Rachael's Decision

RACHAEL’S BUTTER COOKIES WITH MAPLE FROSTING

Serving 6 dozen

1¼ cups softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2¼ teaspoons cold milk (whole milk is best)
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together softened butter with white sugar. In the same bowl, add the egg, cold milk, and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Mix until smooth. In a separate large bowl, add and whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine dry ingredients into your other mixture and beat the dough with your mixer until smooth. Cover your mixing bowl of dough and chill for two and a half hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Remove your chilled dough from the refrigerator. Take a generous tablespoon of dough, roll with your hands into about a one-and-a-half-inch ball, and place it on an ungreased cookie baking sheet. Repeat this method for each cookie and keep your dough balls about one inch apart from each other on the cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for six to eight minutes, until they’re just a little brown. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven, and let your cookies cool on the cookie sheet for six minutes. Then remove them onto your desired plate or wire rack until they are no longer warm. Once cooled, eat them plain or use the following frosting recipe.

Maple syrup frosting

1¼ cups softened butter
3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1¾ tablespoons maple syrup
10 tablespoons evaporated milk
6½ cups confectioners’ sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine and beat with mixer the softened butter, 3¼ cups of confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and evaporated milk until creamy. Slowly stir in the other 6½ cups confectioners’ sugar into your mixture and beat with mixer until smooth. Add additional confectioners’ sugar or evaporated milk if needed for your desired outcome. Frost cooled cookies.

RACHAEL’S CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Serves about 35 people if pieces are cut 2 x 2 x 2

1 cup butter, melted
½ cup cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1¾ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, add melted butter, cocoa, and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a separate large mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir. Combine this mixture with your butter, cocoa, and water mixture. Stir in one third of the sweetened condensed milk, then add the eggs and vanilla and stir or beat with a mixer until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 10 x 15 x 1-inch baking pan. Place in the oven. Bake at 350° for fifteen minutes or when you stick a knife in it and it comes out clean. Take cake out of the oven.

Frosting ingredients

¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup cocoa
Remaining sweetened condensed milk
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, and remaining sweetened condensed milk and heat on medium until smooth. Do not let it boil. Then stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Remove from the burner and pour over your warm cake and spread.

RACHAEL’S APPLESAUCE CAKE

1 tablespoon softened butter
½ cup butter
1¼ cups white sugar
3 egg whites
1½ cups applesauce
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter on the bottom and sides of your 8 x 8 pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat with your mixer the butter and white sugar until fluffy. Add egg whites to your mixture and beat until still fluffy. Pour applesauce into the mixture and beat with a mixer. In a medium mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Combine the dry ingredients with your other mixture and beat with your mixer until smooth. Pour your mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let your cake cool until it’s warm but not hot. You may top with your own whipping cream or cream cheese frosting recipe or serve it plain.