chocolate chip coconut cookies

2 sticks of butter (1c), at room temp

1/2 c white sugar

1 1/2 c brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 c all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1 lb chocolate chips/chunks

Cream the butter and the sugars until light. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk, stir to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix.

With a spatula fold in the chocolate and coconut

Drop by spoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

you can thank me later....enjoy!

*note: these aren't overly coconutty.....just a nice hint of coconut flavor, and they have the BEST chewy texture!!

friday love

It's Friday!!! I loved this week!!

As much as I loved the warm sunshiny beginning, I didn't mind the rain so much these past few days....especially while baking bread.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

adapted from this recipe (yes, I alter my own recipes....just upped the wheat flour this time)

1 1/2 c warm water
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/3 c honey
2c all purpose flour
2 TBS butter, melted
1/2 TBS salt
2 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4c ground flax seed

Mix water, yeast, and honey. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Add to bread machine (Yes, I'm a cheater)
Add remaining ingredients.
Use "dough" setting.

Take out of bread machine and let rise once more.

brush with olive oil and sprinkle with oats.
Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

We loved getting our hands dirty and planting some pots for inside (still a few more weeks until we can put our garden in, darn spring weather.)

I loved this kitchen/dining room (forgot about this photo from our SD trip) If it were my kitchen, I would love a few modern conveniences, (I suppose), but I LOVE the table, high ceilings, and the copper pots on the wall!

I love spending time with amazing friends. You know, the kind who stay up waaaaaay too late and get way too silly and give you private light shows and share inside joke. Those friends are the best.

Speaking of those good friends, please be sure to check out Cara's new blog. She's blogging about her adventures in only eating things that she makes from scratch (with a small grocery list of things she is "allowed" to buy at the store and farmers market.)

And one more blog that I am so happy I found, Bobbie Rounds the World, about circumnavigating the world by boat: 24,000 miles in 24 months. The very thought of it FREAKS me out, so I will just enjoy her photos and wish I were even a bit that cool. Check it out!

And....our song for the week has been THE most requested song by my kids this week. Why do I think it's so funny to hear them sing it?? These two are brilliant.

What did you love about this week?

Happy Weekend!!!

the weekend, part three: Easter

Dinner:

roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary

broccoli gratin

garlicky mashed potatoes with parmesan

this salad

mom's fruit salad

mom's rolls.

Dessert

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream and Coconut Nests

Cupcakes:

3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c (or a couple good globs:) of mayonnaise. yup. get over it.
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together: 1 cup boiling water and cocoa. Set aside.
Mix flour, soda, and salt together, set aside.
Cream together in large bowl: butter, sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. mix in mayo.
Add vanilla.
Add the cocoa/hot water mixture and beat for 2 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients, and stir just until mixed.

Pour into cupcake liners. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes

Frosting:

1 stick (1/2 c) butter

4 cups powdered sugar

4-5 TBS milk

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

seeds of 1/2 a vanilla bean

cream together.

Nests: (adapted from Martha's macaroon recipe)

2 1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and salt. Using your hands, mix well, completely combining ingredients.
Dampen hands with cold water. Form small spoonfuls into nest shapes. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Bake until golden brown, 16 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.

Frost cupcakes once cooled, and top with nests and cadbury eggs.

enjoy!

Hope you had a Happy Easter!

browned butter chocolate chip pizookies

I loved browned butter.

Please tell me you've tried it??

I really think it might be one of my favorite flavors....

...ever.

I love it so much, I'm always trying to sneak it into recipes....and I thought,

"why not a cookie?"

But then I remembered that we had vanilla bean ice cream, so I thought,

"why not a pizookie?"

Do you like hearing these conversations I have in my head?

enough chit chat.

let's get on with the recipe, shall we?

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Pizookie

makes 6-8 pizookies

1 1/2c flour

1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 c brown sugar
1 stick butter, browned
1 egg
1 t vanilla (I used mexican vanilla in these...yum!)
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
chopped pecans

Mix flour, soda and salt. Set aside

To brown butter:

Heat pan on medium heat.

Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.

Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.

After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.

Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.

When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.

Remove from heat--don't burn it!!

Add browned butter and sugar to stand mixer. Mix. (you will want to eat this up!)

Mix in egg and vanilla.

Slowly mix in flour mixture.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Scoop dough into individual ramekins. Sprinkle some pecans on top (they get all toasty in the oven!)

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes....remember you want the edges set, and the center nice and gooey!

Top with your favorite vanilla icecream.....and enjoy!

birthday cake fit for a thirty year old

It was actually his idea.

I asked him what he wanted, to which he replied (without hesitation)

"chocolate cake

almond frosting

toasted coconut".

ok.

Chocolate Cake with Almond Buttercream and Toasted Coconut

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c butter

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c (or a couple good globs:) of mayonnaise. yup. get over it.

1 tsp pure almond extract

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

*this is my grandmas chocolate cake recipe.....be good to it:)

Mix together: 1 cup boiling water and cocoa. Set aside. (I also threw in a handful of semi sweet chocolate chips because I would have eaten them otherwise.....that part is optional!)

Mix flour, soda, and salt together, set aside.

Cream together in large bowl: butter, sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. mix in mayo.

Add almond extract.

Add the cocoa/hot water mixture and beat for 2 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients, and stir just until mixed.

Pour into greased round pans.

Bake 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Don't forget to cool them on wire racks or they will stick to the pan and fall apart into pieces when you try to take them out, forcing you to glue them back together with a sloppy frosting job. Not that I know that from experience or anything.

Almond Buttercream

10 TBS butter, room temp

5 c powdered sugar

4-6 TBS milk

1 tsp pure almond extract (a little more or less to taste)

Cream together.

Toasted Coconut

Heat oven to 475°. Place 2 cups of sweetened coconut onto parchment lined baking pan. Place in oven and watch closely, turning coconut over as needed. 10-15 minutes.

Invite your friends over, pour yourself a tall glass of milk, and enjoy!

friday love

I love cookies.

you already know that......but as much as I love them,

I also love fitting into my swimsuit come warmer weather (really liking this one).

But sometimes, I just need a cookie.

So I whipped up these....

....I wouldn't quite call them cookies.

Just "cookies".

Are they the best cookie you've ever had? I sure hope not!

But do they stand in place of a cookie, when you really want one, but maybe shoudn't have one (10:00 at night.)

Yes.

This was the most guiltless cookie I have ever sunk my teeth in to.

A great afternoon snack for the kids too (they are surprisingly filling!)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal "Cookies"

1/2 c chunky peanut butter

1/2 c brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/4c ground flax seed

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°

Stir together oats, flour, flax, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter and brown sugar.

Mix in egg and vanilla.

Slowly add in oat and flour mixture.

Mix until just combined.

Form in to balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Press dough flat, adding chocolate chips to top of dough.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

makes about 18

enjoy (and still fit in to your swimsuit...bonus!)

We have LOVED the sunshine this week!! We cannot get enough!! I have fully enjoyed neglecting my housework, just so we could spend our days outside. Running, jumping, and rolling down hills!

We love to create. Every day.

I looooooove the photography in the spring Toast Catalogue.

Really really liking these guys right now. This artist is new to me, and I'm so happy to have found them (thanks hays:)

Happy Weekend!!!

What did you love about this week?

well it wasn't the best bread I've ever had.....

....but it looked good. That counts for something, right?

Modified THIS recipe, and made it with whole wheat flour. It was pretty heavy.....but toasted and dunked in soup....not bad.

these are for you

Yes. These cookies are for you! (virtually speaking of course, since they were made last week and have long since been shared and eaten). But I really want to thank you.

And you, and you....and....YOU!

All of you!

Thank so so much for all your emails and comments on yesterdays post! (still going through them!) And also HUGE thankyous to those of you who blogged, facebooked, tweeted and retweeted my little plea for help!

(and sorry that I ever made fun of twitter.....boy does word spread quickly on that thing! I am now a believer.)

I really wish I could send these to everyone....the best I can do is share the recipe....

I should first say that every single time I make chocolate chip cookies, I change up the recipe....always looking for that "perfect" cookie. I was really really happy with the results this time around....the only thing I think I would change next time is using chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(adapted from Ashley's recipe)

2 sticks of butter (1c), at room temp

1/2 c white sugar

1 3/4 c brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 c all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 lb chocolate chips/chunks

Cream the butter and the sugars until light. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk, stir to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate.

Drop by spoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheet.

Give a little sprinkle of sea salt before you pop them in the oven......PERFECTION!

Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

thank you guys so much! Enjoy!!

psssssst! don't forget--the giveaway ends tonight!!

what-to-make-when-it's-raining-and-you-want-to-bake-but-know-you-shouldn't-make-cookies, bread

that's what I'll call it.

I think it's of the banana bread variety, but it's whole wheat, and has carrots and some other silly things in it.

Banana (and then some) Bread

1 stick butter (1/2c)

1/2 c sugar

1-2TBS honey

2 eggs

3-4 very ripe bananas

2 large carrots, shredded

1/2 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2c whole wheat flour

1/2 c whole oats (not instant)

1/4 c ground flax seed

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

in separate bowl mix together flour, oats, flax, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

mix butter, sugar and honey.

add eggs, one at a time until mixed in.

add vanilla, bananas, carrots, and milk until well mixed.

slowly add in flour mixture, mix just until blended.

spoon batter into greased 9" loaf pan

sprinkle top with chopped pecans and oats

place on bottom rack in oven and bake at 350° 75-90 minutes (if the top starts to get too brown, cover with foil)

and if you're feeling really ambitious, you should make some butter too.....mmm....butter.

be happy that you baked something semi-healthy, and not cookies......wink

Raspberry Sandwich Cookies!

Raspberry Sandwich Cookies

The cookie part of this recipe comes from Martha's Cookie Book.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream sugar and butter together until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixure and continue beating until dough is well-combined.

Using a 1 1/4 inch ice cream scoop, drop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about two inches apart. Dip the bottom of a glass in sugar; press to flatten the cookies to about 1/8 inch thick. You may want to use a knife or flat spatula to loosen stuck cookies from the bottom of the glass.

Transfer to oven and bake until the cookies are firm, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and cool completely.

Place cream filling in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler (uh yeah.....I just spooned it in) and pipe abut 1 tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place the remaining cookies on top and squeeze the filling to the edges gently. Filled cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Frosting (bare with me on this one)

Plain old vanilla frosting wasn't going to cut if for me this time.....it was Superbowl Sunday and I was bored out of my MIND! So why not play around a bit??

Except that I ran out of powdered sugar.....so it was a bit (ok, it was pretty) sloppy....but really really good!

1 package cream cheese, room temperature
3 1/2 -4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I'm totally guessing on this one--I ran out at 2 1/2 cups--if you make this can you tell me how much you used.....thanks!!)
1 6oz container raspberries

Mix together with a hand mixer and enjoy!

run, eat, and then repeat

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like the Ghirardelli 60% cocoa in these)

Mix pb and brown sugar in mixer on medium speed until nice and blended (around 3 minutes)

Add eggs. Mix well.

Mix oats and soda.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Dough will be sticky and ooey gooey (professional baking terms there)

Spoon onto parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes.

ps is that my new table?? maybe.....still needs to be sealed....look for pictures soon!

I made cookies Saturday.

Not surprised?

These long winter months really get to me.

I talk alot (and have the photos to prove it) about eating yummy things and baking tastey treats. I love both.

But what I love just as much, is exercise. (remember this ramble?)

So maybe I work out.... hard. I LOVE to sweat!! (I'm counting down the days until THIS race!)

What you don't know, is that before I made my cookies on Saturday, I ran 7 miles....so a small batch of cookies was a-o-k.

I guess what I'm trying to spit out, is a little something about balance between diet and exercise. Hillary pointed out last week that most diets tell you to skip out on cookies, cakes, bread, and basically all things delicious.....

I do not believe in diets.

I DO believe in food.

Good food. Real food.

I believe that you can eat anything you want, if done in moderation, and if you find what exercise YOU need to balance it out. For me it's running, and my new love of yoga. You may find something different works for you.

I'm also happy to say that we eat pretty healthy around here.

Yes we eat cookies. But I usually make a small batch, and we love to share with our friends.

We eat mostly all whole grains (with the occasional loaf of yummy crusty white bread to dip in our soup....of course!)

Whole grain pastas and brown rice. Whole grain bread--my kids don't know the difference.

LOTS of fruits and veggies. We love all kinds!

I'm not a meat lover, but we do love good chicken. And salmon....mmm....

We don't eat fast food. I have not been in a ff restaurant in years....(although I do love a good burger from here every now and then in the summer....but way too good to be called fast food!)

We only eat out a few times a month.

So I feel like we have earned a little wiggle room to eat some cookies....at least that's what I like to tell myself....

I am very interested to know how YOU find balance between diet and exercise?

Also, I want to continue our conversation TOMORROW about eating REAL food.

and...I finally saw THIS movie. I LOVED it!! We should talk about that too....see you then!

two obsessions, and one confession

Obsession 1: bread

Obsession 2: taking pictures of it (and any other food)

Confession: I want to make a cook book. No, really.

It would be so fun.

• Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• 1 1/2 c warm water
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/3 c honey
• 2 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 2 TBS butter, melted
• 1/2 TBS salt
• 1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 1/4c ground flax seed

Mix water, yeast, and honey. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Add to bread machine (Yes, I'm a cheater)

Add remaining ingredients.

Use "dough" setting.

Take out of bread machine and let rise once more.

brush with olive oil and sprinkle with oats.

Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

take picture, and eat.

• edited to add: Yes. I use a breadmaker. I use that precious time while it's kneading and mixing and magically forming my bread dough to work on my table, play princess, work on my table in a princess dress, and clean my toilet. I am so greatful for that blessed machine. This can be made without one.
• Let your water, yeast and honey sit for the 20 minutes, as above.
• Mix in remaining ingredients. Knead on floured surface until it can easily pull away from the counter, but still a bit sticky to the touch. Place in greased bowl, cover with towel and let rise until doubled.
• Punch down, and form loaf, or place in loaf pans and let rise again.

Friday Love

As it may have been mentioned before.....we love cookies. Now I am a chocolate lover....and usually don't waste my time on making non-chocolate involved cookies....but these are very very worth it. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle......cinnamony goodness.

Snickerdoodles (from Martha Stewart's Cookie Book)

2 3/4 c flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 cup butter (martha calls for unsalted.....I like salted)

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

------

2T sugar

2 t cinnamon

1. Oven to 350°. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Mix butter and 1 1/2 c sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs. Reduce speed to low, gradually mix in flour mixture.

2. Stir together cinnamon and 2T sugar. Shape dough into 20 1 3/4" balls (I actually like smaller cookies so I can eat more:). Roll in cinnamon and sugar. Space 3" apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment.

3. Bake 12-15 minutes until edges are golden, rotating halfway through. Cool on wire racks.

4. Eat.

I love the birds that are always outside my window.....it makes me think that spring may be coming soon.....at least I like to pretend.

I looooove these photos from last fall's Toast catalogue......they make winter seem beautifully cold, and almost.... ok.

It's me!! 1985. Where has the time gone?? Next week I celebrate the big 2-7 (gulp!)

I love that the party is starting.....tonight! Birthday weekend!

We love this song. They ruined it with the lame video, so today you're just getting the song. We listen to this every morning on the way up to preschool--it's my kids' favorite!

All The Pretty Girls - fun.

Happy Weekend!!!

What did you love about this week???

winter wednesday

Oh do I love to bake.

The only complaint that I have about summer actually, is that it is just too hot to turn on the oven. (really! that is my ONLY complaint about summer....promise!)

But the oven can do wonders to your mood when you turn it on, letting it thaw out your house from the grey and frosty outside.

And the smell of baking cookies isn't bad either.

My only problem is that with a husband at work all day, and two little one's who get only a cookie or two out of the whole batch......that leaves me to eat the rest.

Which I would, and I do.

And who does that help? No one.

So these are my "weekend cookies" It's a little batch, just to get us through the weekend, and maybe into monday if we're good.

1 1/4c flour

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1 stick butter ( i use salted)

1 egg

1 t vanilla (I used mexican vanilla in these...yum!)

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix flour, soda and salt. Set aside

Blend sugars and butter at medium speed until well mixed.

Add egg, and vanilla and mix just until blended.

Add flour mixture slowly, until just blended.

Stir in by hand chocolate chips and nuts.

Form into small balls, and space out on parchment lined cookie sheet*

Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes.

* I used a baking mat for the first time and was really happy with how they turned out!

What are you loving about winter???

trying something new....and living through it.

I do not make bread.

period.

I have tried. I have failed.

I have made rolls flatter than pancakes.

Loaves of bread hard as rocks.

But I love bread.

I wouldn't give up.

I always love to try new things, and decided that this year, 2010, I would conquer bread.

And I think, I finally did.

Garlic and Rosemary Artisan Bread

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

I cheated, and mixed the dough in a bread maker, let it rise once. Punched it down (don't I sound professional!) and then shaped it and let it raise again. Brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt, and then baked at 375° for about 45 min.

It's gone.

chocolate cake + orange buttercream = my favorite

Recipe adapted from Hannah's blog.

Chocolate Cake
From Southern Living

2 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bars, chopped
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper. Lightly grease parchment paper.

2. Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.

3. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

4. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. (Mixture will be thick.)

5. Stir vanilla into hot water. Gradually add water to batter in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.

6. Bake at 350° for 38 to 42 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack, and let cool completely (about 1 hour).

Spread Filling between layers, spreading to edges of cake and leveling with an offset spatula. Gently press top cake layer down. Spread Frosting over top and sides of cake. Swirl frosting using back of a spoon, if desired. Top with Candied Oranges.

Candied Oranges

2 large navel oranges, thinly sliced
2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3- to 3 1/2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oranges. Return to a boil; cook 5 minutes. Transfer oranges to a parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pan, using a slotted spoon; discard water.

2. Combine sugar and 2 cups water in saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into water; add vanilla bean to water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Add orange slices. Return to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, 35 to 45 minutes or until rinds are softened and translucent.

3. Remove oranges, using tongs; arrange on parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pan, folding oranges as desired. Blot with paper towels. 4. Pour syrup through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, reserving syrup and vanilla bean for another use. Discard solids. Let oranges stand 15 minutes.

Vanilla Orange Buttercream
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange extract
3 to 5 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter.
2. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. 3. Add extracts and milk and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more milk if needed for spreading consistency.

yum. yum. yum.