Jam Filled cookies

Holiday time is the perfect time to enjoy treats and these butter cookies are just the thing festive with their colorful fillings and soft to melt in your mouth.
Easy to prepare and a favorite with all. 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup softened butter
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fruit jam / jelly of your choice and flavor

Lavender and Jam filled cookies

Butter cookies filled with Jelly 

Method:
1. In  medium mixing bowl cream together the softened butter and sugar, till light and creamy.Add one egg yolk at a time, continue to mix gently.
2. Sieve the flour, and add it slowly and continue to mix to form a dough.Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate dough, in the fridge for about 20 minutes. As it cools, make small balls ,approximately 1 inch balls and arrange them on a lined baking tray about 2 inch apart .
3. Using  back of a spoon or thumb press into each of the dough  ball, to make a well for the jam filling.
4. Fill each hole with your choice of jelly preserve. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 to 20 minutes, and the cookies get baked to alight golden color.
5. Remove cool, over a rack and enjoy freshly baked butter jam cookies.

Next will be the recipe for lavender cookies.

Vanilla Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting & strawberries

  Happy Valentine Day !!
 Made these cupcakes for friends on Valentine's Day  , what better time than this to enjoy home made cupcakes, and don't forget to decorate them with sweet strawberries and cream cheese frosting.
Whenever I think of cupcakes, I think about all the lovely ingredients, used to make them so colorful and creative !!!

I searched this recipe on the net and found some that used store bought cake mix, as I prefer making them from scratch, I  made some changes to suit my style... do feel free to try out this recipe .

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup All purpose  Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter 
1 cup sugar
1 Egg
1/2  cup butter milk
1/2 tsp.  vanilla extract

Cream cheese Frosting:
4 ounce cream cheese 
4 ounce unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup sweet fresh strawberries for decorating 

Method:
1.Preheat oven to a baking temperature of 350 degrees. Line up a 12 cup cake baking tray or 2 tray's with  6 cups, each  lined with paper cups.
2. In a large bowl, add butter , using a hand mixer, add in  sugar and mix till they are well combined, and smooth. Butter should be at room temperature.
3. Sieve  flour, add in baking soda and baking powder, and keep aside.
4. Add an egg to butter, sugar mixture, add vanilla essence and beat until well combined. Next add in half of the flour mixture, pour in milk, add in the remaining flour and stir till well combined. 
5. Using an ice cream scoop or using a spoon , distribute batter evenly into the paper cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.

Cream cheese frosting:
1. Beat cream cheese that is at room temperature, in a bowl along with unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Next add in the powdered sugar , continue adding sugar till the frosting tastes sweet enough.
You can add a few drops of red colour (food colour for cakes) if you prefer a pink colour icing on the cupcakes :)
Also use a piping bag with a star tip to create beautiful icing on the cupcakes...enjoy !! Happy baking and spread the joy of sweet things 
Cool the cupcakes, and then using a large pastry bag, fitted  with a star tip, add frosting to fill the bag , half way full. Start from the centre of the cupcake to the outside to create a beautiful swirl.
Add some thinly sliced strawberries on the top.

                                                 

Ingredients

Baking in the oven

Yippe!! cupcakes ready 

Enjoy cupcakes with friends and family :)))