Saturday, December 3, 2011
The future?
You can say this for ready-mixes - the next generation isn't going to have any
trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make. ~Earl Wilson
Mint Cookies
Mint and chocolate are a favorite combination of mine. This is a great surprise cookie!
Mint Cookies
1 chocolate cake mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Chocolate covered peppermint patties cut in half.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, blend together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until you have a workable dough. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and cover it around half a peppermint patty making sure you seal it completely. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet or use vegetable oil spray. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until set. Let cool on the pan a moment before removing to the cooling rack.
Idea . . .
Can't find chocolate covered peppermint patties? You can use several mint-flavored chocolate chips, small peanut butter cups (for an entirely different flavor), other types of chocolate mint candy . . .
Mint Cookies
1 chocolate cake mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Chocolate covered peppermint patties cut in half.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, blend together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until you have a workable dough. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and cover it around half a peppermint patty making sure you seal it completely. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet or use vegetable oil spray. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until set. Let cool on the pan a moment before removing to the cooling rack.
Idea . . .
Can't find chocolate covered peppermint patties? You can use several mint-flavored chocolate chips, small peanut butter cups (for an entirely different flavor), other types of chocolate mint candy . . .
Thinking about Christmas . . .
Lacking samite and sable,
Lacking silver and gold,
The prince Jesus in the poor stable
Slept, and was three hours old.
As doves by the fair water,
Mary, not touched of sin,
Sat by Him, - the King's daughter,
All glorious within.
May Probyn: A Christmas Carol (19th century)
Lacking silver and gold,
The prince Jesus in the poor stable
Slept, and was three hours old.
As doves by the fair water,
Mary, not touched of sin,
Sat by Him, - the King's daughter,
All glorious within.
May Probyn: A Christmas Carol (19th century)
Butter Dumplings
Since I’m trying to clear out the freezer, making soups a few times next week comes to mind. I always save the bones from roasts, leftover pork chops, and chicken innards for the moment when I deem it right for soup! When I want a flavorful broth, I will actually use all three of the mentioned meats in the simmering process! When there is more broth than meat in the soup, I use lots of vegetables and rely on dumplings to fill in the hunger gaps. Butter Dumplings are solid, satisfying and taste good, too. They are not known for their lightness so you can approach the mixing bowl with few qualms. For six to eight servings, you will need:
Butter Dumplings4 tablespoons softened butter
4 eggs
one cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
A dash of pepper
A generous pinch of dried dill and thyme.
Cream the butter until soft. Beat in the eggs and stir in the flour, salt and seasonings. You may have to add or reduce the flour depending on the dryness of the weather. Drop rounded teaspoonsful into the simmering soup. Simmer, covered, very gently for approximately eight minutes. Gentle simmering is important and you will uncover a pot of disappearing dumplings! Don’t ask me how I know this . . . :-)
Butter Dumplings4 tablespoons softened butter
4 eggs
one cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
A dash of pepper
A generous pinch of dried dill and thyme.
Cream the butter until soft. Beat in the eggs and stir in the flour, salt and seasonings. You may have to add or reduce the flour depending on the dryness of the weather. Drop rounded teaspoonsful into the simmering soup. Simmer, covered, very gently for approximately eight minutes. Gentle simmering is important and you will uncover a pot of disappearing dumplings! Don’t ask me how I know this . . . :-)
Christmas Baking Accomplishments for the day . . .
It was an interesting feeling making the sandwich cookies pictured at the bottom right. It came from an ancient cookbook from my mother. The booklet is ancient, crumbling, but treasured by me. I rediscovered the cookie recipe today and wistfully looked at the notations I had made in the book when I doubled the recipe back when I was baking cookies with my mother. I remember this because I wasn't that good at fractions only being about nine years old at the time! Anyway, I made these cookies but decided on an orange frosting filling instead of peppermint.
My 'secret' for making orange frosting? You need orange zest, fresh orange juice, and orange extract to flavor the buttercream. I don't know what it is about the combination of the real orange juice and the extract but they make an amazing taste. I do the same with lemon buttercream with the equally good results.
In making room in the freezer for the cookies, I came across leftover ham so dinner was easy this evening - my reward for a day of baking. I also had fresh sweet potatoes on hand so they are baking in the oven while the ham is simmering is some fresh orange juice on the stove.
Breakfast Snack Cookies
I'm definitely making these cookies today to keep out for snacking and to help everyone keep their mind off the treasure boxes of cookies that are put away for Christmas! This one is full of healthy ingredients, oat meal, and such to make it filling and great for a fast breakfast or between meal snack. They are fast, drop cookies, too.
Breakfast Snack Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tart apple, finely grated
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/4 cup flake coconut
1/2 chopped peanuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat into they are well blended. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. Add in the oatmeal, cranberries, apple, carrot, coconut, and peanuts.
Drop by tablespoonfuls on a parchment-lined or vegetable oil sprayed baking sheet
Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until browned around the edges. Let them sit on the baking sheet when they come from the oven for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Ideas . . .
You can add some chocolate chips . . .
Grated pear might be interesting . . .
Some crushed pineapple drained thoroughly would be tasty . . .
Breakfast Snack Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tart apple, finely grated
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/4 cup flake coconut
1/2 chopped peanuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat into they are well blended. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. Add in the oatmeal, cranberries, apple, carrot, coconut, and peanuts.
Drop by tablespoonfuls on a parchment-lined or vegetable oil sprayed baking sheet
Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until browned around the edges. Let them sit on the baking sheet when they come from the oven for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Ideas . . .
You can add some chocolate chips . . .
Grated pear might be interesting . . .
Some crushed pineapple drained thoroughly would be tasty . . .
Chocolate Cranberry Nut Drops
Just purchased a bag of dried cranberries and looking for recipes. Then I realized that with a little change here and there, most drop cookie recipes are quite adaptable to including a half cup or more of those tart, raisin-like creatures! Besides, I think the combination of chocolate, cranberry, and nuts are a great combination. This is the one I'm starting off with today!
Chocolate Cranberry Nut Drops
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of one orange
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and zest. Add the flour mixtures and beat until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, cranberries, and walnuts.
Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined or vegetable sprayed baking sheet. Cookies should be about three inches apart as they will spread. Flatten dough with the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar or use some of the colored sugar available during the holiday season. Coarse white sugar is also very festive and sparkly.
Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
Chocolate Cranberry Nut Drops
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of one orange
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and zest. Add the flour mixtures and beat until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, cranberries, and walnuts.
Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined or vegetable sprayed baking sheet. Cookies should be about three inches apart as they will spread. Flatten dough with the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar or use some of the colored sugar available during the holiday season. Coarse white sugar is also very festive and sparkly.
Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
Perhaps, even more so today . . .
Cursed be that loyalty which reaches so far as to go aginst the law of God.
St. Theresa of Jesus: Authbiography (16th. Century)
St. Theresa of Jesus: Authbiography (16th. Century)
A Working Holiday . . . ?
My husband had the day off so he treated me to a 'working holiday' . . . Translation: We checked out a new craft store that opened up in the last month called Hobby Lobby. When I heard they had renovated a former deparment store, I had hopes of it being a large operation. It exceeded my wildest expectations as the place was huge and had used all the space of the former department store. A bit overwhelmed, we just browsed, aisle by aisle, trying to take it all in. I have never seen such a diverse place where not one craft/hobby I could think of was left out.
My husband was amazed as we have spent a lot of time, over the years, trying to run down one item needed to complete a project, going from store to store. In one visit to Hobby Lobby, we saw any and everything we could ever possibly want/need for future projects.
And, for me, the place merited 'complete' when I came across a reasonably stocked fabric and yarn section along with sewing patterns. Not many craft stores include the fabric.
I didn't do a lot of shopping but did get a yard of fabric slated for a future quilt, a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, and some bee's wax for my sewing thread. It seemed quite meager compared to what I left behind!
As far as fabric, it won't replace the fabric warehouse or JoAnn's when I have a big project to plan for but I won't have to shop around for baking pans, and such, or wonder where to go for gift wrapping, party items and all.
So far, there is this one Hobby Lobby in Ranchco Cucamonga, California and they are getting ready to open one in Victorville, California. There are many others in other states so if you are a 'crafty' person, you might Google store locations for yourself.
My husband was amazed as we have spent a lot of time, over the years, trying to run down one item needed to complete a project, going from store to store. In one visit to Hobby Lobby, we saw any and everything we could ever possibly want/need for future projects.
And, for me, the place merited 'complete' when I came across a reasonably stocked fabric and yarn section along with sewing patterns. Not many craft stores include the fabric.
I didn't do a lot of shopping but did get a yard of fabric slated for a future quilt, a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, and some bee's wax for my sewing thread. It seemed quite meager compared to what I left behind!
As far as fabric, it won't replace the fabric warehouse or JoAnn's when I have a big project to plan for but I won't have to shop around for baking pans, and such, or wonder where to go for gift wrapping, party items and all.
So far, there is this one Hobby Lobby in Ranchco Cucamonga, California and they are getting ready to open one in Victorville, California. There are many others in other states so if you are a 'crafty' person, you might Google store locations for yourself.
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