Easy Monkey Bread

My favorite treat for a holiday breakfast, teatime or snack is Monkey Bread. There is something about those balls of dough, covered in butter and cinnamon/sugar that seems special. We won't count calories because anything that makes you happy, shouldn't be give a calorie number . . . at least, at Christmas time.

This is a fun recipe as you don't even have to make the dough making it a great, last-minute treat.

Monkey Bread - The Easy Way
3 cans of the refrigerated canned biscuits
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of Nutmeg
1 stick of butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons water

Cut each biscuit into fourths and roll them in a mixture of the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Place them in a well-greased or vegetable oil sprayed Bundt pan. Melt the butter, brown sugar, and water. boil this for 2-3 minutes and pour over the balls of biscuit dough  in the Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until it is puffed up a bit and golden. Immediately turn over onto a serving plate and get it in front of your family who probably have already gathered once the scent of sugar and cinnamon was in the air.

Christmas Cutout Cookies - There is still time!

As an adult, I've come to prefer those lumpy, bumpy cookies that are filled with all sorts of textures and fruity, chewy tastes. Children, however, seem to be drawn to the shaped sugar cookies and the more icing and decorations, the better. So, when composing a cookie plate for the holidays, one can't leave a favorite like that out.

Christmas Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature not melted
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Tiny pinch of ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter, adding the sugar gradually, and continue beating until well-combined and fluffy. Add egg, extracts, and nutmeg. Sift or mix the dry ingredients together and blend into the butter mixture. It should gather into a ball and not be crumbly. If your dough is too dry, try adding small drops of water. Gather into a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or vegetable oil spray them very lightly.

Take a portion of the dough, roll out on a floured board to a bit more than 1/4-inch thick. Cut with your choice of cookie cutters. Move to the prepared baking sheets, placing them about an inch apart. Bake for about 5 minutes or until golden around the edges and set. Let the cookies set for a few minutes when they exit the oven and then remove to a cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
food coloring
enough milk to form a spreadable icing.
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

I use a rubber pastry brush to coat each cookie and have a helper there to immediately add whatever colorful sprinkles or sugars your might want on the cookies. Let them dry thoroughly before packing away into a container.

Traditional Seven-Layer Cookies

I've seen many versions of this popular recipe over the years and no matter how you layer it, you can't beat it for a fast, sweet treat for unexpected company or an offering for a last-minute pot luck invite.

Seven-Layer Cookies

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips**
1/2 cup butterscotch chips**
1 - 14-ounce can sweetened, condensed milk
1 cup toasted, chopped nuts***

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 9x13x2-inch pan with parchment paper or spray with
vegetable oil spray.

Combine butter, graham cracker crumbs, and vanilla until well mixed. Press into the bottom of prepared pan. Arrange the rest of the ingredients in layers as listed. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.  Let cool a bit, cut into squares, and complete the cooling. Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on size you cut them.

*If you prefer, think about using cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers.

**These days, you don't have to always go with chocolate and butterscotch chips. Consider peanut butter, white chocolate, chocolate mint . . .

***I prefer using pecans but, depending on your other flavor choices, you might like walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds. Also, you can always throw in a fourth cup of dried cranberries, chopped dates, or chopped, dried apricots.

Meaning of Christmas . . .

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.

 

Merry 'Gluten-Free' Christmas!

 I'm officially comfortable with cooking/baking with gluten-free recipes now that I've started to master both Thanksgiving and Christmas cookie baking. My husband took cookies to work and no one could tell there was any difference from my usual offerings to them in other years. There is a bit more to the baking but just enough for me to enjoy the challenge. No complaints and I'm anxious to try converting some of our family favorites to gluten-free. Naturally, my husband is very happy he isn't left out of the baking treats.

Hope every one's baking efforts are one hundred percent successful and that a very Holy and Merry Christmas is had by all.

Black Forest Cake - The Easy Way!

Chocolate and cherry is a favorite flavor combination for my son. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to keep it on hand and share with you.

Vegetable oil spray a 9 x13-inch baking dish. I like using the glass, Pyrex type. No such pan in your kitchen? Use a couple of layer cake pans or even a tube cake pan. Just adjust the time for the changes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 box chocolate cake mix - your choice.
20-ounce can of cherry pie filling
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon
Grated zest of one orange (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in your mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until the mixture is just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan(s). Bake for 40-45 minutes (depending on size you used for pans). Test cake  by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. It should come out 'clean' with no wet batter.

Cool completely and serve with freshly whipped cream.

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a mixer bowl and beat until stiffened and fluffy. Don't over beat as you aren't looking for making butter here!

You can either frost your cold cake with the whipped cream or serve it along side a generous slice. The whipped cream holds up well for about three days in the refrigerator.

Until the Cows Come Home . . .

More and more, I am observing an epidemic that is invading even the 'more polite' society of the world . . . gum chewing. Whereas the habit of chewing gum used to be with the younger, bubble gum set, is now a part of many grownups' life style. Nothing more fun than being crammed in a plane seat with a jaw-snapping gum chewer. You can often hear the popping of an ardent gum chewer an aisle or two away in the supermarket. You attend a funeral or wedding and it is not unlikely that the father of the bride will come down the aisle, jaw in motion. What is disheartening are the senior citizens who have joined the movement of the jaw.

Is open-mouthed gum chewing now considered a fashion statement? Have any of these people every taken a look in the mirror to see what they are showing others when pursuing this occupation? What is the value of a wad of gum that's been pounded between teeth for hours? The flavor is long gone. Am I out of touch because I don't indulge in the occupation?

One Sunday, I glanced over and saw a large family in an adjoining pew, all completely in rhythm as they listened to the sermon and 'kept time' with their busy jaws loaded with a wad of gum. It was like seeing a line up of cows happily ruminating on their cud.

Now, I'm not against gum. It can have it's uses but to share the contents of one's mouth to view on a constant basis and still be classy . . . sorry, it doesn't work.