Christmas Cookies 2010

Last year I baked and baked and baked. Then we delivered and delivered and delivered...and only had one neighbor turn down the plate of baked goodness. Seriously, he refused to open his door. Maybe it's because it was dark, or really, really cold, or maybe he's Jewish. I don't know. Needless to say we won't be trying to deliver Christmas cookies to that house again.

But, it's time for Christmas cookies again. Which means more baking, more delivering and more neighbors and friends who hopefully appreciate buttery & sugary goodness.

This year on the list? We're going retro, or traditional if you will. We're bringing out the Thumbprint Cookies and the Chocolate Crackle Cookies. We might throw on some of my Grandma's famous fudge, my mom's Melt-aways and some of my mother-in-law's pretzel/rolo/pecan snacks. Like I said, we're going traditional.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup butter shortening

3 large eggs, separated

2 tbsp. water

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups finely chopped pecans

1 cup jam, jelly or preserves of your choice

Preheat oven to 350°. Adjust rack to middle position. Coat 2 cookie sheets lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat brown sugar and shortening in medium bowl with mixer for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl,. Add egg yolks, water, vanilla and salt. Beat until well combined. Add flour on low speed until well blended.

Beat egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy. Place pecans in a separate bowl. Measure about 2 teaspoons dough for each cookie. Form into balls by rolling between your palms. Dip each dough ball into egg whites, then roll into pecans. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a teaspoon or your thumb, (because they are called 'thumbprint cookies'...) make a rounded indentation in the top of each cookie.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. It may be necessary to make the indentation again with a spoon. Place about 1 tsp. jam/preserves into the indentation of each cookie. Bake an additional 5 - 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for several minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CRACKLE COOKIES

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup shortening

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups all purpose flour

6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat brown sugar, shortening and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.

Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add to shortening mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Heat oven to 375°. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to coat completely. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

One More Week

I swear I'm not trying to neglect my passions in life. Like blogging. And cooking. And blogging about cooking.

One more week and I don't have school hanging over my head. School was great, but it's time to get back to my priorities.

Today in the crock pot? A new recipe I've been wanting to try. Peach Curry Glazed Pork Chops. I'm trying it in the crock pot even though it's not written for slow cooking. Sundays are all about easy and lazy. This recipe fits the bill perfectly.

PEACH CURRY GLAZED PORK CHOPS

1/2 cup sliced canned peaches, syrup set aside

3 tbsp. peach jam

2 tbsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. honey

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

4 boneless pork chops

2 green onions, chopped

2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the peach syrup, jam, mustard, curry powder, and honey.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the pork chops 8 minutes, or to desired doneness.

3. Mix the green onions into the skillet, and cook 1 minute, until tender. Spoon the syrup mixture and peaches over the pork chops. Continue cooking until heated through. Sprinkle with cilantro to serve.

Awww!

There is not much more comforting than a sufficiently stocked pantry and refrigerator. I love stocking up!

For dinner tonight?

FAJITAS

1 onion, sliced

1 green, red, yellow pepper, sliced

1 pound meat: you pick...chicken, steak, shrimp or pork

fresh made flour tortillas (from the tortilleria, no way I'm revisiting that disaster...)

chopped tomatoes

fresh made guacamole

shredded cheese

and sour cream

Brown the meat, add the onions and peppers and saute with your choice of seasonings (I usually choose a mix called "fajita seasoning") and a little oil. Serve with toppings (tomatoes, guac, cheese and sour cream) in tortillas.

Easy, and yummy!

Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is next week! I can't even tell you how excited I am. I love cooking, I love eating, I love days full of just spending time with my family. Thanksgiving rocks!

We are celebrating at the in-laws again, and Mo (that's what we call her, it's shorter than her name) is an excellent cook. I've never eaten anything at her house that I didn't like. She's always in charge of the turkey, the stuffing, the jello (remember, we're Mormons, from Utah...), the pumpkin roll, the relish dish. So, this year I made myself in charge of a few things for the Thanksgiving dinner. I called her from the store and told her I was going to do the rolls. She then reminded me that she always makes her famous crescent rolls. I conceded that her rolls were amazing, so she could have that one. Then I told her I was going to do the pies. That's when she reminded me that she makes one really good pumpkin pie. I conceded once again, that her pumpkin pie was amazing. So then I told her I was making the mashed potatoes and the sweet potatoes. She said ok, but she was making the gravy. I agreed, because seriously, who other than Mother-in-laws (my mom included) can make gravy?

So, after a week of planning and conspiring this is the result. I'm making mashed potatoes, I'm making my famous Sweet Potatoes, and I'm making the pies. Yep, even Mo's famous pumpkin pie, because seriously, I already had the recipe...

So now for the other pies...I want to be a little creative, but we have to have the staples too. Pumpkin, Apple, Cherry, Banana Cream and Shane's chocolate pie, we've had a request for Cranberry-Apple too. But then I found this website and my pie making life has been changed forever. Check it out, it's AMAZING and INSPIRING! http://pieloveyou.blogspot.com/

What are you making for the Thanksgiving feast? and, what pies would you suggest?

Man's Best Friend

Remember my culinary mystery love? Here's another Diane Mott Davidson recipe for you. Well, not for you, so much. It's for your dog. The four-legged member of your family. They need to feel the love too, right? Some pets are pickier than others, picky pets will like these treats. Un-picky pets will like them too. Even dogs like mine, who'll eat anything (seriously, anything) that you throw out to them, they'll lap 'em up too.

Jake's Dog Biscuits

by Diane Mott Davidson

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup powdered milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. brown sugar

6 tbsp. margarine or shortening

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp. liver powder

1/2 cup ice water

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, powdered milk, garlic powder, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening. Mix in egg, then add liver powder. Add ice water until mixture forms a ball. Pat out dough 1/2 inch thick on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cut with any size cutter and remove scraps. Bake 30 minutes. Cool before serving.

Ideas!

Despite being busy I have a commitment to this blog, and I've re-committed myself to being better. I promise.

Plus, we're entering my favorite time of year! I love the holidays, I love entertaining, I love parties and I love food. It all goes together really well!

So, if you would...please, PLEASE, PLEASE...would you go to the poll on the right hand side and vote for what features you'd be interested in? If you have other ideas, or things you'd be more interested in reading about, please leave comments. We LOVE comments!

Thanks!

Oh, and for a treat, here's a new recipe. It's perfect for Autumn, parties and eating!

Four Layer Pumpkin Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

1 (14-oz) can pumpkin, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided (I just sprinkle cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and a little ginger)

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

3 cups thawed whipped topping

1/2 cup caramel topping

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 (9-in) round baking pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs, and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

2. Bake 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in whipped topping.

3. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on a serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Don't frost top layer). Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving, and then sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.

Been A Little Busy?

We have.

Karen has a new baby, I just have life. Together we've been a little busy, and a lot absent. It's my fault. On paper things look fine, but in reality...yeah.

So, though I know we've been feeding our families daily, I've completely neglected to post any of the recipes or take any pictures. Sorry. Soooo sorry, because we've been eating some good stuff.

Try this one out for a little change. I ripped it out of a magazine and decided I'd give it a shot, for company no less, and it was totally worth it.

ORANGE PICANTE SAUCE CHICKEN

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

4 skinless chicken breasts

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tbsp. brown sugar

3/4 cup Pace picante sauce (I always use medium)

Brown the chicken in the oil. Add the garlic, cook for about a minute. Then add orange juice, brown sugar, and picante sauce. Heat until it boils, then turn heat down and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve over rice or pasta. Serves 4.

Trust me, I was already a fan of chicken with orange juice and brown sugar, the picante sauce just adds to it. We had a little bit left over and I couldn't wait to eat it for lunch the next day! My kids loved it, which is always the sign of a good meal.

More Bread

This is a wheat bread recipe I got off of allrecipes. It's not whole wheat, but it's a new favorite. It makes 3 loaves, but I only have two loaf pans so I made rolls for the third batch and they were yummy too!
Wheat Bread

Ingredients3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I use Eart Balance Vegan Butter)

Directions
1.In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
2.Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
3.Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.

Coconut Curry

This recipe is awesome! My kids ate it up, I loved it and my husband swears he could eat it every day!

Plus, it's a crock pot recipe, so it's super easy. You know the kind, put it in the crock and let it go.

EASY.

It's adapted from a huge (seriously HUGE) recipe book I stole from my mother-in-law. It's all about slow cookers, one dish meals and crock pots. That's my kind of cook book.

If you've never used Jasmine Rice, try it out! It's so aromatic while you're cooking it, and the flavor is awesome! I don't use it with everything, but when you're cooking a dish like curry, that has a lot of flavor and spices, it's great to use a great rice like Jasmine.

This dish would be great with Karen's Thai Mango dessert found here: http://brookeskitchenmusings.blogspot.com/2010/03/thai-dessert.html.

This recipe was written to be used with salmon, but it was awesome on chicken too.

Coconut Curry

1 tbsp. oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. ground ginger

1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp chopped cilantro

1 pound chicken, diced

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

The recipe asks for about 5 steps, but I never totally follow the recipe, so....just dump it all in. I put the oil and chicken in first and just sprinkled the spices over it, then poured the liquids over that and cooked it on low for 3 hours.

That's why I love crock pot recipes...one dish, one step!

Chinese Salad

It's Summer, and it's averaging 100° every day. That's before you add in the humidity, which has been unreal this year (though Karen's got it worse, I know!).

That means most nights we've been trying to eat cooler and lighter. Like salads...LOVE salads!

My new favorite?

Chinese Salad

1 large head Napa cabbage

1 bunch green onions

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 pkgs. Top Ramen

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/3 cup margarine

3/4 cup Canola oil

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

(opt) 1 chicken breast grilled with salt and pepper, cooled and diced or sliced

• Chop cabbage and slice onion. Store in fridge until ready to serve.
• Crush Top Ramen, without seasoning packet, and mix with almonds, sesame seeds and melted margarine. Toast in oven on cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 350°. Store in air tight container.
• Mix Canola oil, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar together until mixed well.
• Serve salad either mixed together and coated with dressing, though serve within 1 hour of mixing or it will get soggy. Or, my favorite way to serve this salad is have each item in separate bowls and let people add the ingredients they're interested in. (I'm not a chicken on salad sort of girl, usually)

See, yummy, refreshing, cool, light, delicious Summer meal!