a mixture of semolina and farina flours. This delicate balance of flours give the cookies a tender but yet crisp bite and something truly unique.

Pressing the dough into the molds

A few taps on your surface to release the cookie out of the mold. 
Walnut filled cookies receive a dusting of powdered sugar after coming out of the oven.

This past week, my own children watched me prepare the ma'amoul dough, prepare the filling and make each special cookie. It was a moment where I realized that the reason I do this, the reason I cook and bake is for them. Ma'amoul was part of my childhood, something that stuck in my mind as a fond memory, food does that to us. I want my own children to have those same memories, the smells and tastes of their childhood to look back on. 

Whatever the reason you decide to bake today, I hope it's a good one. Whether it's a rainy day, a time to bond with kids or just to make a special treat for yourself. 

As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media which lets me know what is working for you! You can find me on Facebook,  Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!

xoxo,
Cosette

Print Recipe
 Ma'amoul Cookies
Delicious cookies filled with a walnut or date filling.
maamoul, cookies, lebanese
Course Dessert
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword cookies, lebanese
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
Date Filling
Walnut Filling
Course Dessert
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword cookies, lebanese
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
Date Filling
Walnut Filling
maamoul, cookies, lebanese
Instructions
Pastry Dough
  1. In a large bowl, combine the semolina, farina, mahlab and nutmeg together.
  2. In a small pot, melt your butter and add to flour mixture when butter is cooled. Cover.
  3. Let this mixture sit for 2-3 hours. After that time, add in your rose water, mix and cover again. Allow mixture to sit overnight.
  4. After mixture has sat overnight, remove about ½ cup of your mixture, set aside.
  5. Next, add in your orange blossom water, warm water and powdered sugar. Mix until a dough forms that sticks together when pressed between fingers. If dough is too dry, add a touch of water.
Date Filling
  1. In a small bowl, add your baking dates and softened butter. Mix to combine. Set aside.
Walnut Filling
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, add your walnuts, sugar, orange and rose waters and combine until nuts are fine and mixture forms together.
  2. Remove from food processor bowl to a standard bowl.
  3. Add in your ½ cup of reserved pastry dough mixture and mix together. Set aside.
Assembling and Baking
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Begin by taking about a teaspoon sized piece of dough and begin to flatten. Fill the center with either your date or walnut mixture and seal all around to create a ball.
  3. In your wooden mold, place the filled dough ball and press firmly to allow the impression to mark the dough.
  4. Bang the wooden mold to release the formed cookie. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes on upper ⅓ rack of oven.
  5. Cookies will be done when bottoms are slightly red.
  6. After coming out of the oven, dust the WALNUT cookies with powdered sugar (date cookies leave plain)
  7. Let cool and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

** Using a scale to measure ingredients is most accurate for this recipe. ** If the dough gets to too soft to work with, you can refrigerate for a bit to firm up. **If you can't find Mahlab spice, you can substitute additional nutmeg or cardamom, or omit completely.  **Wooden molds can be found here or at any Middle Eastern grocery store.   

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Orange Cranberry Scones

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking

A drizzle of orange glaze and sprinkle of hazelnuts to top them off and give them that extra something.

 

Oh Thanksgiving, the time of year where we go completely INSANE for one day of binge eating. Us Americans really do it right! But in all seriousness, it's basically the Superbowl for foodies, am I right? Days and weeks of preparation for the perfect desserts, sides and appetizers. Gathering all your closest friends and family to celebrate nothing other than FRIENDSHIP. It really is the quintessential holiday. 

 

Thanksgiving Morning

Like most holidays, tradition comes into play heavily! Beware, anything you start in 2018, be ready to continue for the next 10 years (especially those with kids). We introduced our kids to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade a few years ago. It was one of their first experiences watching live TV, including all those brainwashing commercials. I happened to make some Cranberry Orange Scones for something to nosh on before our 10 course meal later that night. Fast forward a few year later, guess what my kids do every Thanksgiving? Yup, watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and nosh on Cranberry Orange Scones. Who am I to mess with tradition? 

Cranberry Orange Scones

Tender, flaky and cranberry orange goodness! Perfect for your holiday table.

 

Scones

These simple scones come together rather easily and quickly, but the best part is you can prepare them days even a few weeks ahead of time. Making them ahead and popping them into the freezer will make you a STAR Thanksgiving morning. It's also one less thing to worry about preparing. Fresh cranberries are the star of this scone, with fragrant hints of orange and flaky layers they're sure to be a hit! 

One bowl, a few tools and you're ready to create magic in the kitchen. Once mixing your dry ingredients together, work the few tablespoons of butter together between your fingers or with a pastry cutter. Pour in your heavy cream (aka liquid gold) and mix together gently until a shaggy dough forms. Dump onto a clean surface and work your dough gently into a rectangle, fold over a few times gathering all the loose dough bits to incorporate. Once a solid dough forms, cut in half then shape each half into a round about 1.5" thick. Cut into 6 pieces for each circle for smaller scones. Place on your prepared baking sheet (parchment or silicone lined) and pop into the freezer or bake immediately. After baking, allow to cool and drizzle the delicious orange glaze on top for a perfect morning treat. 

Whatever your Holiday traditions, wishing you the best and most festive! As always, I love seeing your creations! Tag me on Instagram or Facebook for a chance to be featured in my stories! 

xoxo
Cosette

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking

Fresh cranberries are naturally tart, a little sugar and butter help create something delicious.

 

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking

Combine the butter into your dry ingredients until little pebbles form.

 

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking

Heavy cream makes these scones ANYTHING but dry!

 

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking

Use your hands to form 2 circles then cut into triangles.

 

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking

The height on these scones make them sooooo tender and flaky!

 

For more cranberry inspiration, check out these amazing blogs and the Instagram hashtag #yesyoucranberry

What Annie’s Eating Cranberry Gin Fizz

Square Meal Round Table’s Cranberry Orange Streusel Pie

Easy and Delish -- Avocado Cranberry Hummus Dip

The Cooking of Joy’s Cranberry Curd Tart

Jessie Sheehan Bakes - Cranberry Buckle

Ciao Chow Bambina - Cranberry Pecan Cracker Spread

Baking The Goods - Cranberry Apple Brown Butter Crumble Pie

Katiebird Bakes - Cranberry Sauce Breakfast Rolls

Crumb Top Baking’s Cranberry Orange Overnight Oatmeal Muffins

The Baking Fairy - Vegan Cranberry Apple Bundt Cake

You Can Live Rich On Less - Cranberry Cherry Tarts

Sift & Simmer - White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Bappy Girl - https://bappygirlyum.blogspot.com/

Ronnie Fein - Baked Goat Cheese with Honey Sauce and Cranberries:  http://www.ronniefein.com/blog/on-hanukkah-lets-not-forget-that-a-woman-played-a?rq=Cranberries

Lemon Thyme and Ginger https://lemonthymeandginger.com/baked-french-toast-apple-cranberry-compote

Cranberry Agua Fresca with Mint and Lime: http://www.holajalapeno.com/2016/11/cranberry-agua-fresca.html

Cranberry Pie with Dried Figs and Cashews: http://www.ronniefein.com/blog/honey-cashew-pie

Susannah Chen’s Cranberry Pico de Gallo

Katherine in Brooklyn: Cranberry Cinnamon Buns

Pie Girl Bakes: Dark Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Cookies

Clean Plate Club: Glazed Cream Puffs with Cranberry Buttercream

Tiny Kitchen Capers: http://www.tinykitchencapers.com/white-chocolate-cranberry-oatmeal-cookies/

Le Petit Eats: Dark Chocolate Tart with Cinnamon Sugared Cranberry

Prickly Fresh’s: Cranberry Crostini with Prosciutto & Port Salut

Zestful Kitchen: Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Curd

Simple and Sweet Food: Fresh Ricotta and Spiced Cranberry Crostini

Frosting and Fettuccine  http://frostingandfettuccine.com/cranberry-cheesecake-bars/

 


Print Recipe


Orange Cranberry Scones

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking

Course Baked Good
Cuisine American
Keyword breakfast

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes

Servings
scones


Ingredients
Scones

Orange Glaze

Course Baked Good
Cuisine American
Keyword breakfast

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes

Servings
scones


Ingredients
Scones

Orange Glaze

scones, cranberries, thanksgiving, fall, orange, baking


Instructions
  1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter and work into small crumbles with pastry cutter or fingertips. Add in cranberries, zest and gently toss together.

  3. In a liquid measuring cup mix together vanilla extract and 1 ⅓ cups cream. Drizzle the cream mixture into the flour mixture, tossing gently until a cohesive dough forms. Add 2-3 more tablespoons of cream if necessary to create a moist, cohesive, but not sticky dough.

  4. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently gather and knead the dough into 2 disks, rolling gently to create about 1.5" thick. Cut each disk into 6 even triangles. **see note below for freezing

  5. Place 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through (best to bake 1 tray at a time, if you can't, swap trays at the halfway point to ensure even baking and browning on top).

  6. Remove from the oven and transfer to cooling rack. Make glaze, whisk powdered sugar and juice until a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle on top of cooled scones, top with hazelnuts if you like.


Recipe Notes

**Make ahead. Go through all the steps for scones except baking. Once you have cut scones, you can freeze on the baking sheet until form then toss them into a zip lock bag. Anytime you want a fresh scone, pop into the oven and glaze! Great before the holidays!


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Swoonworthy Apple Cake

Our Day.

We're already inching through November, kids are off of school 3 days this week and another 3 days week after next (they were also off last Friday). We're fully into "No School November" an official term here in Portland! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids but since all 3 have been at school full-time, I've kind of learned to love my time away from them (does that make me a bad mom??). Anywho, we spent today at home, I did some cooking and baking and also managed to make some playdough (you can find the recipe on my Instagram). There was also the ridiculously long Uno game, no lie...never-ending. But I wanted to be sure to spend time with them, even though I have about 6 million things to do (and the list keeps growing). They are growing up so fast and every day I see changes in each of them. So here I am at 10:45pm after finally cleaning up the kitchen from dinner, changed sheets and kiddos all in bed. 

The Cake.

This cake. What can I say about this cake besides, it's a SPECTACULAR. It's simple to put together, fail-proof, sweet enough for dessert but also perfectly perfect for morning coffee. I remember my mom making this cake when we were growing up, she called it the 1, 2, 3, 4 cake, something about the number of each item (I still don't get it) but she always made it and it always made the house smell amazing. Sometimes it was made with apples in the center (as I'm writing it today) and other times with walnuts. 

With Thanksgiving less than 2 weeks away I want to give you some dessert inspiration. I mean, Thanksgiving is officially the PIE holiday but if pie isn't your thing or you aren't ready to make and roll out pie dough, this cake will be the perfect addition to your holiday gathering. I've jazzed up the original recipe to include: apples + cinnamon + brown butter + walnuts = all the things we crave on epic Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving holidays. 

Brown Butter. 

Brown butter, besides cheese and bread this may be my other secret love child. I mean, butter on its own is pretty dynamite but take that butter, melt it down and get all those little brown bits and you have something even more superior. So I thought, hey, why not drizzle this amazing cake with a brown butter glaze, it can certainly do no wrong. So I baked the epic, classic cake, drizzled it with brown butter glaze and topped it with walnuts. I truly believe most desserts should have nuts, don't you? I won't digress or lead you on an even longer journey of my ramblings. You can find the recipe for this delicious cake below. Whether you decide to make it for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or just a Sunday morning, I promise you won't be disappointed. As always, I love seeing your creations, be sure to tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.


Print Recipe
 Apple Cake
Apple cake with walnuts and browned butter
Course Baked Good, Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 65 minutes
Servings
slices
Ingredients
Cake
Brown Butter Glaze
Course Baked Good, Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 65 minutes
Servings
slices
Ingredients
Cake
Brown Butter Glaze
Apple cake with walnuts and browned butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter + flour a bundt pan.
  2. In stand mixer, mix eggs, vanilla (or whiskey), lemon zest and sugar until blended and smooth.
  3. Add flour, baking powder + salt on low speed.
  4. Finally add the oil and orange juice. Blend until smooth, be sure to scrape down sides and bottom. Batter will be thick.
  5. Pour half the batter into the bundt pan.
  6. Next, mix the apples and cinnamon together in a small bowl and place on top of the batter poured into bundt.
  7. Finally, pour the 2nd half of the batter on top.
  8. Bake for 65-75 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
  9. Remove when done, let cool and remove from bundt pan.
  10. Once cake has cooled, drizzle brown butter glaze and top with walnuts while glaze is wet.
Brown Butter Glaze
  1. Melt the butter on medium heat. Continue melting until brown bits begin to form. Be sure to scrape and swirl the pan as the butter melts. Remove when the smell is aromatic and butter has browned.
  2. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until a smooth glaze forms.
Recipe Notes

*Feel free to add in walnuts to the center of your cake if you'd like.

*The glaze and additional nuts are definitely optional, the cake on its own is amazing and can stand up to any dessert tray. 

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Kefir Oat Pumpkin Scones

 

This time of year is the BEST! Yes, I will probably start every blog post from now until Thanksgiving this same exact way. But it really is, the crisp air, leaves changing, cozying up with blankets and hot chocolate. My favorite! And not to mention my birthday is in ONE MONTH, I kind of like my birthday, I usually celebrate for a week or more. I will share more about that later. 

But I digress, fall. Fall = pumpkins + leaves + hot chocolate + a few extra pounds to stay warm! Hahahaha! I haven't really lost the pounds that I was supposed to for summer. Oh well! But what if I gave you a scone recipe that is delicious but yet hearty and filled with slightly less guilt than a traditional scone? A scone that will not only taste good but have so much yummy goodness for you and will keep you full. A scone filled with pumpkin + oats? Would you like that? Okay! Poof! Done! 

Probiotics ~ What are they good for? 

Traditionally scones are made with gobs of butter or a load of heavy cream (my favorite kind!) but I thought and thought and realized that Whole Kefir Milk is loaded with so many vitamins + probiotics. What is a probiotic you ask? Probiotics are good bacteria, the good stuff that keeps your gut healthy. I think we could all benefit from some good gut health? Am I right? I love Nancy's Organic Probiotic Whole Milk Kefir which is what I used in this recipe. It has 64 BILLION CFUs (Colony Forming Units) in every 8oz serving! I'm not a scientist but that sure does sound good to me! Lots of good bacteria aimed to help my gut and general well being? Sign me up! Since Kefir is lactose free and butter contains only traces of lactose, these scones 98% lactose free (I made that percentage up, but really, probably close to that)! 

How do I test my recipes to make sure a healthy scone is tasty? I have 3 children and many neighbors. When I'm unsure or trying something new, they are my audience and they are good at it. My kids will flat out tell me the truth if something is awful, they're great judges. They'd be fantastic on Chopped! And neighbors, I don't often give them awful stuff but when it's on the verge I share and get their opinions. The first batch of these guys were a little too dense (too much oat) but round 2 was perfect! My neighbors liked them both, hahaha! So the Kefir Pumpkin Oat Scone came to be but what really makes perfect is the pumpkin glaze, it really is the winner of the recipe, I know it's sweet and loaded with sugar but it really turns these guys into a perfect pumpkin scone worthy of  a weekend breakfast, a brunch or holiday gathering. 

I hope you give this recipe a try. It makes for a great morning breakfast for kiddos, especially if they don't consume a lot of yogurt or dairy, easy way to hide it! So many health benefits all wrapped in a nummy scone. I will warn they are a little bit denser than a traditional scone but I think they are amazing and reheat well. Enjoy and as always, I'd love to see your creations, tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.

Print Recipe
 Kefir Oat Pumpkin Scones
Course Baked Good
Prep Time 10
Cook Time 16-18 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
Pumpkin Glaze
Course Baked Good
Prep Time 10
Cook Time 16-18 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
Pumpkin Glaze
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  3. Combine your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, blend the butter until they resemble coarse pebbles.
  4. In another small bowl, add your pumpkin, kefir and vanilla. Using a fork, mix together until combined.
  5. Add your pumpkin/kefir mixture to the dry ingredients and fold until you have a cohesive dough. It shouldn't be too wet or too dry, if you need a tad more liquid, you can add a teaspoon of kefir at a time until you achieve a cohesive dough.
  6. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2 pieces and form into 2 discs about ¾" thick.
  7. Cut each disc into 6 small triangles, beginning by cutting the disc in half then each half into thirds.
  8. Place scones on your lined baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown.
  9. While baking, prepare your glaze. Combine your powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of canned pumpkin and blend together. You want a thick consistency so keep working the pumpkin until it is all blended, if you need you can add a bit more pumpkin (start with ½ tsp) until desired consistency is achieved. Add cinnamon and salt.
  10. Remove scones and let cool on cooling rack. Once cool, drizzle your pumpkin glaze and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

**You can make the scones and place in freezer before baking. Remove and bake at any time, top with glaze when ready. 
**I also like freezing the scones before baking, even for 15-20 minutes. It helps to loosen the gluten and create a flakier scone. 

These silicone mats are AMAZING and super inexpensive, I highly recommend a set if you don't already have them.
I use half sheet baking sheets, these are super! I use them for pizza, cookies, scones, chicken, potatoes, you name it! 

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Lebanese Date Cookies

My wonderful, beautiful sister is getting married this month. I'm so elated to be in Pennsylvania for her special day and of course to help in the baking frenzy of 2017! My mom is the baking queen, well, only when it comes to Lebanese desserts! She has pages of recipes written in Arabic that have been tried, tested and changed over the years. There is also this amazing Lebanese cook book that is literally like a bible! Any Lebanese dessert I want to make, I check in with her first then the "bible". Whatever it is, it always comes out amazing. 

Dates are widely used in Lebanese desserts, especially in mammoul. Mammoul are a flaky cookie filled with either dates, walnuts or pistachio fillings. These cookies are a play on mammoul but a bit simpler and don't require the molds to shape. We make them super bite size because they are totally cute that way and give us an abundance of cookies. You can find baking dates at most Middle Eastern stores or online. 

The recipe for these cookies is in the above-mentioned "bible", after my mom translated the text for me, we got to work! The dough is so easy to work with and requires just minutes to put together. These 40+ dozen we made today (not lying about that) will make their debut at the wedding along with the other hundreds of desserts there! I hope you enjoy the recipe! I would love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.

xoxo,
Cosette


A shot of the rolled date balls before stuffing them into the dough:

 

Before the cookies go into the oven, we used whatever tools we had in the kitchen to make the designs: spoon, knife, cake piping tip, dough wheel...whatever will make a good impression. 

 

Just a few of the many, many dozen that we made today! 

As featured on KATU Afternoon Live:

https://katu.com/afternoon-live/cooking-recipes/christmas-cookies-12-13-2018

Print Recipe
 Lebanese Date Cookies
This recipe will make A LOT of cookies, especially if you make the very small sized as pictured. You can surely increase the size of the cookies to yield fewer.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Lebanese
Prep Time 1 hr 30
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
+people
Ingredients
Date Mixture
Cookie Dough
Course Dessert
Cuisine Lebanese
Prep Time 1 hr 30
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
+people
Ingredients
Date Mixture
Cookie Dough
Instructions
Date Mixture
  1. Combine date paste and butter and work until smooth.
  2. Form into small balls, the size depends on how large of a cookie you'd like. Can be anywhere from ½-1 teaspoon in size.
Cookie Dough
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients except the milk to form a cohesive dough.
  3. Add the milk slowly once dough forms. Add additional milk if the dough seems dry or crumbly.
Form Cookies
  1. Take a small scoop of your dough and flatten in your hand, place a date ball inside. Fold dough around the date and form into whatever shape you'd like. Round and long shapes are most common.
  2. Place on prepared cookie sheet and create an impression using a fork, knife, dough wheel, cake tip or anything you find that will work.
  3. Bake for 15-17 minutes on the middle rack. Bottoms should be slightly red and tops just beginning to brown.The cookies should not be too dark in color, they will remain fairly pale.
  4. Remove from tray and let cool on cooling rack. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

These cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Pull out baked cookies as you need them. 

Baking dates can be found online. 

Recipe adapted from Anahid's Gourmet Cookbook

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