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 - Family Favorites

from Kris B.

It is hard to believe that the holiday season is here!  It's that time of year where my life is made possible only by the many lists that have diligently created - lists of social obligations, Christmas gifts to buy, chores to be done, and of course, meal planning tasks.

Sometimes I wonder why planning Thanksgiving dinner is that difficult since it is a meal of tradition; everyone has their favorite dish and it is my job to make sure that all those favorites end up on the holiday table. In my family, we don't have generations of traditions by which to abide when it comes to our holiday meals, but I know many families that have had the same dishes as part of their Thanksgiving celebrations for years and years and years.  And often when they stop and think about it, they realize that some of the things that are still being served were a favorite of someone who is no longer living and no one now even likes "that" dish.  This scenario reminded me of a funny song that I sang with a chorus several years back, "Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise."  If you need a little bit of comic relief during these hectic days, click here.

We don't have any Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise at our house, but we do have some foods that are fast becoming holiday traditions.  One such food is pumpkin butter.  A former friend and I used to make it every year for our church's Christmas bazaar.  It quickly became a favorite of my then toddler second child.  Over the past twenty years, I have tweaked the recipe a little here and there to try and make it the best it can be and to add my own personal touch.  A jar of pumpkin butter used to be the standard holiday gift for my girls' teachers, as well as for many of my friends.

Because of the craziness in my life at the end of last year, I did not make any holiday pumpkin butter. in 2014  Though life still hectic this year as well, I managed to get the first batch of pumpkin butter made this week.  (Yes, Erin.  You may have a jar now.)  As I was making it, I was reminded of just how good pumpkin butter is.  I will definitely be making a few more batches over the coming weeks!

INGREDIENTS

2 15oz. cans of pumpkin puree

1 1.75oz package of pectin

1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

3 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 TBS vanilla

Stir pumpkin puree and pectic together in a good sized heavy pot.  (You want a pot that is big enough so that once you add the sugar, the mixture will not boil over or "spit" hot pumpkin butter over the top.)  Continue to stir regularly while bringing this mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, add all of the sugar at once, the pumpkin pie spice, and the vanilla.  While stirring constantly, again bring the mixture to a boil.  Allow to boil for two minutes.  Remove from heat.

The pumpkin butter can be canned using standard canning procedures; or, it can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Pumpkin butter is fantastic on your morning toast or English muffin, on crackers as an after school snack, or as filling for your holiday thumbprint cookies.  And, as members of my family will tell you, it is also good on a spoon right out of the jar.

by Tracey G.

Thanksgiving has never been a time for sticking with tradition for me, I don't know why, but I've never felt obligated to one certain dish. I've always been very open-minded about my menu. I have made turkeys the majority of the time because I like the sides that go with it, lol. And I like to make turkey noodle soup with the left-overs! But I'm always willing to add in things, omit things and whatnot.

I've been looking for a recipe for the Thanksgiving morning, something simple that could maybe pave the way for a "tradition" of sorts and this recipe came along at the right time so I thought I'd give it a try. I mean seriously this sounded pretty straight-forward yummy, lol. And it is - it's really good. Harry loved it and will go perfect with coffee at any time of the day! I must thank Taste of Home for coming through for me once again!

Down East Blueberry Buckle

courtesy of Taste Of Home Magazine

2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

3/4 c 2% milk

1/4 c butter, melted

2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

1/2 c sugar

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 c  butter, softened

1) Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk egg, milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture, stir just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Transfer to a greased 9-in. square baking pan.

2) For topping, in a small bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using a fork, stir in softened butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

3) Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not overbake) Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.