Cinnamon Chai Shortbread with Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean Glaze #Creative Cookie Exchange

This is my first post for The Creative Cookie Exchange group I just recently joined and I'm really excited about it. First of all, I LOVE cookies. Cookies are my favorite snack, dessert, comfort food et al... I eat them when I'm happy, I eat them when I'm sad, I'm eat them when I'm mad. Seriously, shouldn't there be a Dr. Seuss book about cookies already? I could totally write it...

But back to these cookies. The theme for this month's Creative Cookie Exchange was cinnamon. I happen to think cinnamon and chai pair perfectly together, maybe that's a bit redundant because cinnamon is an ingredient in chai, but oh well..

While searching for cinnamon inspiration, I found fell in love with this blog called i bake he shoots. Amazing photography and great recipes. I was captivated by Mondo's Chai Shortbread and knew I wanted to make these for the cookie exchange with a few modifications. I decreased the orange zest, omitted the anise (didn't have it) and added vanilla bean paste to the glaze. Can I just tell you how amazingly delicious these cookies are? The flavor of the warm spices complimented by the zing from the orange zest make you want to slap your mama cuddle up in your favorite armchair with a cup of tea, a fuzzy throw and a good book. 

Make them for the holidays. Everyone will love you.

Cinnamon Chai Shortbread with Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean Glaze

Makes 18 2" cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

dash of cinnamon

splash of vanilla bean paste

3-4 teaspoons of milk or cream

Whisk together the flour, spices and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the sugar and orange zest in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and using your finger tips squeeze the orange zest into the sugar to release the oils and create orange "scented" sugar. The sugar should smell really fragrant.

Add the softened butter and mix at medium speed until fluffy (approx. 2 minutes), scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.

Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place another piece of parchment on top. Roll into a disk about 1/4" and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350f.

Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a cookie cutter (mine was a 2" square cutter with scalloped edges) cut about 18 cookies.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets (they don't spread) and bake for approx. 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and carefully place on a wire cooking rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking with a fork or whisk until smooth. Start with only 3 teaspoons of milk/cream and mix well to check the consistency. Gradually add more milk/cream little by little (stirring well after each addition) until you reach desired consistency.

Drizzle or dip your cookies into the glaze as desired.

Enjoy!!

Leftover cookies (if any!) can be stored in an air tight container for 2 days.

Are we the only ones who start craving cinnamon when the weather gets colder? We can't be! And we are talking anything sold under the word cinnamon--cassia, "true cinnamon", Ceylon cinnamon, Vietnamese Cinnamon--if it is sold as cinnamon, it is what we want! Check out all of our cinnamon cookies below! Hint: A lot of them could be used for your holiday cookie table!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Browned Butter Snickerdoodles by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cinnamon Chai Shortbread by LiveBakeLove
• Cinnamon Chocolate Star Cookies by Baking Yummies
• Cinnamon Crunch Cookies by 2 Cookin' Mamas
• Cinnamon Dusted Orange Icebox Cookies by The Spiced Life
• Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Glaze by Our Good Life
• Cinnamon Pecan Elephant Ears by Noshing With The Nolands
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies by A Baker's House
• Cinnamon Sticks by Flours and Frostings
• Cinnamon Sugar Cookies by Magnolia Days
• Cinnamon Waffle Cookies by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Cinnamon Walnut Icebox Cookies by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll Cookies by Food Lust People Love
• Polvorones by Oven Delights
• Speculoos by Upstate Ramblings

Apple Cinnamon Fritter Bread

Holy moly you guys...this bread. It's so good it's wrong. Imagine all of the flavor of the most delicious Apple Cinnamon Fritter, but in an easy to make quick bread. Seriously, it is that good...

Make some today, you will not regret it! 

P.S. This bread would make great holiday gifts. Just sayin'...

Apple Cinnamon Fritter Bread
Makes one 9"x5" loaf (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

Steusel:
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup diced apples (I used granny smith)

Bread:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
a splash of vanilla extract
a few tablespoons of milk or cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan (or grease and line with parchment paper)

In a small bowl combine the streusel ingredients (brown sugar and cinnamon only). Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Mix in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Add milk and mix just until combined.

Dollop half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Top with half of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture and half of the diced apples. Lightly press the mixture into the batter.

Dollop the remaining half of the batter into the pan and spread into an even layer. Top with the remaining apples. Lightly press into the batter. Lightly swirl the streusel into the batter with a skewer or handle of a spoon.

Place on a baking sheet and bake 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. Top with glaze.

Store leftovers at room temperature tightly wrapped for up to 2 days.

Cinnamon Cake with Fresh Peach Filling and Whipped Cream Frosting

Cake is my favorite dessert, any type any flavor. I love bready things (is bready a even word? If not, it should be!). 

September was my sister Wendy's birthday.  All bakers will understand this, sometimes you are not in the mood to bake. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen every once in a while...especially when its 90 degrees outside and you have no air conditioning!

Anyways, my sisters asked me to bake a cake for Wendy's birthday.  I asked them, “ why don’t you buy a nice ice cream cake? Doesn’t that sounds gooood! “ Their response, “WHAT! LIVEBAKELOVE doesn’t bake for their own families?”This comment still makes me laugh when I think about it…so that is how this delicious peach filled birthday cake came to be...

Since I still had a few peaches left from the cobbler (you need to try that recipe too, it was so good), I decided to take the basic cake recipe I love, add some cinnamon and make a nice peach filling to go with it.  The results were a success!  

The cake was delicious! The hint of cinnamon was just right, not overpowering, the filling was naturally sweet and the whipped cream frosting was fluffy and light.Definitely the perfect way to end a birthday dinner.  In fact, I'm still craving that damn cake. I guess someone will have to have a birthday again real soon! 

I hope you give this delicious cake a try. It's great for any occasion or just because....

Happy Cooking everyone!

Cinnamon Cake with Fresh Peach Filling and Whipped Cream Frosting
Makes one 8" - 9" Cake, serves 10-12 people

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 3/4 cup Cake Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (if you can find Vietnamese Cinnamon that is the best)
5 tablespoons Butter (unsalted, softened to room temp & cut into small pieces)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream (use full fat, not the light)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons pure Vanilla extract (not imitation)

Peach Filling
2 fresh large peaches, peeled & chopped into 1/2 inch squares
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon Flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Frosting
3 cups heaving whipping cream
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract



Prep work:
a. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
b. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

Directions for the cake: 
1. In the bowl of your Kitchen-aid (or mixing bowl and a hand mixer) combine sugar, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Mix at low speed until combined. Set aside.

2. Add butter and mix on low speed until it resembles a crumble (about 2-3 minutes).

3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are combined. 

4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix until  combined.

5. Slowly add the milk into batter mixing just until combined. The batter will be liquid when done. but that is ok.

5.  Divide batter equally between both of the prepared cake pans.

6.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  
7. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and continue to cool on the wire cooling rack until completely cooled (approx 1-2 hours).

Directions for Filling:  (can be made the day before)
1. Peel and chop two large peaches and place them in a medium size saucepan.
2. Add sugar, water, cinnamon and vanilla. Cook at medium heat.

3. Sprinkle in the flour.  Stir as you add so it doesn't bubble up.
4. Cook for about 3-5 minute until it boils and thickens up. Do not over cook, otherwise the fruit will start breaking down.

5. Cool about 1-2 hour (I put mine in the refrigerator to speed up the process)

Directions for Frosting:
1. Prepwork: Chill your bowl, either the kitchen-air bowl or a plain mixing bowl. 15-30 minutes is fine
2. Add 3 cups of heavy whipping cream in the bowl with , 6 table spoons of white sugar (not powder) and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
3. Mix at a high speed for about 2-3 minutes with kitchen-aid, about 5 minutes with the hand mixer.  The Cream will appear firm. 

Assemble:
1. Put one layer of cake on a large platter.
2. Add about 1 cup of whipped cream to top of layer.
3. Add all the peach filling on top of whipped cream

4. Add second cake layer
5. Frost with remaking whipped cream frosting. 

6. Decorate as you wish.

ENJOY!!!!!

Mexican Banana Cream Pie

If you love pie, I mean really, truly, deep down in your heart love pie, especially Banana Cream Pie, then you will LOVE this recipe. I needed a dessert for a "Mexican inspired" dinner I was making for a friend that had recently been ill. I made a Corn and Poblano Lasagna (recipe to come), Kale Salad and this delicious Mexican Banana Cream Pie.  
 

I'm asked all the time where I get my inspiration from. Honestly, from anything that sounds, tastes, looks or smells delicious! I got my inspiration for this recipe while watching an episode of  The Kitchen hosted by one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Marcela Valladolid. She was making her Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie. That was all I needed to be inspired!  
 

I made Marcella's recipe and it was amazing, but I wanted something a bit more like the traditional American Banana Cream pie so I came up with my own version. It has all the same ingredients as the original recipe, just made a bit lighter in texture. 

 

Both recipes are delicious, so I wouldn't be offended at all if you make her recipe (which you can find here), but I really hope you'll give this recipe a try as well.
 

I can't say enough how much I love this pie! It is truly a pie lover's dream - sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy all in one.  And of course, you can't forget the star of the show, the fresh bananas! 

Happy cooking everyone!

Mexican Banana Cream Pie
Makes one pie (serves 8-10)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup roasted peanuts (finely chopped, food processor works the best)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick butter - melted (I used the sweet cream, which has salt)

FILLING:
Top layer
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 stick butter (softened)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Middle layer
3 medium banana (you don't want the bananas to be over-ripe for this recipe. Skin should still be yellow with no browning)

Bottom Layer
1 Cup Dulce De Leche (Nestle makes it, in the Mexican food section, but if you cannot find, a thick Caramel will work)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (liquid)

Sprinkle Top
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons Caramel (reserved from your Dulce De Leche before making the bottom layer filling)

DIRECTIONS:

Crust-
1. Mix Graham cracker crumbs, peanut crumbs, cinnamon and butter.  Toss to combine until the crumbs are coated.
2. Press lightly into the bottom and up the sides of you pie plate.
3. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

While the crust is chilling start on the filling....

Cream Cheese Top layer Filling-
1. Cream the softened butter and cream cheese until well combined and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon, beat slowly until combined.
3. Add the heavy whipping cream.  Whip until stiff peaks form.
4.Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Caramel Bottom layer filling-
1. Cream whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. Set aside
2.  Mix the caramel enough to loosen it up.  Not too much or it will become liquid.
3. Fold in whipped cream.
4.Refrigerate 5-10 minutes

After all of the ingredients have been chilled, slice the bananas. 

Assembly:

1. Remove cold crust from refrigerator.
2. Spread the caramel into an even layer on top of the crust.

3. Layer the sliced bananas over the caramel.

4. Spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer over the bananas.

5. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours
6. Sprinkle with peanuts and drizzle with melted caramel (optional)

Enjoy!!!!

CAMI'S WEDDING CHURRO CUPCAKE

                        Cami's Wedding Churro Cupcakes

This little cupcake has made a name for itself!   Faye and I recently catered dessert for our friend Cami's wedding in October.   She requested that one of her desserts be a Churro Cupcake. (We also made, mini cheesecake with fresh strawberries, vanilla cupcake with passion fruit filling and frosting, mini chocolate cream pies, mini banana cream pies and assorted fruit tarts and the now famous Cami's Churro Cupcake.. this bride know her dessert! )  So after a few trials and errors, I came up with this delicious result!  I have made this cupcake for two other events and every time it is hit.  Faye also made a batch for our October Halloween party.   So like I said , this cupcake definitely has a good reputation!   The cake is moist and flavorful, with a little hidden surprise of Dulce de Leche caramel in the middle.  Top it off with Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting and a crispy churro on the top.

There are quite a few steps for this cupcake but they're so worth the effort. I really hope you give this Churro Cupcake a try. 

As for Cami and Tim's Wedding , it was beautiful! The Bride looked gorgeous, Groom handsome and the wedding amazing.  Faye and I wish them nothing but happiness in their future and we thank them for letting LIVEBAKELOVE be a part of it.

P.S. we heard the desserts were a hit too, I wonder who made them :-)

Happy Cooking!

Churro Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Filling and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 24 regular size cupcakes


Ingredients
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup milk (use whole if you can)
1 can Dulce de Leche

1 . Preheat oven to 350f.

2. Line cupcake pans with 24 paper cupcake liners

3. In a large bowl, add both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Set aside. 

4. In a large bowl using electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (approx. 2 min). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.

5.  Gradually mix in the flour mixture and milk, alternating between the two until combined. (Start and end with the flour mixture)

6.  Divide the batter evenly between the lined cupcake pans filling each cup approx. 3/4 full.

7. Bake at 350f for approx. 20 minutes until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8. Remove from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

9. Once the cupcakes have cooled, take a wooden spoon and make a hole in the center of each cupcake.

10. Use a pastry bag with a round tip (or just cut the tip off of a plastic storage bag) and fill it with the Dulce de Leche filling.

11. Pipe the filling into each cupcake

Make the frosting

Frosting Ingredients:
½ cup of butter
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or cream
24 mini churros for decorating

1. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy
2. Mix in the vanilla extract and cinnamon
3. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency. If frosting is too thick, add the milk.
4. Frost and decorate the cupcakes as desired.

Making the Mini Churros

Ingredients
1 wheat tortilla
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Vegetable or Canola Oil for frying

1. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat
3. Cut shapes out of the tortilla using a mini cookie cutter
4. Fry each tortilla until golden brown
5. Remove from the oil and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture
6. Place the churros on a plate to cool before garnishing the cupcakes

                                             Pictures from desserts at the Wedding