Food Friday - Cookies!!!

from Kris B.

Cookies!  There are very few kinds of cookies that I don't like.  Like Cookie Monster, having a cookie will always make me happy.  I'm not so sure about this new thing Cookie Monster has going on with cookies now being a "sometimes food."  I think they are most certainly an "anytime" food!

Admittedly, I have no talent for making the fancy iced and decorated cookies.  You'll have to turn to Tracey for help there!  I am more a master of uniform drop cookies, thanks to a handy dandy cookie scoop.  Lol!  But, that said, I really do like pretty cookies, especially as gifts.  I have reconciled my lack of skill and talent for icing with my love of pretty cookies by turning to making stamped cookies.

King Arthur Flour offers this set of three snowflake stamps.  These stamps, made of heavy cast aluminum,  have a solid wood handle that is sturdy and easy to grip, making their $23.95 price tag a little more palatable.  I have worked a lot with terracotta cookie stamps.  I much prefer the aluminum ones.  The "heaviness" of these stamps makes it easy to get an even pattern over the entire cookie.  The Starry Night stamps are also good sized, measuring three inches.  Printed on the box in which the stamps come is a recipe for Starry Night Stamped Gingerbread Cookies.  This recipe varies slightly from the King Arthur Flour recipe for Winter Spice Stamp Cookies that I used.  The primary difference between the two recipes is that the recipe on the stamp box uses a touch of cocoa in addition to the traditional cinnamon, cloves, and ginger found in most spice cookies and The King Arthur Winter Spice Stamp Cookies use the King Arthur Winter Spice Blend (available from King Arthur for $4.99) that is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander, and cardamon.  The Winter Spice Stamp Cookies also use a touch of molasses.

Usually when I make stamped cookies, I roll the dough into balls and use the stamping process to both flatten and imprint the cookies.  Instead of this method, these cookies are rolled out to 1/4" thick, cut out, and then stamped.  This process made for pretty edges on the cookies.  I used a fluted edge round cutter from a set by Ateco to cut my cookies.  The cutter was exactly the same size as the cookie stamps, which made for the pretty edges around the stamped area of the cookie as well as on its edges.  One thing that I did do that was not specified in the instructions was to dip the stamp in sugar before stamping each cookie.  I'm not sure if this helped, but I had no issues with the stamp releasing from the dough.

The Winter Spice Stamp cookies are a crisp cookie, much like a ginger snap.  Generally, I prefer chewy cookies, but these are really good, especially with a hot cup of coffee that I may or may not have used for dipping my cookie.  :-) As one who always prefers crispy cookies, and cookies with NO chocolate, and cookies that go well with coffee, Weber was quite happy with this week's recipe choice as well.  Tracey and I had a good laugh over the fact the we both tend towards chewy cookies and Jeremy, like Weber, likes the crispy ones...just one more way in which our worlds are similar!

If they are not all eaten before you can package them, these are pretty cookies and will make a great Christmas gift.  To make the gift even more special, add some nice coffee or, if you must, tea for a gift that will surely be appreciated...even if the recipient is normally a chewy cookie kind of person.  Lol!

Winter Spice Stamp Cookies




from Tracey G

This time of year I'm gearing up (if not already into full swing) for making my Christmas Food Gifts. Usually it's cookies or treats of some kind. I love making them more than I like eating them (I can't believe that's even possible, but it's true!), so it's always fun for me to get started. My plan of attack is usually the same - one or two really pretty things (more complicated) then fill in with the easier sorts of things that don't require a lot of tedious work or detail etc. I rotate my recipes every year, usually trying to incorporate one or two new ones every season. And the new ones usually involve some sort of EASY to produce cookie (or treat)!

I love thumbprint cookies - they are one of my favorite cookies to eat, and I love making them because they are so easy! Like Kris, I too use a cookie scoop (it's about a tablespoon I believe) for any cookie dough I can, lol. It makes quick work out of getting them on the baking sheet to be sure! So, when I was perusing the King Arthur Flour website  for a cookie recipe this week to try, I ran across this one for Lemon-Raspberry Thumbprints. It's a combination I've never made in this sort of cookie - I've used raspberry jam before in my thumbprints (because it's one of my favorites), but I've never made a lemon-flavored cookie to go under it. I was sold!

The dough was super easy to whip up. The do give you a couple options, as you can make them with the tablespoon sized scoop/spoon or a teaspoon. I went with tablespoon because that's what size my scoop it and I wanted it as easy as possible, lol. After I got them scooped onto the baking sheet, I used a round measuring teaspoon to make the indentations for the jam after they are baked. Once they were baked off and totally cooled, I added the jam. The jam sets up a bit, so they hold up nicely. 

Harry proclaimed that these were the best thing ever, and Jeremy (not to mention myself!) loved them as well. They have earned a spot in "The Book" of keepers for sure! I will make these again, and they will be great in my Christmas Treat Rotation!

Here's a link to the recipe:

Lemon-Raspberry Thumbprints from King Arthur Flour

Food Friday - Christmas Brunch

from Tracey G

I love this dish - and I'm sure most people have some kind of version of a "ring" in their bag of recipe tricks, lol. It uses the refrigerated crescent roll dough to make it pretty. My mom found this particular recipe years ago, and I know she's added a few tweaks here and there and I've even made my own on the fly with it. I discovered that what's written in my book is different from what she had written down, lol. So I made my version this time, but I know we've made hers more, lol. She called for shredded Colby Jack, I used shredded Swiss, so you can go with whichever you like - or change it up each time you make it. Sometimes ham and Swiss is what you after - so go for it, as I did!

 I also upped the Dijon mustard amount - I go by taste, so I start with the 2 tbsp called for and go from there. I think in this particular go, I added a couple more extra (could even have been 3 extra for a total of 5, lol) - I love the flavor it adds. It also calls for chopped/minced onion and since Harry is not a big fan, I used some onion powder (to taste). Although, since it has broccoli in it, my hopes of him eating it were dashed. But I did decide it would be good without the broccoli, lol.

The longest part of the recipe, for me is arranging the crescent roll dough in an even pinwheel - I'm so particular I arrange and rearrange more times than I can count so I can get if fairly even. You really don't have to be too particular because once it bakes it looks pretty anyway. ;-) It's also one of those recipes that tastes better the next day - so leftovers, if there are any, are really good if not better than the day before!

Broccoli Ham Ring

Preheat oven to 375°

2 - 8 oz. tubes refrigerated crescent roll dough

1 ½ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese with Colby (Colby Jack)

¼ lb fully-cooked ham, diced (1/2 c)

2 ¼ c finely chopped broccoli

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp Dijon mustard (more to taste)

1 tsp lemon juice

Unroll crescent roll dough and place triangles on 12” pizza pan (or large cookie sheet), forming a ring with pointed ends facing outer edge of pan and wide ends overlapping. Press wide ends together.

Combine remaining ingredients; spoon evenly over wide ends of rolls. Fold points over (towards center of pan) and tuck under wide ends (filling will be visible). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

from Kris B.

First let me apologize for my uninspired photo of this week's recipe.   This poor shot has nothing to do with the fact that I am behind with everything and am not yet fully feeling the Christmas spirit.  It is much more traumatic than that!  My tripod, with camera attached, tipped over and my lens took the brunt of the fall.  Thankfully, despite the fact that for some reason I had taken my UV filter off of it, the glass didn't break.  The plastic ring around the edge, however, is another story.

I logged on to the Nikon website to see what the procedure was for sending it in for repair.  Surprisingly, it was an easy process, not often the case these days.  I was presented with a multiple choice menu from which to identify the nature of my problem.   #2 "Dropped or Impact Damage". I guess I am not the only unfortunate person to have such a problem.  Once all of the pertinent information was supplied,  I was given an estimate of the cost of repair.  Mind you, it is only an estimate; but, I had to provide payment information at that point in order to proceed.  The good news is that the estimate is a great deal less than the cost of replacing the lens.  The bad news is that this lens is the most expensive one that I own.  So after school this afternoon, I'll make my way to UPS with all those who are trying frantically to get holiday gifts shipped and send my lens on its way.  Hopefully it will not get lost in the Christmas rush!

Once Nikon receives the lens and assesses the damage first hand, they will send a specific cost of repair and I will again have an opportunity to decide how to proceed.   Until then, I will be forced to use some of the lenses in my bag that I haven't used much lately.  That is a good thing, I think.  I have been kind of lazy and have been relying on my "workhorse" lens rather than pushing myself to be a little more creative with some of my other options.  We'll see what happens...

Back to breakfast...

Despite what the photo looks like, this egg dish with a southwest touch is really good!  The recipe was given to me by a friend several years ago.  I believe she got it when she was working as a substitute innkeeper for a bed and breakfast.  I wish that back then I had been more diligent about making note of such details.

Because my older daughter is a vegetarian, our Christmas morning main course is always meatless.  (The rest of us have bacon or sausage on the side.).   And truthfully, the "protein dish" is never what anyone in my family looks forward to.  For the last ten years, said vegetarian daughter has made homemade cinnamon rolls by the dozens for Christmas morning.  (Leftovers are a must!). These are the part of the morning feast that we all anticipate!  But, I insist on something with protein during the morning to help mediate the sugar and caffeine high on which we all find ourselves.  Hyper adults on Christmas  are not nearly as cute as sugared up excited children. Lol!

INGREDIENTS

1 TBS olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

12 corn tortillas, taco sized cut into pieces

2 4 oz. cans diced green chilies

2 Cups Mexican blend cheese

4 eggs

2 Cups buttermilk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp oregano

Dash of cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

I make this is an cast iron skillet, but it can be made in a 2 quart casserole dish as well.  Coat the pan or dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until browned.

In the cooking pan, layer half of the tortillas, all of the onion mixture, half of the green chilies, and half of the cheese.  Continue layering with the remaining tortillas, chilies, and cheese.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and spices.  Pour the egg mixture over the layered ingredients.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for ten minutes.

This dish is good just like this, but can also be topped with sour cream, extra cheese, and/or diced fresh tomatoes.

I'm f you haven't yet settled on your Christmas morning menu, I hope you'll add this one to the list of contenders.

During this hectic and crazy time of year,  make sure to give yourself the gift of a few moments of peace in every day!