The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (133 page)

I know; she bakes.
Weird, right?

Queen Sidra’s Lemon Tea Cakes

1-½ cups softened butter

1 package (8oz.) cream cheese, softened

2-½ cups sugar

6 eggs

3 TBLS. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp. grated lemon zest

3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1)
      
In a large bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice, extracts and lemon zest. Add flour one cup at a time; beat until just moistened.

2)
     
Fill greased miniature muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing from pans on wire rack to cool completely.

3)
     
Glaze:
In a small bowl 5 cups of confectioners’ sugar, 2/3 cup milk, 1-½ tsp. lemon juice. Mix well and drizzle over cakes.

Willa’s Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

The first Christmas I spent on the Isle of Skye I threw a little Christmas Eve party at my new crib. I had a lot to prove, and one of the recipes I made for my guests was my fabulous red velvet whoopie pies. Red velvet and the Holiday season go hand to hand in my book, and these rich, creamy filled cakes were a hit!

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour                                    

2TBLS. Cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ cup butter softened at room temperature

1-cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk

1 (1oz.) bottle red food coloring

Filling:

1 (8oz.) bar of cream cheese

1 ½ sticks of butter, softened at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1-cup marshmallow Fluff

Directions:

1)
      
Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda; Set aside

2)
     
In a large mixer combine egg, butter, vanilla, and sugar; Mix until well combined.

3)
     
Add salt and then add a quarter of the flour mixture. Slowly pour in buttermilk and continue to alternate until all ingredients are combined. Add food coloring and mix again until the dough is desired color.

4)
     
Drop about 2 TBLS. of dough on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  About halfway through baking, take a rubber spatula and remove the baking sheet from oven and flatten the dough.  Cool on a wire rack

5)
     
Meanwhile make filling; Add butter, cream cheese and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Cream together until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and then add marshmallow Fluff.

6)
     
Place about 1 TBLS. of filling in between two cookies and then enjoy!

Polly’s Nutty Baklava

Polly is a wood Nymph so, of course, the girl digs on baklava. This flaky pastry is super sweet but oh so good! Baklava is not that difficult to make, but you have to work fast otherwise the phyllo dough will dry out in a heartbeat. When you are not using the dough be sure to cover it with a damp towel, even if it’s only for a few seconds otherwise the dough will be useless.

Ingredients:

12 oz. of crushed, shelled pistachios and 4oz. of chopped pecans

½ tsp. ground cinnamon, or to taste

1-cup ground vanilla cookie wafers

4 sticks unsalted butter, melted

2 rolls of phyllo dough (thawed)

½ tsp. kosher salt

Syrup:

3 cups sugar

1 6-8 oz. jar of honey

2 TBLS. Fresh lemon juice

2 TBLS.
Fresh Orange juice

Directions:

1)
      
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2)
     
Combine the nuts, cinnamon and ground cookie crumbs in a bowl

3)
     
Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter. Layer ten pieces of phyllo dough in the dish, brushing each piece with butter before adding the next (keep remaining dough covered with a damp towel). Sprinkle a quarter of the mixture over the dough. Layer five pieces of phyllo on top, brushing each with butter adding the next, sprinkle with another quarter of the nut mixture. Add five more pieces of phyllo dough on top, brushing again with butter before spreading the rest of the nut mixture.

4)
     
Layer, the remaining phyllo dough on top of the nuts, brushing each one with butter. Bake in the oven for one hour or until golden brown.

5)
     
Meanwhile make the syrup: Bring the sugar, honey, and 1-½ cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, 10-15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and orange juice and boil 3-4 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

6)
     
Pour the syrup over warm baklava and let soak uncovered for at least six hours or overnight. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

*Syrup will not be thick so don’t get your panties in a knot if it’s not thickening up in a saucepan. You want it to be thin and pour it all over the baklava. I know it seems like a lot, but the dough will absorb all of the liquid*

      *You cut small strips of the phyllo dough and make a crisscross pattern on top of the baklava

         
before baking. Just remember to brush each crisscross layer with butter!*                              

Petits Fours

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBLS.
baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1-½ cups sugar

½ cup butter, softened

6 large egg whites

½ tsp. almond extract

1-cup milk

Icing:

3 cups sugar

¼ tsp. cream of tarter

1-½ cups of water

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

3 drops of food coloring, if desired

Directions:

1)
      
Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside

2)
     
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

3)
     
Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add one egg white at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low. Add flour mixture alternating with milk, beating well after each addition until just mixed.

4)
     
Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Carefully remove cake from pan; cool completely.

5)
     
Combine sugar, cream of tartar and water in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to boil. Cover and boil for three minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until candy thermometer reaches 228-234 degrees. Remove from heat; cool to 110 degrees (about 1 hour) Stir in powdered sugar, 1 tsp. of vanilla or almond extract and food coloring if desired.

6)
     
Place wire cooling rack over wax paper. Place 1-cake piece on fork and drizzle icing over top and sides of cake, making sure each side is covered. Place on separate wire rack and cool completely. Garnish each petit four with candy flowers or frosting flowers, if desired.

Pop’s Lemon Curd Tartlets

Lemon curd in a little mini tart? Heaven in my mouth! Thanks Pops!

Shortbread Crust

2 cups all-purpose

¼ tsp. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Lemon Curd

Zest of 3 lemons

1-½ cups of sugar

1-stick unsalted butter, room temperature

4 eggs

½ cup lemon juice

½ tsp. salt

Directions:

1)
      
In a large bowl, sift flour and salt.

2)
     
Cream butter and powdered sugar in a bowl of a standing mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just incorporated. Gather the dough and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill.