Georgia's Cookbook

Sweet

Tooth Sweet Tooth

By Georgia McCartney

Baked French Toast

From the kitchen of: Mrs Davidson

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

12 slices of white bread

6 eggs

1 1⁄2 cups whole milk

Directions

1 Whisk together eggs and milk

2 Melt butter and pour over bottom of baking dish

3 Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon

4 Place bread, 2 slices deep, across dish

5 Pour egg mixture over top, spread to make sure all bread is covered

6 Refrigerate overnight

7 Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

8 Flip onto platter, cut slices and serve

Banana Bread

From the kitchen of: Tina Dunn

Ingredients

2 eggs

3 very ripe bananas

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cups chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan

2. In a heavy-duty mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy

3 Add the bananas and eggs and beat until smooth

4 Add the vegetable oil until combined

5. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nuts (optional).

6 Add the dry ingredients to banana mixture and beat until all combined

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It should be no more than two-thirds full. Bake the loaf until dark golden brown (45-50 minutes).

8 After taking the bread out from the oven waiting 10 minutes until cutting

Lemon Bars

From the kitchen of: John Kanell

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

12 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp lemon zest

3 cups sugar

8 eggs

1 cup lemon juice (fresh)

Dash of vanilla (optional)

Directions

1 Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups of flour with the powdered sugar and salt, then pour in the melted butter and mix until combined You can either do this by hand or with a stand mixer A dash of vanilla can be added in with the butter at this step

3. Sprinkle the dough into your lined pan and press down into a flat layer. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until a light golden color

4 While the crust is baking add sugar to a food processor and add the zest of three lemons Pulse until the zest is fully incorporated and sugar is a light yellow color If you don’t have a food processor just mince the zest and mix with the sugar in a bag or bowl

5. Add the sugar and remaining half cup of flour to a large bowl and mix well. You can sift the mixture together however the zesty sugar bits will need to get dumped out of the sifter as they might clog things up

6 Pour in lemon juice and add eggs, then mix very well until completely combined

7. Pour filling onto the warm crust, then transfer to oven and bake for about 25 minutes, turning halfway through the bake Remove from oven and allow to cool for an hour before chilling in the refrigerator for two hours

8 Dust with powdered sugar and cut into bars using a clean, sharp, damp knife Clean and re-wet the knife after each cut.

Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies

From the kitchen of: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon coarse salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 fresh raspberry

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt.

3 In another large bowl, beat butter with sugar, the lemon zest, and lemon juice until pale and fluffy.

4. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.

5. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough and roll into 1-inch balls.

6. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart

7. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

8 Bake for 10 minutes Remove pan, and press a spooon into the center of each ball to indent

9 Rotate sheets and continue to bake until golden on bottoms, 16 to 18 minutes more

10 Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool complete,

11 In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice with crushed raspberry

12. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust cookies with sugar.

13 Spoon glaze into indents and let set, about 10 minutes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the kitchen of: Olivia Spark

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

Dash of salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter softened

Dash of vanilla

1 egg

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.

3 In a medium sized bowl, beat together brown sugar, white sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and egg for one minute

4 Stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips until fully combined

5 Scoop up 1 tablespoon of dough and place it on a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper Repeat until the pan is full

6 Bake for 10 minutes until cookies are golden brown and crispy at edges

Blueberry muffins

From the kitchen of: NYT cooking

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 and 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Topping

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cubed and softened butter

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Grease muffin tin and line with cupcake liners

3. Mix the muffin dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder) in a large bowl. In a glass measuring cup, pour in the 1/3 cup oil Add an egg and then pour in enough milk to make 1 cup of liquid ingredients

4 pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well Carefully fold the blueberries into the mix and pour into the muffin tins.

5 Mix the ingredients for the topping together with a fork until its crumbly Sprinkle the topping over each cupcake

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

No Bake Cheesecake

From the kitchen of: Katie Bandurski

Ingredients

Crust:

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Topping:

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1 To prepare the crust, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl Gently stir in the melted butter and mix until combined Press the mixture onto the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.

2. For the filling, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth Gradually add the cream, then continue beating until stiff peaks form

3 Transfer the mixture to the prepared crust, then refrigerate the cheesecake, covered, for 8 hours or overnight

4 About half an hour before you plan to serve the cheesecake, remove it from the fridge. Then, gently toss the berries with sugar and let stand for 15-30 minutes. You want to give the berry juices a little bit of time to release

5 To serve, start by removing the cheesecake from the pan Use a knife to loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the springform, then release the latch and remove the rim Slice into pieces and serve cheesecake with topping

Classic Blondies

From the kitchen of: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup (112g) butter, melted

1 cup (220g) tightly packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (60g) butterscotch chips (chopped walnuts and chocolate chips are equally tasty)

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Lightly butter and flour an 8x8-inch (20 cm x 20 cm) pan.

3 Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl

4 Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk to combine

5. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and mix it all together.

6. Add the butterscotch chips or other mix-ins (up to 1 cup total).

7 Pour into the pan and spread evenly

8 Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean

9 Allow to cool Cut into squares or rectangles and serve

Carrot Cake

From the kitchen of: Sam Lucente

Ingredients

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4cups vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

3 cups grated peeled carrots (5 to 6 medium carrots)

1/2 cup raisins

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, for topping cake

Directions

1 Heat the oven to 350 degrees Grease two 9” round cake pans and line bottom with parchment then grease top of paper

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.

3 In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugars, and vanilla Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until combined Switch to a large rubber spatula Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then add dry ingredients in 3 parts, gently stirring until they disappear and batter is smooth Stir in carrots, nuts, and raisins

4 Divide batter between the prepared cake pans Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes

5 Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks, peel off parchment and cool completely

6 In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute

7. Beat in the powdered sugar, a 1/4 cup at a time until fluffy. Pour in cream and beat on medium speed for 1 minute Chill covered until ready to frost cake

8 When the cake layers are completely cool, frost the top of one cake layer, place the other cake layer on top and frost top and sides

The Best Chocolate Cake

From the kitchen of: My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa optional

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup strong black coffee

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined

2 Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin

3 Pour batter evenly into prepared pans

4 Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

5 Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks Cool completely

6 Frost as desired

Tiramisu

From the Kitchen of: Emma Aliaj

Ingredients

For the Cream:

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup mascarpone

For the Assembly:

1 3/4 cups good espresso or very strong coffee

2 tablespoons rum or cognac

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

About 24 ladyfingers

1 to 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, for shaving (optional)

Directions

1 Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl, whip together egg yolks and ¼ cup/50 grams sugar until very pale yellow and about tripled in volume A slight ribbon should fall from the beaters (or whisk attachment) when lifted from the bowl Transfer mixture to a large bowl, wiping out the medium bowl used to whip the yolks and set aside

2 In the medium bowl, whip cream and remaining ¼ cup/50 grams sugar until it creates soft-medium peaks. Add mascarpone and continue to whip until it creates a soft, spreadable mixture with medium peaks Gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the sweetened egg yolks until combined

3 Combine espresso and rum in a shallow bowl and set aside

4. Using a sifter, dust the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish (an 8x8-inch dish, or a 9-inch round cake pan would also work here) with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.

5. Working one at a time, quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso mixture -they are quite porous and will fall apart if left in the liquid too long -- and place them rounded side up at the bottom of the baking dish Repeat, using half the ladyfingers, until you’ve got an even layer, breaking the ladyfingers in half as needed to fill in any obvious gaps. Spread half the mascarpone mixture onto the ladyfingers in one even layer. Repeat with remaining espresso-dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture

6 Dust top layer with remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder Top with shaved or finely grated chocolate, if desired.

7 Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (if you can wait 24 hours, all the better) before slicing or scooping to serve

Vanilla Crème Brûlée

From the kitchen of: The New York Times

Ingredients

2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half 1vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar, more for topping

Directions

1 Heat oven to 325 degrees In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean (If using vanilla extract, add it now )

2 In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set Cool completely Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days

3 When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source Turn on broiler Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes Serve within two hours

♥ Georgia McCartney