Chocolate Crinkle Cookies ~Molly

I found these the other day on Pinterest. I have always loved chocolate crinkle cookies, but these are possibly my new favorite cookie ever. They are chewy and airy and the chocolate chips make them slightly gooey. The recipe only made about 15 cookies, so you might want to double the batch. They were linked to a blog, but I think they are originally from Epicurious.com. I changed the recipe a little and wrote it below. If you want to see the original (and comments from other people who used the recipe but then included their own changes) go here: http://www.divine-baking.com/2011/04/deep-dark-chocolate-cookies.html#more. She also included pictures (that's where I got the one below) to make the recipe idiot-proof (cough, cough, Kelsey).

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 egg whites, room temperature
1 2/3 cups powdered sugar, plus more to roll the dough balls in
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I only greased my sheet, but they really stuck to it. I had to let them cool for quite a while before I could get them off without breaking them.

2. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a microwave or using a double-boiler. Let them cool slightly before you add them to the rest of the dough. I used a double-boiler and heated them just until they were mostly soft enough to lose their shape if touched.

3. Whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Whisk in 1 cup of powdered sugar.

4. In another bowl, mix 2/3 cup powdered sugar and the remaining dry ingredients. Beat the cocoa mixture into the egg white mixture until just combined. The mixture will be shiny and sticky, but don't worry that your whites don't hold their shape. Don't over mix.

5. Stir in the melted chocolate and remaining chocolate chips. You dough will become very stiff and the melted chocolate that lands on the edge of the bowl won't mix in very well, so try to pour it as much in the middle of the bowl as possible.

6. Use a spoon or your fingers to scoop out the dough and form balls about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll in powdered sugar and place on baking sheet. All about 2-3 inches between the cookies to allow them to spread out.

7. Bake until puffed and beginning to crack, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple more minutes before removing from sheet.

White Cake ~ by Molly

I found this recipe through TheKitchn.com and it formed one of the three layers of Grace's 8th birthday cake. It basically tastes like a fluffy sugar cookie. I also like this recipe because it came from a cookbook written by Amish people, so it 1) has a German name, and 2) reminds you to be tactful about the use of birthday candles. I put the link at the bottom of the recipe-- I'm kinda obsessed with this blog, it has so many recipes I'm dying to try and awesome pictures!

Described as Geburtstag Kucha (Birthday Cake from Rebecca Weber) in Food That Really Schmecks

“Snow white and light as a feather; baked in layers.”

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

2 cups white sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups ice water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 egg whites beaten stiff

Method:

Add sugar to the butter and beat until light. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with ice water and flavorings, beating thoroughly after each addition. Fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour into greased layer pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cover with Angel Feather Icing and be tactful about the number of candles.

http://sweetapolita.com/2010/12/pretty-in-pink-old-fashioned-party-cake/