These are the chocolate chip cookies that you want to fill your cookie jar with and put the recipe in your recipe box! Butter and brown sugar give them a warm caramelized flavor and combined with chocolate chips it makes for that classic chocolate chip cookie we all crave!

No matter how many other amazing and delicious cookies I make, my kids will still always request and choose good old chocolate chip cookies if they get the chance. They’re just the most classic cookie and I don’t actually know but I would venture to guess the most popular cookie in the world. 
My personal favorite cookie is oatmeal chocolate chip but that is not relevant to our current conversation. Lol! 

The great debate about chocolate chip cookies is how many chocolate chips to add, how much butter to use, and whether white sugar, brown sugar, or a combo of both make the best cookies. 
I say add chocolate chips till your heart says stop, and you’ll be surprised to know that less butter makes better cookies, and our family prefers brown sugar which gives them that rich buttery caramelized flavor. 

Ingredients Needed to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies:

(keep scrolling down for complete recipe)

• salted butter
• brown sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract 
• salt
• baking soda 
• all-purpose flour
• semi sweet chocolate chips 

How To Make The Cookies:

• In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the sugar and butter.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and beat till creamy.
• Add salt, baking soda, and flour and mix till combined.
• Add the chocolate chips and mix just till combined. 
• Drop on baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes. The outside edges will be baked and the center will look unbaked but that’s good.
• Remove from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for one minute. Transfer to baking rack and let cool.
• Store in an airtight container. 

It only takes 8 ingredients and about 20 minutes to make these delicious cookies. Let’s get to baking! 
-Rachel Ballinger ☕️🍪

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel 

 

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe you want to fill your cookie jar with. Butter and brown sugar give them a warm caramelized flavor and combined with chocolate chips it makes for that classic chocolate chip cookie we all crave!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Chip, chocolate,, Cookie

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Total Time 21 minutes minutes

Servings 30 Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.
• Beat in the eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
• Add the salt, baking soda, and flour and mix well. Mix in the chocolate chips just till combined. The batter will be stiff.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Do not press down.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned on top, about 11 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for one minute and then remove to a cooling rack or parchment paper to cool.
• Store cookies in airtight container.

The post Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

These simple snickerdoodle cookies deliver that classic sugar cookie flavor with the unmistakable tangy flavor that makes these cookies so addicting. 

What makes a snickerdoodle different from your average sugar cookie is cream of tartar. It gives the cookies a tangy flavor and helps the tops crinkle perfectly. I add 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar but you can use less if you find it too tart for you. The tang is more of an after taste. 

Ingredients Needed for Snickerdoodle Cookies: 

(Keep scrolling down for complete recipe with measurements and directions.) 

• white sugar
• butter, I use salted butter for everything – you want the butter slightly soft but not too soft or the cookies will flatten too much 
• eggs
• vanilla extract 
• salt
• baking soda
• cream of tartar – the star of the recipe! 
• all purpose flour 

Simple Steps to Baking Snickerdoodle Cookies: 

• First cream together the sugar and butter.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix till creamy and whipped
• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix till combined. The dough will be thick. 
• Scoop the dough onto cookie sheets, roll them each in cinnamon sugar topping, and bake.
• Cool and enjoy!

It’s a simple dough but it packs a big flavor. You can mix it up and bake them right away, no refrigeration required. But if you want too to make them ahead and refrigerate the dough until you’re ready to bake, that does work and is perfectly fine. 

I store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter. They’re great for close to a week. If you need to keep them longer than that, then I recommend refrigerating them. 
Y’all enjoy! Who doesn’t love a snickerdoodle cookie?! 
~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel

 

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Snickerdoodle Cookies

These simple snickerdoodles deliver that classic sugar cookie flavor with the unmistakeable tangy flavor that makes these cookies so addicting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Cookie, dessert, Snickerdoodle

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 36 Cookies

Ingredients

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cookie Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 3/4 cups flour

Instructions

• Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Cream sugar and butter together. Beat in eggs cream and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until combined.
• You can either bake right away or chill in the fridge for half an hour or more and then bake.
• Place 1” balls on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon sugar topping.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

The post Snickerdoodle Cookies appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Juicy strawberries topped with a brown sugar oatmeal crumb make this fresh strawberry crumble an absolute delight! Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a splash of cold milk for a yummy treat. 

I make this in a 10” cast iron skillet but have also doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9”x13” pan. The thing to remember with baking in a cast iron skillet is that you need to remove any leftovers from the pan and store them in a different container. If left in the cast iron for more than a day, the bottom starts turning black. 

Ingredients Needed for Fresh Strawberry Crumble:

(scroll down for printable recipe with complete measurements and instructions) 

• strawberries, fresh is best, frozen works 
• white sugar
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour 
• brown sugar
• butter, I use salted butter for everything 
• cinnamon 
• rolled oats, quick oats or old fashioned both work great 

How to Make the Crumble: 

(scroll down for printable recipe with complete measurements and instruction) 

• Preheat the oven 
• Chop the strawberries in your skillet and stir in the sugar, vanilla, and flour
• In a bowl, combine the sugars and butter till smooth. Add the cinnamon, flour, and oats and stir to combine.
• Spread crumb topping over strawberries.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and filling is bubbly. 
• Serve with ice cream or milk and enjoy!

Fresh and delicious, and a great dessert to end any meal. Y’all enjoy!

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️🍓

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel 

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Fresh Strawberry Crumble

Juicy strawberries topped with a brown sugar oatmeal crumb make this fresh strawberry crumble an absolute delight! Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a splash of cold milk for a yummy treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword dessert, Oatmeal, Strawberry

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

Fruit Filling:

• 4 cups strawberries chopped or sliced (I used 2 lbs fresh strawberries)
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp flour

Crumb Topping:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter softened or melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a 10” cast iron skillet stir together the chopped strawberries, sugar, vanilla, and flour.
• In a mixing bowl cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Add the cinnamon and flour and stir till smooth. Stir in the rolled oats until nice and crumbly.
• Spread the crumb topping evenly over the top of the strawberries.
• Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

The post Fresh Strawberry Crumble appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

These carrot cake scones are moist and full of flavor. The beautiful orange color of the shredded carrots blended into the batter and drizzled with a cream cheese glaze make these a delectable treat perfect for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.

The shredded carrots make the scones so nice and  moist but since they do add moisture to the dough they tend to become soggy after the first day so these are best eaten the day they are made. I’ve seen mentioned to store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them from getting soggy. I haven’t tried that tip but sounds worth trying.

Ingredients Needed to Make Carrot Cake Scones:

• all purpose flour 
• brown sugar 
• baking powder
• salt
• ground cinnamon 
• ground nutmeg
• ground ginger 
• butter, I use salted butter for everything 
• whole milk or heavy cream for extra goodness 
• vanilla extract
• shredded carrots, peel the carrots and shred them with a grater 
• golden raisins, totally optional but they add a nice color and flavor 
• cream cheese
• powdered sugar 

How to Bake the Scones:

• Combine the dry ingredients in your mixer and then add the butter and mix until the butter is tiny little pea sized chunks. This will take a minute but just be patient! Cutting your butter into small chunks before adding really helps speed up this process. If you don’t get the butter really small, then there will be big pockets of butter in your scones and will create holes in your baked scones that don’t look very pretty.
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients just till combine. Some people swear that you have to mix scone dough by hand or you will have tough scones. I have found that I can mix them up in the mixer as long as I don’t overwork the dough. Just mix together and then dump in on the counter and work into a rectangle. Cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a ball.
• Flatten each ball with your hands to about 1” thickness. Cut the circle into 8 pieces with a dough cutter. A knife or pizza cutter works great too. 
• Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 17 minutes until edges and bottom are golden brown. 
• Mix up the glaze and drizzle the scones. I put the glaze in a small ziploc bag and snip the corner off to make an icing bag that I can throw away when done with. 
• Enjoy! 

Scones are one of my favorite things to bake. They’re fast and easy and they always taste good! If you’re a fan of scones like me, try out some of my other scone recipes: 

• Chocolate Chip Orange Scones
• Apple Cinnamon Scones 
• Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Scones
• White Chocolate Cranberry Scones 
• Chocolate Chip Scones 

Happy Baking! 
~Rachel Ballinger 💕☕️

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel

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Carrot Cake Scones

These carrot cake scones are moist and full of flavor. The beautiful orange color of the shredded carrots blended into the batter and drizzled with a cream cheese glaze make these a delectable treat perfect for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword carrot, Cream Cheese, dessert, Scones

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 16 Scones

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

Scones:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 6 tbsp cold butter
• 3/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup golden raisins optional

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1-3 tbsp milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In your mixer combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the dry mixture. Mix together until the butter is broken into small little pieces. It will take time so just be patient and it will break down!
• Mix in the milk or cream, vanilla, and shredded carrots until moistened. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and divide dough in half and by hand form both sections into circles. You want the dough about an inch thick. Then cut each circle into 8 pieces like a pie with a dough cutter.
• Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and drizzle with glaze.
• Cream Cheese Glaze:
• In a small bowl smash the cream cheese with a spoon and then add the butter and mix till smooth. Add the milk and powdered sugar and mix till smooth and the right consistency to drizzle. Add more milk if needed.

The post Carrot Cake Scones appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

This giant gooey chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet is absolute perfection especially when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and is the solution to your late night sweet tooth cravings! 

Chewy around the edges and soft in the middle, no chilling the dough, no scooping the individual cookie dough, this really is the dream cookie. Just mix, press, bake, and enjoy! 
You will need an oven safe skillet to make this cookie. My favorite one is a 10” Lodge cast iron skillet. 

Ingredients needed to make a chocolate chip cookie skillet: 

(scroll down for complete recipe with measurements and directions)

• white sugar
• brown sugar
• butter
• eggs
• vanilla
• salt
• baking soda 
• all purpose flour 
• chocolate chips

The Simple Steps to Making This Skillet Cookie:

• In the bowl of a mixer, cream sugars and butter and then add the rest of ingredients, gently mixing in the chocolate chips last.
• Press into a cast iron skillet.
• Bake in a preheated oven until done. Gooey in the center, chewy on the outside. It’ll rise up and slightly crack on the top like a brownie. 
• Cut a wedge and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a glass of cold milk on the side. Enjoy! 

My favorite thing about those cookies is how fast I can mix it up and bake it. And it tastes amazing! Warm and gooey, topped with ice cream, perfect for girls night or to satisfy the teenagers at midnight. Lol!
I’m sure we’ve all had one at some point in our lives. Restaurants usually call them a pizookie or skookie. 

This cookie recipe is my family’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and fit perfectly in the cast iron pan. You can totally bake these up as cookies and enjoy them that way if desired. For cookies, drop by tablespoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Do not press down. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Cool on the baking sheet for one minute then remove to a cooling rack to cool. This recipe will make about 3 dozen cookies. 
Enjoy this treat!

~Rachel Ballinger 🍪🍦

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel

 

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Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

This giant gooey chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet is absolute perfection especially when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and is the solution to your late night sweet tooth cravings!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cast iron skillet, Chocolate Chip, Cookie, dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Author Rachel Ballinger

Equipment

• 10” cast iron skillet

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter, until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
• Add the salt, baking soda, and flour and mix well.
• Mix in the chocolate chips. The batter will be stiff.
• Scrape the batter in a 10” cast iron skillet and push it down evenly with your hands.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. It will be warm and gooey like a brownie.
• Enjoy warm or cold with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The post Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

One bite of these moist pumpkin chocolate chip muffins will sweep you straight into fall! Full of chocolate chips and authentic pumpkin goodness, it’s hard to eat only one. 

Ingredients needed to make these:

• white sugar 
• brown sugar
• pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
• olive oil, this is what helps them be so moist 
• eggs
• milk
• baking soda
• salt
• ground cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice 
• ginger
• all purpose flour 
• semisweet chocolate chips 

You can make these in your stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer or you can just stir them up by hand. 
First you combine the sugars and the liquids until nicely combined. Then you add the dry ingredients. And then you fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon into your prepared muffins tins and bake. 

Baking them at 425 for 5 minutes and then turning down the heat to 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. The high heat at the beginning is the way to get beautifully smooth muffin tops. 
Cool and enjoy! These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are so moist and delicious, you’ll think you’re eating cake. So good!

~Rachel Ballinger 💕☕️

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel 

 

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

One bite of these moist pumpkin chocolate chip muffins will sweep you straight into fall! Full of chocolate chips and authentic pumpkin goodness, it’s hard to eat only one. 

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Chip, dessert, Muffin, Pumpkin

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Total Time 37 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Muffins

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 12 count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners.
• In a mixing bowl beat together the white sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, olive oil, eggs, and milk.
• Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and flour and mix on medium speed until well combined.
• Mix in the chocolate chips just until combined.
• Spoon the batter into liners, filling all the way to the top.
• Bake in 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Then turn down heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before eating.

The post Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Your whole house will smell amazing when you bake these homemade cinnamon rolls and that smell is like a dinner bell summoning the whole family to the kitchen. 

Light and fluffy, filled with cinnamon and brown sugar, and topped with a yummy powdered sugar butter icing. These homemade cinnamon rolls will remind you of your grandmother! Perfect for Saturday mornings and ladies brunch and Christmas morning and pretty much anytime that you need a sweet breakfast treat. 

Can cinnamon rolls be frozen?

Yes, they sure can! There are two ways you can do this. 1. You can prepare them and then right before baking wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag and freeze. Pull them out of the freezer and let them thaw completely and then bake. 
2. My favorite way is to bake them, let them cool off, and then immediately wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag and freeze. I pull them out the night before and let them thaw. For example, I pull them out on Christmas Eve and let them thaw overnight and then Christmas Morning, I place them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes and then pull them out, let them cool, and ice them. They taste freshly baked and ready to make all the best Christmas memories for your family. 

Ok, let’s make some homemade cinnamon rolls:

First you make the dough and let it rise until doubled, about an hour. Oil your hands and punch it down. Let it rise again until doubled. I’ve tried skipping this second rise and the rolls just don’t get as nice and fluffy. It’s not worth it. 

Then you plop the beautifully risen dough onto a floured surface and with a rolling pin, roll it into a rectangle. Smear one stick of softened butter evenly over it. 

Next sprinkle the dough evenly with a generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon. I have never measured it. Just sprinkle and even layer on it. You can’t do it wrong! It’ll taste amazing with a little less or a little more. Don’t stress, just sprinkle with the heart and it’ll be perfect.

Then you spread the brown sugar on top of the cinnamon. One cup does the trick. 

Time to roll up the dough evenly into a tight log. Once rolled up, take a long piece of heavy duty thread and cut the dough into 1” slices. Place the rolls in an oiled (I use olive oil) baking pan. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and let the rolls rise for about 15 minutes or until the oven is preheated. 

Bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. 

While the rolls are cooling, make the icing. Mix it up in the mixer, making sure to cream the butter until nice and smooth before adding the rest of the ingredients. Once the rolls are cooled, ice them and enjoy! I actually like to ice them while they’re still a little warm because it makes the icing all melty and drippy and delicious.
This is probably too much icing for this amount of cinnamon rolls but save the leftovers in the fridge for another project. 

I hope you make these cinnamon rolls and enjoy them as much as we do. Make some core food memories! 
Lots of Love,

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel 

 

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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Light and fluffy, filled with cinnamon and brown sugar, and topped with a yummy powdered sugar and butter icing. Your whole house will smell amazing when you bake these homemade cinnamon rolls.

Course Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Bread, Breakfast, brunch, cinnamon rolls

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 20 Cinnamon Rolls

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

Dough:

• 2 cups lukewarm milk
• 4 tbsp butter softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp dry instant yeast 2 - 1/4 oz packets
• 2 eggs
• 5-6 cups flour

Filling:

• 1 stick softened butter
• an even sprinkle of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup brown sugar

Icing:

• 1 stick butter or 4 tbsp butter and 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp milk and more if needed
• 2 lb. bag of powdered sugar

Instructions

Cinnamon Rolls:

• In a small pot on the stove, warm the milk to lukewarm (about 105 degrees). Pour in a large mixing bowl and add the butter, sugar, salt, and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the eggs and gradually add the flour as you stir it altogether. Keep adding flour until too thick to stir and then start kneading. Add flour and knead for about 5 minutes to make a smooth elastic dough.
• Cover and let rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
• Oil your hands with olive oil and punch down the dough. Oil the bowl, flip the dough over in the bowl so the smooth side is on top, and let the dough rise again for about an hour or until doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place risen dough on a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it into a large rectangle. Spread the stick of softened butter evenly over it. Evenly sprinkle a generous layer of cinnamon on top of the butter. Spread the brown sugar evenly on top. Roll the dough rectangle evenly into a long log. Take a piece of thread and cut the log into 1” slices. Place the slices in an oiled pan, cover with a cloth, and let rise for about 15 minutes.
• Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven and let cool.

Icing:

• In a mixing bowl beat butter with mixer and then add the rest of the ingredients and beat till smooth. Add powdered sugar slowly to avoid making a mess. Use as much milk as needed to get to the right consistency.
• Ice the cooled rolls and enjoy!

The post Homemade Cinnamon Rolls appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

A delicious lemon cake with zesty lemon cream cheese icing is a wonderful treat and beautiful to serve. This cake comes together very easily and is perfect for birthdays, baby showers, and even weddings. 

Ingredients Needed:

Scroll down for complete recipe with measurements and instructions.
Cake:

• all purpose or bread flour, sifted
• baking powder
• baking soda
• granulated sugar
• salt
• eggs, room temperature
• vanilla extract
• sour cream
• buttermilk
• olive oil
• fresh lemon juice
• lemon zest

Icing:

• butter, out of fridge for 10 minutes
• cream cheese, straight from the fridge
• vanilla extract
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• Heavy Cream or half n half or milk (cream is my first choice)
• powdered sugar

Tips for a Good Cake:

• To ensure that cakes don’t stick to the pan use this easy and fail proof method for all your cakes. Using a napkin or pastry brush, oil the bottom and sides of your pan evenly with vegetable shortening. Then sprinkle with flour, coating the entire surface evenly, and tap off the excess flour. 
• After putting the batter in the pan, pick it up and let it drop gently on the counter. This helps remove air bubbles and gives the cake better texture.
• You will know a cake is done baking when the sides start pulling away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Wait until the cake is completely cooled before assembling and icing it. Otherwise it will be a melting mess. 

Can I Bake the Cake in Advance?

Yes! You can bake the cakes ahead of time and freeze the layers until you’re ready to assemble and ice them. Wrap them in plastic wrap really well and you’re good to go. Just make sure to take them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter, to keep them from getting soggy. Once thawed, take them out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temp, and then assemble and ice. If you bake a cake, let it cool completely, and then promptly freeze it, it will taste nice and fresh when thawed. You can freeze cake layers for up to three months. 

I got the inspiration for this cake from A Farmgirl’s Kitchen’s yellow cake. 
Enjoy this yummy cake! I hope you like it. 
~Rachel Ballinger☕️🍰

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”     ~Rachel

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Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

A light lemony cake with a zesty cream cheese icing. Beautiful and delicious!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Cake, dessert, Lemon

Servings 24 Servings

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups all purpose or bread flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

Icing:

• 1 stick butter out of fridge for 10 minutes
• 1 8 oz. bar of cream cheese, straight from the fridge
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 4-8 tbsp. Heavy Cream or half n half or milk cream is my first choice
• 2 lb. bag of powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans. Tap out any excess flour and set aside.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt and mix to combine.
• Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, buttermilk, oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with beater attachment and beat together on low to medium speed just until combined. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Pick the pans up and drop them gently onto the counter a couple times to remove air bubbles.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the sides of the cake are slightly pulling away from the pan.
• Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out of cake pans and cool completely on wire cooling racks or on parchment paper. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the Icing:

• In a mixer, blend the butter till smooth.
• Add the cream cheese and blend till smooth.
• Add vanilla, lemon zest and juice, and 4 tbsp. cream. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add more cream if needed for the right consistency. You’ll know it’s thick enough when you can stick a spoon in the icing and it doesn’t fall over.

To Assemble the Cake:

• To ice the cake, smear a little icing on the cake stand and place the first layer on that. It helps it stick and not move around. Spread a layer of icing on the first cake. Place the second layer on top of that and ice the whole cake evenly.

The post Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

To make a good scone, you want to follow a few simple rules. Use cold butter and mix the dough until it’s nice and crumbly but don’t over mix the dough. There, that’s it’s. Some people say you absolutely have to mix them by hand to keep them from becoming tough but I often use my mixer and just make sure I don’t over mix.

Scones are delicious as a snack on their own, the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea or coffee, and they satisfy that little sweet tooth craving we all get sometimes. They’re staple at your brunch table or tea party. 

This recipe is easy to double and fast to mix up and it bakes in only 17 minutes. I love scones because once you have the basic recipe, you can try any kind of flavor combinations. So much fun! 

Ok, go on and make a batch of scones and brew a pot of tea and have yourself a little tea party. I’m sure there will be a couple of uninvited guests (kids, husband, neighbor haha) that will inevitably show up. That’s the best part of it. Enjoy! 
~Rachel Ballinger 💕☕️

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel

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Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Scones

Maple bacon chocolate chip scones are one of my favorite flavor combinations! The savory bacon, the sweetness of the chocolate chips, topped with the maple syrup glaze just works perfectly. These are perfect for your brunch table or tea party.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Bacon, Chocolate Chip, Maple Syrup, Scones

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

37 minutes minutes

Servings 16 Scones

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

For the Scones:

• 2 cups all purpose or bread flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tbsp salted butter cold and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 strips bacon cooked and chopped
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In your mixer combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the cold butter into smaller pieces and add to the dry mixture. Mix together until the butter is broken into small little pieces. It will take time so just be patient and it will break down!
• Add the milk, cream, vanilla, chocolate chips, and chopped bacon and mix just until nicely combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half and by hand form both sections into circles. You want the dough about an inch thick. Cut each circle into 8 pieces like a pie with a dough scraper or knife.
• Place about an inch apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and then drizzle with glaze.

To make the Glaze:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl with a spoon. Add a little more or less milk to get the consistency you need.
• I put the glaze in a small ziploc bag, snip the corner off, and drizzle the glaze on the scones.

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The post Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Scones appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Ok, am I the only one that sees this dessert and immediately thinks of the cute little cartoon Strawberry Shortcake? My little girls love watching it and I enjoy all the creative names of the characters. They’re always up to something. 😄

This cake mixes up fast and bakes almost as fast. This is a quick dessert to throw together and serve to guests and it’s so pretty! Personally, I love my strawberry shortcake to be more of a cake than a biscuit and this is perfect. Also great to make when feeding a crowd (or just my family haha). Each cake is 24 servings. 

I bake the cake in a half sheet pan. I have a bunch of these pans in my kitchen and use them for so many different things. My favorite ones are from USA Pans. Here’s the link for them. USA Half Sheet Pan

Happy Summer y’all and enjoy the recipe! 

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️🍓

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    -Rachel 

 

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Strawberry Shortcake

Serve up this delicious strawberry shortcake with freshly whipped cream and sliced strawberries for a quintessential summer dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Sheet Cake, Shortcake, Strawberry

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Servings

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

• 8 tbsp butter - 1 stick
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• Sliced strawberries
• Whipped cream

Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a half sheet pan (12”x17”).
• In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter together till creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Pour in the milk and beat for a minute or too till nice and fluffy.
• Scrape into the greased pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Whipped Cream

• Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with a whisk attachment on your hand mixer until thick and creamy.
• Use immediately for best results. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 

The post Strawberry Shortcake appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.