Maple Walnut Tarts- A Taste of Canada

This is undoubtedly one of the most important recipes I know of. Whenever I go with my family to the pick-your-own farm to spend a beautiful Ontario summer's day collecting berries and fighting mosquitoes, we'd always get the maple walnut tarts they sold. However, at their price it was unlikely that they were made with real maple syrup, posing me with the challenge of a more authentically mapley alternative. I also use a butter pie crust that's flaky and tastes amazing, complementing the filling rather than merely holding its nutty, gooey goodness. For such a fantastic food, it's incredibly easy as well- all you need to do is mix up the filling and pour it onto walnuts in parbaked pastry shells. You could use frozen tart shells... but please don't.

These taste best in the sunshine, especially sitting on the back of your car while surrounded by rolling fields of wheat and watching the trees rustle in the breeze, but at home while watching TV will also work. Just the taste will bring you to a happier place.

Maple Walnut Tarts

1 Recipe preferred pie dough
2 Eggs
2/3 C. Dark maple syrup
1/2 C. Brown sugar
2 TBSP (30 ml.) Melted butter
Pinch of salt
1 Tsp. Vanilla or maple extract
3/4 - 1 C. Walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 220℃. Roll out the pie dough and cut into rounds with a large glass. Push the rounds into the holes of a muffin pan to form tart crusts and prick well with holes using a fork. Parbake for about 15 minutes. Use a small glass or end of a rolling pin to push the dent in again if they puff up.

Mix eggs, salt, syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla/maple extract well. Place a tablespoon of walnut pieces in each parbaked tart shell and top with the egg mixture. Return to the over for another 15 minutes, or until bubbling.

Cowboy Cookies

These are some really good cookies if you like a lot of chips and bits- Personally, I find that they've got just the right amount of stuff going on without going overboard. They're definitely easy to make and homey (ideal with a glass of milk!) but the sheer amount of chocolate, nuts and coconuts accentuated with the hint of spice and oaty backdrop makes them special. 

Surprisingly, despite the relatively large amount of leavener, these turned out thin and chewy, the way I like 'em. I think that using pastry flour, which is lower in gluten, helped me get them this way, though I'd need to try with all purpose and pastry flour for comparison. 

Possible adaptations that I would try include adding instant coffee granules, using chocolate covered peanuts instead of chips, or using milk chocolate chips. While I can't say why they're called "cowboy" cookies, I can say that these are definitely worth making.

Cowboy Cookies

1 C. Flour (I used pastry flour, all purpose is fine too)
1 Tsp. Baking powder
1 Tsp. Baking soda
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cinnamon (I used mixed cake spice)
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 C. (113 g.) Butter, room temperature
1/2 C. Brown sugar
1/2 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1 C. Rolled oats (not instant)
1 C. Chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)
1 C. Walnut or pecan pieces
1 C. Unsweetened desiccated coconut

Preheat oven to 180℃.

Beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy and homogenous. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until incorporated.

Add the baking powder and soda and beat in, then add the flour and beat until just combined. Using a big spoon, spatula, or you hands, mix in the oats, chocolate, nuts and coconut.

Divide into 12-18 balls and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just slightly browned. Let cool on the tray.

Dark and Moist Fruitcake

My version of a traditional fruitcake, with anything I thought would taste particularly good added in. I found that it was the best after about 9 weeks of aging, so plan ahead, and be prepared to buy a lot of alcohol! The basting really helps make it moist and makes the flavour complex. To stick with a dark colour theme (to complement my "light" fruitcake) I used dark rum, coffee liquor, molasses, brown sugar, and lots of figs and dates. And for a bit of crunch, some walnuts!

You can use different dried fruits, and next time I make this cake I think I'll add more, including some dried apricots and cherries. Still, this cake turned out really well! It was especially popular, I think, because of the copious amounts of coffee liquor that complemented the taste of the molasses and spices really well. I suspect that, if you wanted to try something really unorthodox, you could eat it with soft cheese... something I plan to try myself.

Dark Fruitcake
adapted from chowhound

3 Eggs
3/4 C. Butter (About 170g)
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cocoa
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 Tsp. Baking soda
1/2 Tsp. Each cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
Zest of one lemon and one orange
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Dark brown sugar
1/4 C. Molasses
2 TBSP. Apricot jam, smooth
1 C. Dates
1 C. Figs
1 1/2 C. Mixed golden and dark raisins
1 C. Walnut pieces
1/2 C. Mixed diced peel
1/3 C. Currants
1/2 C. Dark spiced rum
1/4 C. Brandy (I used apricot brandy)

To Baste:
A generous amount each of dark spiced rum, (apricot) brandy and coffee liquor

Soak snipped fruits in rum 2-5 days in advance.

Prepare two 9'' loaf pans with butter and baking parchment.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
Beat the butter, sugar and molasses together until smooth. Add the vanilla, jam, zest and molasses. Beat in the eggs and mix until homogeneous.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Next, add the fruit and nuts and stir in until well-mixed.

Bake at 160℃ for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool before removing from pans and brushing with a mixture of the basting alcohols.

Wrap up in alcohol-soaked cheesecloth and plastic wrap and let ripen for 6-9 weeks in a cool well-ventilated place, unwrapping and brushing with the basting alcohol about once a week. If you check on them and they're already very moist with alcohol (this occurred after 4 weeks of the basting process for me) you can leave them be.

Serve on its own or covered in marzipan once ripe.

Chewy Fudge Brownies sans Chocolate, Butter, and Leavening Agent...

I'm really amazed these brownies work. There's no chocolate, no butter, no melting together of the ingredients in a bain-marie... there's not even any leavening, but they work!

I love a fudgy, chewy, dense brownie. I also love recipes that require very little planning ahead to get the ingredients ready (at least, when I'm working with the limited storage space of my tiny apartment-kitchen rather than the spacious home-kitchen where I can comfortably keep a huge arsenal of rarely-used substances) so this was a very nice recipe for me to find.

I didn't use any chocolate chips and instead doubled up on walnuts, because I love walnuts in almost everything and didn't feel like going out to buy chocolate. I add a bit of Kahlua instead of coffee to the liquid components, which is not necessary but it's really hard to go wrong with a touch of booze in any baked good.

When you have a limited variety of ingredients and/or equipment, this is an amazing way to still get your brownie fix. One important note: since there's no butter contributing flavour, it's extra important to use good cocoa powder.

Chewy Fudge Brownies

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

2/3 C. Cocoa
1 1/4 C. Sugar, or 1 C. sugar and 1/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. Powder sugar
1 Tsp. Salt
1 C. All purpose flour
2 TBSP Instant coffee powder or 1 TBSP espresso powder (optional)
1-2 C. Walnut, pecan and/or chocolate pieces
1/2 C. Neutral flavoured oil (I used canola)
3 TBSP Kahlua (or strong coffee)
3 Tsp. Vanilla extract
3 Eggs

Preheat oven to 180℃. Grease and line an 8'' x 8'' pan with baking parchment.

Whisk together the eggs, oil and normal sugar until relatively smooth (sugar will still be grainy). Add Kahlua/coffee, vanilla, and instant coffee/espresso powder (if using).

Separately, sift or whisk together the flour, powder sugar, salt and cocoa. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until homogeneous with a large spoon. Add nuts and/or chocolate.

Pour into pan and spread evenly, and bake for 45-55 minutes. Remove and let cool at least an hour before removing from the pan and cutting.

Vegan Banana Nut Bread (with a lot of bananas...)

The great thing about vegan baked goods is that chances are you already have everything you need in your pantry, with no eggs, butter or milk to worry about. If you don't need anything special like egg replacer, it gets even simpler. This is one such recipe, with the lack of eggs seemingly unimportant thanks to the binding power of the huge amount of mushed bananas. Yes, it's denser and more moist than a regular banana bread, but that's part of what I like about it. It almost treads into banana-blondie territory, and forms thinner slices because it doesn't rise very high, but you can still toast them if you wish and eat them with butter (or butter-substitute spread, if sticking to the vegan theme).

The very best thing about this humble banana bread is that it uses up five whole bananas, making it an excellent addition to the arsenal of recipes for when you need to use up overripe ones really quick. If you want something other than a banana nut bread, chocolate chips or desiccated coconut are also good. I made two small ones and ate most of one right away, freezing the other for later, which is a good way to keep sweets on demand. 

Vegan Banana Nut Bread
Adapted from Edible Garden

4-5 Large bananas, well mashed/puréed
1 1/2 C. All purpose flour
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking soda
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cinnamon or mixed spice, optional
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract, optional
2/3-3/4 C. Light brown sugar or finely granulated raw cane sugar, or half each white and dark brown sugar
1/2 C. Oil, neutral in flavour (e.g. canola or safflower): alternatively try coconut, walnut, hazelnut or almond
1/2 C. Unsweetened milk substitute, not low fat (as a guideline, should have at least 120 calories per 250 mL; similar to 2% milk)
1 C. Walnut or pecan pieces, chopped

Oil and extra flour/sugar, for the pan

Grease a large loaf pan (or 2 small ones) and sprinkle the inside with flour or sugar to coat. Preheat oven to 180℃.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (if using). In a separate bowl, mix together the oil and sugar, ensuring there are no sugar lumps left, then add the bananas, vanilla and milk substitute. 

Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined with minimal lumps. Mix in the nuts and pour the batter into the pan(s). Sprinkle with extra sugar, if desired.

Bake for about 1 hour, covering with aluminium foil after about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in comes out clean. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Brown Butter Banana Walnut Cake

After mysteriously being locked out of my account after resetting browser history (can you tell I'm bad with computers?) I once again tune it to share this unassuming, humble-looking but delicious banana cake recipe.

I accidentally added too much sugar to a banana bread recipe, but it still turned out delicious and very worthy of sharing. It's made with browned butter instead of oil for an added layer of nutty flavour, and uses a combination of sugar and golden syrup to give it a twist. I also add plenty of cinnamon and something that I've only recently discovered... the mysterious "mixed essence" of the Caribbean, which contains a variety of essences and flavourings to lend a unique taste to baked goods. Of course, you can just as well use vanilla, but the mixed essence is interesting enough to seek out at your local Caribbean specialty store (I got mine in Kensington!). It disappeared way too fast for me to take better photos, so you'll have to take my word for it- this is an unusually light banana cake, more fluffy than dense, so don't expect it to be like a traditional pound-cakey banana bread. It actually reminds me more of the walnut cakes sold in Toronto's Koreatown, with the added flavour of bananas and browned butter.

This recipe made about 16 pieces of cake for me, in 2 small round pans, but you can also bake it in a couple of loaf pans or a large square pan. Serve with milk or coffee for a fantastic pick-me-up.

Brown Butter Banana Walnut Cake
Adapted from Scientifically Sweet

1 2/3 C. All purpose flour
1/4 Tsp. Salt
3/4 Tsp. Baking soda
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
2-3 Ripe bananas, mashed well (about 1 C. mash)
1 C. Sugar + 2 TBSP golden syrup, or 1 C. golden brown sugar (or 1 C. fine cane sugar) Note: the original recipe used half as much sugar, so you can certainly get away with reducing this!
1 Tsp. Mixed essence or vanilla extract
1 Egg
1/2 C. (115 g.) Butter 
1 TBSP Lemon juice
1 C. Walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to 170℃ for a deep pan (like a loaf pan) or 180℃ for a shallow pan. Grease the pans you plan to use, lining the bottom with additionally-buttered parchment paper to prevent sticking. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook while stirring frequently until the butter begins to turn brown and smell toasty. You will see small brown pieces in the butter- these are caramelized milk solids, and you can leave them be. Once the butter is about the colour of a hazelnut, remove from heat and let cool.

Mix the butter, sugar and syrup (if using). Mix in the banana, egg, essence/extract and lemon juice until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the walnuts and spoon the batter into your pans, evening the top with a spatula.

Bake for 40-55 minutes, checking frequently in that time- once a fork or toothpick poked inside comes out clean, remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Fantastic Brownies

This will mark my first baked good in my temporary new home, a nice apartment not far from where I'll be torturing Caenorhabditis elegans with toxic molecules (for science!) for the next 4 months. As excited as I am about doing my first real research, I'm also looking forward to many baking projects.

Now, about the brownies. Holy crow. They're fantastic (as the name suggests). I was looking for a recipe that used a lot of dark chocolate, as I had a 90% Ritter Sport Extrafino Dark chocolate and I collect the wrappers of that brand. I also had some 70% dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate, all slightly mushy from the heat in my recent move with it. So I added tons of chocolate chunks, some walnuts, and a bit of espresso powder and vanilla to play up the flavours in the chocolate. I added a little baking soda that wasn't in the original recipe to make it puff up nicely, but you can omit it for a flatter, denser brownie.

My favourite parts are the crisp, crusty outer bits, giving you a nice handle with which to dunk them into milk. Make sure you whip the batter real good to develop that shiny crust!

Fantastic Brownies

Adapted from Technicolor Kitchen

100 g Extra dark chocolate (70-90%), in pieces

50 g Semisweet chocolate (50%), in pieces

5 TBSP (70g) Butter
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
2 Eggs, large
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract or paste

1/3 cup (47g) All purpose flour

1/2 Tsp. Espresso powder

1/4 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Baking soda, optional

200 g. Mixed chocolate pieces and nuts (I used bittersweet, milk and white chocolate along with walnuts)

Preheat oven to 160ºC. Line a 8" square baking pan with foil and grease.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt the butter and add the dark and semisweet chocolate, mixing until completely melted.

Whisk in the sugar, followed by each egg one by one. Beat well at this stage to develop the trademark crinkly crust.

Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and sift in the flour, salt, baking soda and espresso powder. Mix in the nuts and chocolate pieces and immediately pour into the pan, spreading the top evenly with a spatula.

Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes or until the top is dull and crackly. When cool, lift up the foil by the sides to remove. Cut into squares.

Lody z Masą Krówkową- Polish Caramel Ice Cream with Caramelized Coffee Walnuts

I feel like I've invented a winner here. I had a can of this delicious dulce de leche-like substance (it's thicker, though) and I promised a new batch of ice cream to my siblings. To make the ice cream even better (which is hard, considering how rich and caramelly it is on its own) I added crunchy, bittersweet caramelized walnuts flavoured with expresso powder. Altogether I think it's one of my best ice creams yet.

A couple of plusses about this recipe- you need less eggs and cream than with most custard-based ice cream, because the caramel itself contributes smoothness and richness. You also will probably have leftover walnuts to eat, since the recipe below makes a lot. Instead of walnuts, you can also use pecans, and you can substitute dulce de leche as well. Consider serving with a glog of liquor on top.

Lody Kajmak 
Adapted from F for Food

225 g. Kajmak/masa krówkowa, substitute dulce de leche
1 C. Milk, 3.8 %
2/3 C. Heavy cream, about 35%
3 Egg yolks
1 TBSP Brown sugar
1/2 C. Caramelized coffee walnut pieces, optional (recipe follows)
Pinch of salt

Heat milk and kajmak in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Separately, whisk together the sugar, yolks and salt.

Pour 1/4 C. of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture and whisk together well. Strain back into the remaining milk and heat while stirring frequently until thickened.

Transfer to a cool bowl and add the cream. Refrigerate overnight.

Mix in ice cream maker according to its instructions. Layer with the nut pieces in a freezer-proof container and let freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

for the caramelized coffee walnuts:

80 g. Walnut pieces
60 g. Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Expresso powder

Mix all and toast over medium-high heat until the sugar is melted and smells caramel-like. Immediately pour onto a cool tray and keep in an airtight container until ready to use.

Walnut and Apricot Torte

I made this for my father's birthday, and I like it because it's a very well-balanced combination of flavours and textures that can easily be recombined. The nut cake can be made with any ground nut you like- almond, pistachio, hazelnut and so on. You can use many kinds of jam and maybe even flavour the pastry cream. To me, this is the quintessential Central European torte, somehow simultaneously rich and light, easy but elegant, and perfect for any occasion. 

I made some flowers out of slivered dried apricots, but also decorated with walnuts, almond slices, white chocolate and some macaron shells I made that were in the freezer. Despite being tall and full of different components, it was not the type of cake that made you feel very full afterwards- my parents are pretty anti-buttercream in general, preferring whipped cream in most things. It definitely makes this cake easier and faster to make.

I have made variations of this theme for many birthdays before, and the two most important things to remember are to be careful grinding oily nuts like walnuts (if you go too far all you'll get is a cloggy paste) and to afford yourself lots of time and space so you don't get overwhelmed in the preparation of all the different components and assembly. I can't wait for the next birthday cake I'll get to make for my sister- that one will be a bit more American. I love all kinds of cake equally, after all.

Walnut and Apricot Torte

For the Walnut Sponge
Adapted from Baking, by Peter Jameson

4 Eggs
6 Egg whites
3/4 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Cake flour
1 C. Ground walnuts, or about 2 C. unground
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
Pinch of cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 180℃. Butter two 9'' cake pans and place a round piece of baking parchment on the bottom. Grease the paper.

In a food processor, Blend half the sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and walnuts, pulsing the walnuts first a few times if they aren't already ground. Transfer to a large bowl.

Beat the cream of tartar and egg whites until it turns white and fluffy. Add the remaining sugar and beat until shiny, fluffy peaks form.

Mix 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the walnut mixture with a spatula to lighten it before gently folding in the rest, mixing only until just combined. 

Pour or scoop into the pans and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until they bounce back when poked.

Use a knife around the rims to dislodge the cakes, then remove and peel off the parchment on the bottom. Let cool completely before slicing each in half lengthwise.

For the Pastry Cream
4 Egg yolks
1/4 C. Cornstarch
1/2 C. Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean, halved lengthwise
2 C. Whole milk
1 TBSP Butter

Heat the milk in a large saucepan until steaming. If using the vanilla bean, add and cover to let steep for 30 minutes.

Mix the yolks, sugar and starch. Bring the milk back to an almost-boil on medium-high heat and quickly whisk in a ladle full of the hot milk to the yolk mixture. 

When the yolk and egg mixture is completely blended, pour back into the saucepan through a sieve to catch any clumps. Cook on medium-low heat while whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and keep whisking for another 2-3 minutes. Add the butter.

Once at room temperature, pour into a bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

For the Jam Filling
1 C. Apricot jam or fine preserves
1 TBSP Rum or apricot brandy

Mix well and warm gently in a bain-marie or add more liquor if very thick.

For the Whipped Cream
2 C. Whipping cream
2-3 TBSP Superfine or powdered sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract

Beat the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until very fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Garnish
12 Walnut halves
Slivered preserved, fresh or dried apricots

To assemble:

Spread a slice of the walnut sponge with the jam willing, then add a layer of pastry cream. Top with another sponge slice and repeat until all are used. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped cream and decorate with garnishes.

Sour Cream Easter Bread With Honey-Walnut Filling

This year I decided to combine the shape of a babka and the taste of a twisted, nut-filled Hefezopf for easter by making a huge round Easter bread rolled up with a walnut-honey-cinnamon filling. It straddles the line between a cake and a bread, but in any case it's incredibly good and definitely making a comeback during future holidays.

The nut filling is mildly sweet and spiced, and complements the aromatic, yeasty dough well. It's very moist when fresh thanks to the sour cream and oil, but tastes fantastic even when dried out.

You don't need to use the nut filling- or any filling at all. This dough would also probably taste good with an almond, chocolate or poppy swirl, or you could just add some raisins and/or nuts to the dough. You could even make it plain, perhaps adding a bit of lemon or orange zest in that case.

No matter what else is used, this is a champion amongst sweet yeast doughs!

Sour Cream Easter Bread
From Angellovescooking

For Dough:
3 Eggs and 1 yolk
200 g. Sour cream
150 g. Sugar
60 g. Butter, melted
40 g. Neutral or walnut oil
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp. Rum extract or 1 TBSP rum, optional
1/2 TBSP Lemon juice
30 g. Fresh yeast, or 10 g. Active dry yeast
650 g. Bread flour, sifted

Butter and sugar, for the mold

Find a mold for the bread- a large kugelhopf mold, bundt mold or other loaf pan. Grease with butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Mix sour cream and yeast to dissolve. Add eggs and yolk, sugar, vanilla, rum and lemon juice.

Whisk together the salt and flour. Add the above wet mixture and knead until smooth. Add salt, oil and butter and knead until well incorporated.

Let rise for 1 hour to 90 minutes, or until doubled, in an oiled covered bowl.

Divide dough into 3 pieces. Spread each with filling and roll up, then twist and the whole twist in half. Place each piece into the kugelhopf or other bread mold to fill it up, then cover and let rise another 1 hour-90 minutes.

Bake at 180℃ for 45-50 minutes, covering with aluminium foil if it browns too quickly.

For the Filling:
200 g. Walnuts
150 g. Honey, liquid
1-2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 TBSP Rum
1 Egg white, lightly beaten

Grind nuts in a food processor until some coarse bits remain, but most are smooth. Add honey, cinnamon, rum and egg white and mix well.

The Best Classic Carrot Cake

The two kinds of cake side-by-side: this recipe is for the one in the foreground.

For my birthday this year I made two kinds of carrot cake- one classic and one with an Indian dessert theme (that I'll post the recipe for later). This one is pretty much what I believe a carrot cake should be- some people are purists who prefer less mix-ins, but I like an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of carrot cake with all the spices, pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and sultanas... of course, you can skip those if you wish, but I believe that they all contribute to the deliciousness of this cake.

I decorated it with marzipan carrots and walnut pieces, but if it isn't a special occasion you can still make this cake with less frills and have it taste just as good. I suspect I'm going to make it again come spring- you don't need a reason for cake this good!

Classic Carrot Cake

Adapted from Moje Wypieki

2/3 C. Flour
1 Tsp. Baking soda
1 Tsp. Baking powder
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp. each nutmeg, allspice and cloves
1/2 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Vegetable or nut oil
1 C. Walnut pieces
1/2 C. Pineapple, finely chopped/shredded
1 C. Carrots, grated and packed
1 C. Sultanas
1/2 C. Shredded unsweetened coconut

Grease a 9" round cake pan with butter and line the bottom with a circle cut out of baking parchment. Grease the parchment and preheat the oven to 180℃.

Sift together flour, baking soda and powder, salt and spices. Separately, beat the oil, eggs and sugar until well-blended and add the dry ingredients until a homogenous mix forms. Mix in the pineapple, coconut and carrots until well-combined.

Stir in the sultanas and walnuts last. Pour into the pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

300 g. Cream cheese (not low-fat!)
90 g. Butter, softened
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1 - 1 1/2 C. Powder sugar

Beat the butter, vanilla and cream cheese until well-combined. Add the powder sugar spoonwise until the consistency and sweetness is to taste.