Coconut Shortbread Cookies

When in Scotland, eat as the Scots do- right? Well, kind of. Though the Scots have never been known for their 'fine' cuisine, Scottish shortbread cookies are nothing short of delicious. It's possible that these cookies are so delicious because of the heaping amounts of butter in them. However, don't let that scare you away- these cookies are well worth it and perfect with a glass of milk or a cup of tea. I used coconut extract in this recipe, but that can easily be substituted for lemon, almond, vanilla, or any other kind of extract. Crunchy, buttery, and a "wee bit" coconutty, these shortbread cookies are absolutely delicious.

Coconut Shortbread Cookies
1 Cup Butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon coconut extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and coconut extract. Mix until all the sugar looks wet, then beat in the butter. Add in the flour and mix until a dough forms. If the dough is too crumbly, add a bit more butter until a soft dough forms.

2. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until 1/2 inch thickness. Make sure not to roll out too thin or the cookies will be too crispy.

3. Cut into long rectangles or use cookie cutters to make different shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet about 1/4 inch apart.

4. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 F for about 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool fully before eating, about 30 minutes.

Easy Stuffed Peppers

I never thought I would say this, but while figuring out what to make for dinner last week I found myself thinking that I was actually bored with my food. Now anyone that personally knows me and has spoken to me for more than five minutes knows that "bored" and "food" are never two words I put in the same sentence. I realized I was slipping into the habit of eating like a (semi) normal college student. This was obviously not okay. Thankfully a light bulb went on a few seconds later and I thought of a masterful plan for my dinner that evening- stuffed peppers. This stuffed pepper recipe is great for any college student- it can be played around with easily, and fills three peppers which are perfect for lunch or dinner the next day.

Easy Stuffed Peppers
3 sausages- either herb or Italian
1 carrot, sliced in small pieces
1-2 stalks of celery, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1 serving stove-top stuffing, any flavor
1/2-1 cup frozen spinach
Grated cheddar cheese to taste
3 peppers- either red, yellow or green

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, sauté the onions, carrots, celery, sausage (without the casing) and spinach. While this is cooking, prepare the stove-top stuffing according to the packages directions. When the stuffing is finished, add into the sausage and vegetables mixture until completely combined.
2. Once the sausage is fully cooked, begin cleaning out the insides of the 3 peppers by cutting a medium sized hole in the top and carefully removing all seeds.
3. Spoon the filling mixture into the peppers and place in a medium baking dish. Finish with grated cheddar cheese and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the tops of the stuffing are brown.
4. Let the peppers sit for about 5 minutes until eating.

Almond Spiral Cookies

Inspired by Sprinkle Bakes, I originally tried to make these cookies for my Scottish flatmates while exposing them to an "American Superbowl Party." I discovered, however, that these are a bit trickier to make than I had expected. With a small kitchen that heats up quickly, I found my dough getting soggy and breaking. On my second attempt, though, I tried a few different things and ended up with a whimsical and delicious cookie that can be catered to any occasion!

• 4 cups flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon blue food dye
• Sugar ball sprinkles (I used 2 small packages)
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• 1. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
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• 2. In  a separate bowl, beat the butter with both sugars until completely smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the almond extract. Gradually add in the dry mixture until a soft dough forms. 
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• 3. Divide the dough in half and add food dye to one half. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or a fork. Add more dye until the dough is to your desired color. 
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• 4. Roll out the undyed dough on top of wax or parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness (I tried to roll the dough into a square shape in order to make a better roll). Make sure to use plenty of flour as the dough softens very easily. Once the undyed dough is rolled out, place the dyed dough on top and roll until it covers the other dough completely.
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• 5. Begin rolling the dough into a log while making sure not to push too hard in order to avoid stretching the roll out too much. Once the dough is completely rolled up, cover a baking sheet in whichever sprinkles you chose (note: larger sugar balls are very difficult to use for this).  Roll the dough in the sprinkles until evenly coated. 

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• 6. Wrap the dough in foil or saran wrap and let refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Once it is completely chilled, slice in 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 5-6 minutes. Make sure to take them out right as they are cooked to avoid brown edges and sprinkles!

7. Place on a cooling rack and try to keep your friends from eating all of them!