Saving Christmas: Baking and merry-making

 I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays as much as we are!  Our house is decorated inside and out.  I was too busy decorating to snap many pics, but here's the dining room:

With the decorating done, this week I can turn my attention to baking and candy-making, and the days are shaping up like this: 

Monday: It's the cookie brigade. This year's lineup was carefully culled through and chosen for tradition, flavor variety and visual appeal.  Here's what made the cut: date pinwheels, almond crescents, and peppernuts and apricot jewels (old family favorites, but new for me to make), and new contenders, peanut butter "buttons" with licorice laces, or peanut butter reindeer with M&M eyes and pretzel antlers; and finally pecan cheese straws, which aren't sweet, but are otherwise just like making shortbread cookies.  Since I'm doing it all in one night, I can assembly-line everything from mixing to baking and have just one pile of dirty bowls and pans to deal with when I'm done.
Tuesday: Swim meet night, so no big plans for the evening.  Hopefully I can get a little gift wrapping done before I head to the pool deck
Wednesday: Toffee, fudge and peppermint patties and pralines from scratch, along with "filler" candies like coated pretzels or pretzel/rolo turtles, which I can cajole middle son and swimmer girl into making. And maybe another batch of apple cider caramels, because they are pretty delicious.
Thursday: Finishing up the gift wrapping. Confession:  gift wrapping this early is new for us this year - many times we are frantically wrapping gifts a day or two before Christmas. Not this year, not if I can help it.  Then a quick once-over on the house is in order, because company's coming!  Mr. Official's crew is invited over for an end-of-season holiday gathering on Saturday night.
Friday:  This year's lineup includes miniature loaves of quick breads: strawberry-nut and chocolate chip sour cream, plus a pumpkin or red velvet cake roll, sliced and portioned out. Wrapped in cellophane and frozen, these are great last-minute hostess gifts or they can help fill out a plate of goodies for someone. I'll just have time to get everything whipped up and baked, then I'm headed out to help watch a group (not sure how many) of toddlers and children from our congregation.  We're giving the young moms and dads free babysitting so they can have a date night, or get their Christmas shopping done.
Saturday: Food, friends and fun are on today's lineup.  I'm not sure what the menu is, at least as of today, since I'm not sure if this will be sit-down formal or come-and-go casual.  (Word to the wise:  this is what happens when you let guys invite guys over....)
Sunday:  After I whip up a batch of homemade marshmallows as gifts for my third grade students (I give them each a mug filled with hot cocoa mix and homemade marshmallows), it's a designated day of rest.  And really, everything that needs to be done will have been done:  the trees are decorated, gifts are wrapped, cookies baked and the candies made.  Phew!

And then it's time to sit back and enjoy truly the best parts of the season - visiting with friends and family, admiring holiday lights, and stealing away for a few days to celebrate our (29th!!!) anniversary, then slipping back just before anyone has a chance to miss us.


You may choose to pace yourself and spread out your Christmas preparations a little more than I do, but if you're pressed for time, like most of us are, hopefully these two weeks with ten big to-do days will inspire you to create your own streamlined lists and leave yourself plenty of time to savor the season.

Happy holidays!

Recipe of the Week: Cinnamon "Gingerbread" Ornaments

December's recipes will focus on holiday foods, but to kick things off, I'll start with one of my all-time favorite crafts:  cinnamon dough for "gingerbread" men and women.  This recipe is quick, easy and the results will smell good for years to come - I've had my ornaments for at least five or six years and they still exude the scent of cinnamon when I open their storage tin each year.

Cinnamon dough for "gingerbread" ornaments

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon (cheap dollar store will work as well as the more expensive brand-name gourmet cinnamons)
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup white school glue (Elmer's or other non-toxic glue)
Whole allspice
White puff paint for decorating
Ribbon for hanging



Directions:
Mix the ingredients together until a dough forms. knead for a few minutes. Placed on waxed paper that has been dusted with cinnamon; place waxed paper on top and roll out to 1/4-inch or slightly thicker. If the dough is sticky, dust the dough, your hands and rolling pin with more cinnamon - you want it to be tacky but not too soft to maintain its shape.

Cut out with cookie cutters in the shape of your choice.  I used a gingerbread man and woman; simple shapes are best.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment or foil.  Use a large flat spatula to transfer cut-outs to the lined cookie sheet. The pieces can be placed close together, just not touching. Use a drinking straw to make a hole for hanging (the ornaments and hole will shrink upon drying, so leave at least 1/4-inch between top of ornament and hanging hole.)  Use the allspice to make buttons and eyes; press into dough.

Heat oven to low (170 degrees) and "bake" for several hours or until dry to the touch. Transfer to wire rack and allow to air dry for another day or two before decorating and hanging.  Note:  these will be darker than true gingerbread when dry.

Use white puff paint like "icing" to outline the shape, color buttons, and add other embellishments to make them look like cookies.  Thread ribbon through hanging holes and hang on tree.  If storing in the attic after Christmas, be sure to layer with tissue paper or plain newsprint; the puff paint can soften and stick when it meets the summer heat of an attic.  Makes at least a dozen 3-inch ornaments.  Be sure to keep out of reach of hungry and curious toddlers, although one attempted nibble should be enough to stop them in their tracks.

Happy (fake) baking!
 

Recicpe of the week: Baked Pumpkin-Spice Donut Holes

It's open season on pumpkins these days - everywhere you turn, somebody is touting yet another recipe full of orange goodness.  I've got several cans of pumpkin in the pantry (just in case there's another shortage) and several more pumpkin recipes pinned and ready to try.  This week's pumpkin recipe is one I've seen on several websites and I've been eager to try for a while. 

Now that I have test-driven it, I would have to say they should probably be called mini muffins, not baked donuts.  But whatever you call them, they are good and easy - just be sure you have a crowd on hand to woof them down as soon as they're made, as they are best warm and fresh.

Spicy Pumpkin Baked Donut Holes

Dry ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Wet ingredients
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup buttermilk (you can substitute sour cream)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 and spray mini-muffin tins (1 large 24-muffin pan or 2 12-muffin pans).   In a medium-sized bowl, measure and mix together dry ingredients.  Set aside. In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients, mixing well.  Fold in dry ingredients just until blended. Drop into muffin tins, using all the batter (it will fill all 24 pans.)

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Immediately melt 3/4 stick butter in a bowl, and in a separate bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Dip top of each muffin in butter, then in sugar mixture; flip over and dip bottom in butter, then sugar mixture to coat.  Place on wire rack or serving plate.   Alternatively, you can glaze them with a traditional powdered sugar/milk glaze, which will hold up a little better than the butter and cinnamon-sugar dip.  Makes 2 dozen bite-size muffins/donut holes.


Happy baking!

Recipe of the week: Ginger-Pumpkin Pull-Apart Loaves

The recipe for pumpkin spice pull-apart bread has been making the rounds and for good reason - the results are good and the star ingredient is on everyone's mind these days: pumpkin.

I made two batches of this recipe last week and modified it slightly as each time; in the final analysis I counted three minor changes in my version, below.

Two mini-loaves with glaze

Modification #1.  I added some dough conditioners - lecithin and ground ginger, which isn't just a spice, but it also helps make yeast dough softer and smoother.  Ginger has the added benefit of also adding a tiny bit of zing.
Modification #2.  I made this in two mini-loaf pans instead of one big pan (see photo at right.  They cook a little faster, so you don't need to let the tops get extra-brown in order to ensure the middle isn't gooey.
Modification #3.  The glaze calls for plain rum, which I didn't have. But I DID have a bottle of Bacardi Gold infused with vanilla bean pods, in the process of becoming vanilla.  If you don't have - or care to use - rum, vanilla will work in a pinch, or use just a tiny bit of rum extract.  

Please don't be intimidated by the steps in the recipe; it's actually a relatively fast and easy dough to make up, and the cutting-and-stacking is harder to explain than to do.  I made the dough in two stages, refrigerating it overnight once it raised, then rolling, cutting and baking the next day.  You can do it in one fell swoop - just make sure you have about 4 hours from start to finish (most of the time is spent waiting on the dough to raise or bake.)

Ginger-Pumpkin Pull-Apart Loaves

Dough Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (do not substitute salted butter or margarine)
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white suar
1 teaspoon salt
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon lecithin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (do not substitute salted butter or margarine)
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a heavy-bottom small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble and foam. Stirring constantly, keep it over the heat until it is the color of dark honey.  Pour in mixing bowl.  Return pan to stove and heat milk just until it begins to froth. Add to the browned butter in the bowl.  Add pumpkin, sugar and salt.  Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add dry yeast and stir.  Wait about 10 minutes until the yeast begins to bubble.  Add flour, lecithin and ginger and knead for 4-5 minutes or use a dough hook.  The dough will be smooth but soft and a little sticky.  Place in a greased bowl; cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap in a draft-free warm spot and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.  You can refrigerate overnight at this point, or continue to make the rolls.  Refrigerated dough will need to set out for 30-60 minutes or until warm enough to roll easily.

To make rolls, place dough on lightly floured surface and roll to a 12x20 rectangle (I "squared" up the sides with my hands so it formed a fairly neat rectangle.)

Just as with the dough, brown 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan until the color of dark honey. Brush the butter on rolled-out dough, all the way to the edges.  Mix together sugar and spices; sprinkle evenly over entire dough, all the way to the edges. Use a pizza cutter and cut dough in half lenthwise, then each half in thirds (six strips total.)  Stack three strips high, then cut again, first in half, then each half in thirds to create small square pieces.  You can see that the cut pieces were barely taller than the mini-loaf pans.

Generously grease (with shortening) two small loaf pans or one 9x5 loaf pan.  Place the stacks into the pan(s) , holding them in place until the pan is full - they will just fill two mini loaves or one 9x5 loaf pan. Scoop up any splled-out cinnamon/sugar mixture and sprinkle down through and over the top of the loaves.  Cover with a damp (not wet) clean tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool in pans, run a thin blade around the edge of the pan to loosen, then turn them out onto a plate for glazing.

Before serving, heat together 2 tablespoons butter, 1/8 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons half-and-half or milk.  Heat just until boiling; remove from heat and add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon rum or vanilla.  Whisk until smooth and pour over loaf or loaves.

My family (and Mr. Official's coworkers) loved this bread.  Even if you're not experienced with yeast dough, this is a good one to hone your breadmaking skills, and the results are well worth the effort.

Happy baking,

Day of rest week 6: It was a busy day

For the past six Sundays, I have consciously and deliberately tried to avoid shopping or eating out.  (Well, except when we were on vacation a couple weeks ago.)  Yesterday was no exception, and if swimmer girl had remembered earlier that she needed yarn and knitting needles for a group project, it would have been totally successful.  But I did my part.

I spent an enjoyable but busy afternoon in the kitchen.  First up was my first attempt at cassoulet.  I got everything browned and sauteed, then layered it in the crockpot to simmer while I turned my attention to all things pumpkin.

First up was a trial run of double-chocolate pumpkin cake.  The recipe made two small cakes, so we can enjoy one here and I'll take one with me to Bunco tomorrow night. Stay tuned for an assessment of the final product.

I also tested out another pumpkin bread recipe. The plan was to divide it into two loaves (since the recipe indicated it would make two loaves), with one sporting nuts and a streusel topping, while the other got an infusion of cream cheese filling and cinnamon glaze.  The result was a full-size loaf with a very runny cream cheese filling, and a miniature loaf of streusel-topped nut bread. Either I seriously misjudged the amount of batter I placed in the first pan, or the ingredients need tweaking.  (I'm leaning towards the latter.)

Regardless, the resulting loaves were good and I'll showcase them in an upcoming recipe-of-the-week.   I also took step-by-step photos of assembling the cassoulet, and since it also received a thumbs-up from the family, I'll outline my experience soon.

Our weather today was pitch-perfect:  it was warm and sunny, with a hint of coolness on the breeze.  If I hadn't been keeping close watch on the oven timer, it would have been a gorgeous afternoon to spend outdoors.  So how did you spend  your Sunday?  I hope it was restful, relaxing and enjoyable!  If it was also free from consumerism, all the better.

Happy Monday,

Recipe of the Week: Apple Dumplings

This recipe is definitely numbered among my "most bizarre ingredients in a recipe" recipes.  I can think of only a few dishes that I would use carbonated beverages to create.

Let's see...there's Coca-cola in its namesake cake and Dr. Pepper to marinate ribs.

And that's it.

It's a real short list.

But then there is this third recipe, which uses Mountain Dew, of all things.  (Sidenote:  Mountain Dew was originally created by a couple of East Tennesseans as a mixer for their moonshine.  Hence its name and the shotgun-toting hillbilly on the label.  Just in case you ever wanted to know that...well, now you do.)

Stay with me.  The recipe goes beyond bizarre and straight into stuff your face goodness, I promise.  Since apple season is *almost* here, this is a wonderful way to usher in fall.

Dew-licious Apple Dumplings

Ingredients:
1 can crescent rolls (8 rolls)
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored, sliced into 8 wedges
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
6 ounces (1/2 can) of Mountain Dew

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x9 glass baking dish

Separate crescent dough and roll each apple wedge, starting at the small end.  Crimp edges to seal apple wedges and place in pan.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the sugar and cinnamon; whisk together just until blended (the sugar will not be melted).  Pour over dumplings, then pour mountain dew over them. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Note:  The recipe can be doubled, using a 9x12 pan.  Allow a slightly longer cooking time so all the dumplings get baked, around 40-50 minutes.

If you want to "skinny down" this recipe, you can substitute low-fat crescent rolls,  diet Mountain Dew, and half Splenda for the sugar.

So what is your most twisted recipe?  Please share!

Happy eating!

Birthday Week: Basking in the aftermath

After all three birthday cakes were consumed (a big thank you to Mr. Official's co-workers who helped us with that last hurdle) and the special cake plates and servers were put away, I had one remaining loose end:  take middle child back to the store to swap out some shorts he got.  Bad me, I bought soccer shorts instead of basketball shorts.  Who knew?

While he was looking for satisfactory replacements, I wandered around the home section and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a miniature....no, not a sleigh or any tiny reindeer.  Christmas has taken over Hobby Lobby already, but not at Marshall's - at least not yet.

It was even better than that.

It was....

a miniature cake pan!

Meet the baby pan

This pan is almost 8 inches tall but only 3 3/4 inches across, compared to the typical cake pan, which is 2 inches tall and 8 inches wide.  Almost completely reverse proportions.  See why I was so excited?

See how tall and small it is?

No?

Really?

Keep reading...maybe you'll catch the cake pan fever.

When I saw it, I snatched it off the shelf before anyone else could.  (And I had some women eye-balling it as I strolled by.  Sorry ladies - I saw it first.)

This is quite possibly the cutest cake pan ever.  And it was a whopping $5.99.

The bottom comes out, but it's not a springform cheesecake pan - I have a set of those, of course... 

The cheesecake trio

What a fun time I can have now, trying my hand at some old-fashioned chiffon cakes and other recipes that need the taller shape.

Angelfood...yum

And I can test a small batch of batter without worrying about who's going to eat all that cake, like I do with my big ol' angelfood tube pan.

I bet I know what you're thinking.

Because I'm thinking it too.

Given that this is only a sampling of my collection of cake pans, and does not count all the square and rectangle, metal and glass cake and jelly roll pans, or my (rather extensive) collection of cupcake tins and silicon liners (big and small, I got 'em all), I think I need to find a Baker's Anonymous meeting and go introduce myself.

"Hi, my name is Terry and I really like to bake."

Yeah, I'll get right on that - just as soon as I decide if I've got a submission-worthy recipe for this:

Oh and yes, in case you're wondering...the birthday boy found some shorts that will come down to his knees.  Everyone came home happy.

Happy caking,

Some new twists on old favorites

My office is in the new kitchen. That's both good and bad: I'm finding the kitchen stays cleaner (the opposite of "out of sight, out of mind" I guess), but it also seems to just beckon me to come cook or bake something.

Since we moved in (just over a week ago!), I think I've used nearly every pot and pan and utensil I own (and a good majority of my serving dishes too.) We've enjoyed chicken piccata over vegetable pasta, twice-baked potatoes and grilled steaks, even pancakes and bacon (that was definitely a "holiday" from our regular low-carb regimen.)

But my real joy of cooking rests in baking, especially sweet treats. I spent Mother's Day afternoon making banana bread with a batch of too-ripe bananas. I made three big loaves: one for here, one for Mr. Official to take to work, and one for a friend who pleaded for one while she was homesick and overseas. She's now home, and this was a belated welcome home gift.

I've also taken some twists on a couple tried-and-true recipes. When moving, I discovered I had two bottles of lime juice. So Miss JoAnn's Lemon Bars became Lime Bars (and promptly vanished into thin air just like the lemon variety tends to do.)

An extra bag of raisins (which were no longer plump and soft) were the inspiration for raisin pinwheel cookies. I used my grandmother's recipe for date pinwheels and substituted raisins (with a dash of cinnamon) for the dates in the filling. I don't think I've ever made pinwheel cookies except at the holidays, until now. Now they might become another everyday favorite.  Hint:  they were better the second day.  And gone by the third.

Hmmm. I wonder what other recipes I can take for a spin in my new kitchen?  Yesterday was national chocolate chip day; I bet I could find a chocolate chip recipe to turn on its head.

Happy baking,

Recipe of the Week: Peach Oat Muffins

This recipe is late today due to wave after wave of severe weather we're experiencing.  At any rate, I came across this recipe back in the late 1980s.  I remember it caught my eye because I had a surplus of canned peaches I was trying to use up. You can also use fresh peaches in season, especially if you have some that are getting mealy or developing a few soft spots; those that are sweet and delicious, but not the most attractive for serving fresh or eating out of hand.

Peach Oat Muffins

Ingredients:
1 can (or 1 pint) or 3-4 fresh peaches, drained
3/4 cup quick cooking or regular oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 6 large or 12 regular muffin tins with cooking spray or line with paper liners. If using fresh peaches, peel and slice. Run half of peaches through a blender to puree, coarsely chop remaining fruit.

Combine fruit puree with all other ingredients in order listed. Stir just until mixed, then fold in chopped fruit. Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 25-35 minutes (time will vary based on size of muffins); or until toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm.  Makes 6 large or 12 regular muffins.

Happy baking!

Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Not as well-rounded as Betty, but a good 'un

It's chocolate chip cookie week, not that I ever need an excuse to bake cookies.  The Cookbook Junkie posted this classic chocolate chip cookie recipe from King Arthur flour and we will be trying it out soon, no doubt.

Since I've already shared my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes,  I thought I'd share another favorite in honor of the week.  I discovered this one in my trusty Pillsbury Complete Book of Baking when I was trying to find a good way to use up a stray bag of butterscotch chips without resorting to "oatmeal scotchies."   Even though I'm not a fan of butterscotch chips, the recipe was surprisingly good, and these cookies will appear occasionally when I'm in a mood to bake something different.  And I have been known to mix half chocolate and half butterscotch chips in this recipe, with good results.

Butterscotch Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened (I use butter)
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (smooth works okay too)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butterscotch chips (or half butterscotch, half semi-sweet chocolate)

Directions: 
Heat oven to 375.  In large bowl, combine sugars, butter and peanut butter.  Cream at low speed until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg; blend well.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt, mix well but don't over-mix.  Stir in chips.  Spoon onto cookie sheets, roughly 1-inch balls, roughly two inches apart.  Slightly flatten with a fork if desired (I don't, but you can :-)

Bake at 375 for 6-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely.  Makes 4-5 dozen.  These hold up well for a day or two, if they last that long.

Happy baking!

The breakfast evolution

Most weeks, there is one morning I find myself in the kitchen in the early hours, often before the sun comes up, creating a batch of sausage and biscuits. I make up a week's worth and freeze them for my hungry crew to heat up on their way out the door.  It's my way of helping them prepare to face the world fortified by some protein and carbs, made with love.  Since this time involves just me, my coffee and the stove, I recently found myself contemplating how different this process is from a few generations ago.

Can you imagine cooking in this kitchen?

In our great-grandmother's day, putting sausage and biscuits on the breakfast table meant year-round hard work; she had to continuously raise and butcher hogs, grind and season and stuff the sausage into casings.  In some cases, it also meant growing her own wheat, having it ground into flour, and milking a cow to make the biscuits.  And before she could think about starting breakfast, the wood stove would need to be fired up.  It makes me tired just to think about how her day began.

In our grandmother's day, the process became slightly easier, at least for some women.  She could make patties from her own sausage or buy bulk sausage from the butcher, and make biscuits from scratch using store-bought flour (unless your grandmother was really progressive and used that new-fangled Bisquick) and milk delivered by the milkman. Stoves were still temperamental but at least they didn't require firewood for heat.

The ultra-modern mom!

Our mother's generation took convenience to a whole new level; she could buy rolled sausage from the grocery store, slice it neatly into patties, then sandwich the cooked sausage between fresh-baked biscuits from a can.  Suddenly it was possible to make breakfast on the spur of the moment, as long as biscuits and sausage were in the refrigerator.  (Arguably, a fair amount of taste and wholesomeness was sacrificed for the sake of this convenience.)

Our generation has two more choices:  pre-made frozen sausage and biscuits that only need to be microwaved for a  few seconds to heat up.  (Some are better than others.  Some are downright nasty.)

For those of us who yearn for something a little closer to homemade, we can bake up some frozen biscuits (they are much better than canned, and almost better than my from-scratch biscuits) while pre-formed frozen sausage patties are sizzling away on the stove.

It makes me wonder, what will the next generation of sausage and biscuits look like?

Happy Monday,

Recipe of the week: Christmas Confections Concluded

This has been a week of surprises and lessons-learned on procrastinating. A shout-out to my awesome Mr. Official husband who is currently laid up (laid low?) at MTMC's brand-new hospital, suffering from another bout of rhabdomyolosis. (Second inpatient stay in 2 years.)  It's a long story and has something to do with his first attempt at Body Pump and not being outdone by his lovely wife (his words, not mine.)

I'm not sure how I'm going to pull off all the pre-Christmas to-do's on my list while checking in on him several times aday, let alone get his list done, but somehow we'll make it work.  The things that are most important will get done, and everything else will wait or not get done at all.

Anyhoo.

Today is the third and final spotlight on holiday confections, which I will wrap up with two more favorites: almond crescents and homemade peppermint patties.  The almond crescent cookie recipe has been in our family for a very long time; the peppermint patty recipe came to me from a davesgarden.com member back in 2001.  They are both worth the effort to try.

Almond Crescents

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped almonds, divided
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix together 1 2/3 cup almonds, flour and sugar. Work in butter and vanilla. Chill for one hour, then form into 1-inch balls and roll in remaining chopped almonds. Form into crescent shapes (it takes a little practice to make the half-moons), and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Cool on pan for ten minutes, then roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Peppermint Patties

Ingredients
1 pound powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:
In mixing bowl,combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, peppermint extract and milk. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on waxed-apper lined cookie sheets. Flatten with a drinking glass to 1/4 inches thick. Cover and freeze 30 minutes. In a double boiler over medium-low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening together. Dip patties in melted chocolate and place on waxed paper to harden. Makes about 5 dozen.

Happy confecting!

Recipe of the Week: Christmas Confections Continued

Like last week, this week's lineup pairs up a somewhat involved, labor-intensive cookie, and a quick microwave candy.

The cookies are among those I make every year, and have for a very long time. The original recipe called for using jelly or jam in the center, but I like the look, texture and flavor of glaceed cherries, although you have to work quick to wedge them in as soon as the cookies are removed from the oven and the dough is still soft. 

The pralines were an experiment many years ago, and came out surprisingly authentic-tasting. But my Cajun friends snub them when they hear how I make them. One of these days I'll sneak them past and they won't know what hit 'em.

Golden Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup shortening (do not substitute butter)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
finely ground walnuts (approximately 1/2-3/4 cup)
glaceed cherries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla; mix well. Add flour and salt. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg white. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and dip in egg white, then roll in ground walnuts to coat. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately make indention with your thumb or another similar size object (your thumb is fastest, trust me). Return to oven and bake 8 minutes longer or just until set. Immediately press glaceed cherry or a bit of jam in the indention. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. (I usually double the recipe.)

Microwave Pralines

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh light brown sugar, packed (make sure there are no lumps)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecan halves (the freshest, plumpest ones you can find)

Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Also spray a large tablespoon for dropping candy; set it aside.

In a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup and water.  Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 240 (or a small amount of candy dropped in a glass of icy cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when you remove it from the water.)

When it reaches this stage, remove from microwave and quickly stir in butter and vanilla.  Add nuts and let stand for 2 minutes.  Stir vigorously for two more minutes until mixture thickens and turns opaque.  Working quickly, drop by spoonfuls on greased foil-lined cookie sheet, using the greased spoon.  If mixture sets up before you have finished, microwave for 30-45 seconds, then continue dropping until done.  Let stand about 1 hour until completely cooled.  Remove from foil and store in airtight container with waxed paper between layers.  Makes 20-25 pralines.

Next week I hope to have some pictures of all the goodies I listed here on their trays, ready to go spread joy to friends and neighbors.

Happy confecting!

Double the dough, half the mess

I am all for efficiency, especially when it comes to cleaning. Why scrub my Kitchen Aid bowl and attachments more than I have to? Last night was pizza night, and instead of doing takeout, I chose to make pizza from scratch. That process starts with the crust, so yesterday afternoon I tried out a new recipe for a thin crispy crust and modified it (I don't have a day or two to let it slowly rise in the fridge.) It was actually pretty good and I'm becoming more convinced that my choice of flour really does have a profound affect on the taste and texture of my yeast breads.

After the dough was mixed and nestled in a greased bowl to double in size, I seized the opportunity to whip up a batch of kolache dough, too.

Before baking

To all my non-Oklahoma or midwestern friends who are wrinkling their brows and wondering WHAT a kolache is, here's the scoop.  Kolache (or kolacky, spell it as you wish) is a yeast bread, probably hailing from Czechoslovakia (there's a Polish version too), and it's pronounced ko-LAH-chee. My paternal grandma made them and she filled her light little pillows of sweet dough with prunes (yes, prunes), peaches, or a cream cheese mixture, baked them until they were golden and then drizzled a simple glaze on them. Other traditional fillings include fruit (peach, pineapple, blueberry or strawberry) ground poppy seed or cottage cheese/cream cheese blend. (I hear tell some Texans make a savory kolache, with the dough wrapped around sausage and cheese. But I think someone should explain to them we call those "pigs-in-a-blanket." Bless their hearts.)

Let 'em cool for 20 minutes, huh?

These overnight rolls are a scrumptious reminder of special breakfasts long ago, and I don't think I've made them since my boys were pre-school size, which means it's been about two decades too long since I made them.  I departed from tradition and filled mine with chocolate/hazelnut (aka Nutella), guava, and a peach/orange marmalade.

In the end, I dirtied nearly all of my mixer's attachments and several other bowls and pans. But the ginormous Kitchen Aid mixing bowl WAS washed only once. Efficiency reigns triumphant, at least in the battle if not the war. Now to get up those outdoor decorations before the predicted rain/snow begins to fall.

Happy Saturday!

Holiday Sprint Week 6: How Sweet it is!

The tree in the den is up, the weather has turned cold, and if that's not enough, the calendar declares it is time for confecting to commence.

Yes, that is a real word, so bring on the baking and candy making. Middle child's eyes lit up when he saw the towering stack of pecan and walnut bags on the counter a couple weeks ago. He knows it means major snackage is coming. It's no wonder this is called the most wonderful time of the year.

I have always loved baking, and Christmas is the perfect excuse to make an unholy amount of sweet treats to share. Not your run-of-the-mill cookies, these are once-a-year treats, made with love using recipes handed down from family and friends.  If I play my cards right, I can optimize the use of my kitchen appliances and oven to keep everything moving assembly-line style and have it all "in the can" in short order.

This Wednesday I'll post a few of my all-time favorite holiday recipes, and I hope you and yours enjoy them if you try them out.

Happy confecting,

Holiday Sprint Week 5: Time is the only thing sprinting around here

It is Week 5 of the holiday sprint and Week 8 without running.  This has to be God's way of giving me a heaping helping of patience, which I'm pretty sure I haven't asked for in a very long time.  (I stopped praying for patience when I figured out it doesn't come in an easy-to-swallow form.)

The good news is, I'm steadily throwing on more weight in Body Pump and getting better at Pilates and yoga.  The bad news is the calf is still not healed.  It is getting better, though and one of these days it will be fully healed.  Next week will be another opportunity to test it and my fingers and toes are crossed it will hold up to a mile or two.

At the risk of sounding like a rank amateur compared to my hard-charging Christmas-shopping friends, our tree goes up later this week - yes, just three weeks before Christmas.  We are planning our third annual family outing to a local tree farm on Saturday morning. 

For those who think it's de rigueur to have your tree up for at least a full month or more, it's not.  Nearly three decades of tree decorating tells me that a 3-week run is plenty long.  No other holiday gets to take over my entire house or dominate our schedule for weeks on end.  After the trees go up (yes, plural - a UT tree goes up in the bonus room and a small one in the kitchen), it will be time for a baking/candy making marathon next week. My tentative plans include these family favorite cookies:

1. Grandma's Date Pinwheels
2. Cherry-filled Thumbprints
3. Iced Sugar Cookies
4. Gwen's Gingersnaps
5. Almond Crescents

and candies:

1. Homemade Peppermint Patties
2. Toffee
3. Pretzel Turtles
4. Fudge
5. Black Walnut Divinity
6. Cookie Truffles (Oreo and maybe gingersnap or Nutter-Butters with white icing)

And a new recipe to make it an even dozen; or two new ones to make it a baker's dozen.  I'm not sure what the new additions will be yet, but every year I like to try at least a few new treats.  No, we won't eat all these confections all by ourselves.  I will send a platter with Mr. Official for his co-workers and take some to neighbors and friends.  Once the cookies and candies are done, it will be time to wrap up the Christmas shopping; it has to be done before December 18, since that's a very special date for Mr. Official and me.

Happy sprinting,

Recipe of the Week: Overnight Sweet Rolls

I'm not sure which magazine I clipped this recipe from but it's been my go-to sweet roll recipe for many years. The heavy, rich sweet dough recipe is versatile enough to be used in most sweet roll recipes (just roll it the way you want it and add your choice of filling.)  It is also flexible:  you can make the rolls start-to-finish all at once, or you can refrigerate or even freeze the dough to finish and bake later.

My family's favorite are pecan sticky rolls, although orange/coconut rolls are near-and-dear to my heart as well.  Both options are explained below and they are wonderful to make ahead and have on hand to bake up fresh for special holiday breakfasts.

Basic Sour Cream Sweet Dough

Ingredients:
2 packages instant active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 F)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh orange rind (optional)
6 cups unsifted all-purpose flour


Instructions:  
Stir yeast into water in small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the sugar; stir until dissolved and let stand about ten minutes until it foams.

Combine remaining sugar, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, salt and spices in large bowl of mixer; beat until well-blended.  Add two cups flour and beat until well mixed.  Add yeast mixture and two more cups of flour; beat two minutes at medium speed. Gradually stir in remaining flour to make a medium-soft dough (softer than a bread dough.)

Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead 5 minutes until smooth.  Shape into ball and place in oiled bowl, turn so greased surface is on top.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, up to two days.

When ready to use, remove dough from refrigerator and punch down.  Turn onto lightly flfoured surface and knead briefly. Divide into 2 or 4 equal balls (2 yields two 9x12 pans; 4  yields four 8- or 9-inch pans.)  Flatten slightly; cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Roll each ball into desired shape (keep remaining balls in cool place) and:

1. let rise and bake at 350 until done; or
2. cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, let come to room temperature and bake at 350 until done; or
3. wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to two months, let thaw in refrigerator overnight, then allow to come to room temperature and bake at 350 until done.

For cinnnamon rolls, divide dough into two portions; roll each into a 12x18 rectangle, smear generously with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, then roll up from the long end; cut into 12 rolls and place in greased 9x12 pan.  Can be glazed or frosted as desired.

For pecan sticky rolls, make as for cinnamon rolls, but in baking pan combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 cup pecans before placing sliced rolls in pan.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes; immediately invert on platter for serving. (Tip:  make sure your tray is bigger than your pan.  Clamp them together securely and flip them together over the sink; that way, any hot flying caramel sauce can land safely :-)

For orange sweet rolls, divide dough into 4 balls.  Roll each ball into a 12-inch circle, smear with butter, sprinkle with sugar and coconut.  Cut into wedges and roll up crescent-style. Place in greased pan (each of the 4 balls will make a 9x9 pan or the entire batch will fill two 9x12 pans.)  Allow approximately 25 minutes for baking time but check at 20 minutes.

Orange glaze:  While the rolls are baking combine 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons orange juice in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Pour glaze over roll immediately after removing rolls from oven.  You can sprinkle with more coconut if desired.  Serve warm.

Happy baking,

A whirlwind week

I knew it would be an all-out sprint this week, and so far, it has lived up to my expectations.  As a testament to the craziness, I filled up my gas tank last night for the third time in 6 days.  A trip to Knoxville and back last Thursday drained it once.  Then the usual back-and-forth twice to church on Sunday, to/from swim practice on Monday, roundtrip to Smyrna twice on Monday and twice again yesterday, in-town errands, and a trip to Brentwood for a swim meet yesterday...quickly added up to another 350 miles and drained the second tank.  Not to mention, I think I have spent more time behind the wheel this past week than I've spent in my bed sleeping!

On Sunday, we kicked off our 2nd annual School Supply Giveaway drive at Highland Heights.  The next 5 weeks will positively FLY by.  I am blessed to have the same co-leader heading it up with me again this year (she's otherwise known as my partner-in-crime) and we have many returning and new volunteers who want to be involved in the entire process.  One of my favorite expressions is John Heywood's "Many hands make light work."  Very, very true.  Plus it's just more fun to have so many people all pulling in the same direction.  We hope to provide supplies to at least 150 Rutherford county schoolchildren this year.

Today's activities involve watering plants (we've enjoyed several lightning storms over the past few days, but no rain), a dash to my beloved hair dresser for a quick touch-up, and all the last-minute to-do's to gather things I need for this weekend. (Stay tuned for a recap on how the weekend goes!)  Tomorrow morning starts with an oil change for the car, and then I'll be picking up a special something from the Painted Clay Studio.  (Yes, it's all very secretive, at least for now...)

At the rate I'm going, menu planning is out of the question for this week.  Last night, we finally got to grill and enjoy the flat-iron steak, which got pre-empted last week by the white water rafting excursion.  Dinners will be catch-as-catch-can until normalcy returns next week. (Insert insane laughter here.  Normalcy?  What IS that???) I did pull out my KitchenAid and made yummy Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies last night.  Not exactly gourmet cooking, but some hungry girls scarfed 'em down when they got back from their "secret devo" last night.  (A super-huge thanks to Wilber and Alison for all they do for our youth group at Highland.)