Pages

12/14/17

24 Christmas Cookie Recipes plus links to about 500 more!





*This is a list from 2012 but posting again.  I have many, many more and different recipes though - just use the search bar to the right or check out the "you might also like...." posts suggested at the bottom of this one. 

December 1st:  Molasses Cookies
December 2nd:  Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
December 3rd:  Peppermint Pinwheels
December 4th:  Candy Striped Cookie Sticks
December 5th:  Peppermint Teacakes
December 6th:  Peanut Blossoms
December 7th:  Peanut Butter Fudge
December 8th:  Sugar Cookies:  Snowflakes with Edible Glitter
December 9th:  Swedish Rosettes
December 10th:  Cream Wafer Cookies
December 11th:  Cherry Poppy Seed Winks
December 12th:  Peppermint Pretzels
December 13th:  Candy Pretzels
December 14th:  Homemade Truffles
December 15th:  Cream Horns
December 16th:  Angel Bars
December 17th:  Red Velvet Cake Balls
December 18th:  Glazed Sugar Cookies
December 19th:  Gateau Bon Bons
December 20th:  Lithuanian Torte (or Napoleon Torte)
December 21st:  Peppermint Meltaways
December 22nd:  Melted Snowman Cookies
December 23rd: No Bake Fruitcake Bars
December 24th:  Stenciled Icing Sugar Cookies








__________________________________


Print Friendly and PDF

12/7/17

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Dipped in White Candy Coating and Sprinkled with Crushed Peppermint






I have a chocolate cookie recipe I've had since early in our marriage, 25+ years ago.  You can add any kind of chip to it - and for us, typically it's peanut butter chips, but often mini chocolate chips or sometimes white chocolate chips and/or macadamia nuts, etc.  You can also add peppermint chips  or Peppermint Crunch when they are available in stores during the holiday season (or online through Amazon year round - Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips 10oz - 2 Unit Pack), etc.  In other words; a great chocolate cookie recipe you can do numerous things with.  I've also used the dough to press into mini muffin cups, baked and pressed a Reese's peanut butter cup into them.  SO many things you can do with this dough!

Because of the cocoa in it, it's a chewy, moist cookie - which our family prefers.  However, this cookie can also be a crunchy cookie if you simply bake it another minute or two.  So timing is important.  8-9 minutes for a chewy cookie and 10-12 minutes for a crisp, sturdy cookie.

This year for the holidays I added peppermint to the dough, then dipped them half way into melted white almond bark (link at the bottom of this post) and then sprinkled with a mixture of crushed peppermint candies (I pulsed in my food processor a few times to crush) mixed with some leftover Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips I had leftover from other recipes.  The result is delicious and fun and festive and is a great addition to our Christmas cookie platters.


Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Dipped in White Candy Coating with Crushed Peppermint

1 c real butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
5 drops peppermint oil extract (I use LorAnn Peppermint Oil) you could also use 1-2 t peppermint extract
2 c flour
3/4 c cocoa
1 baking soda
1/2 t salt


Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and extracts/oils. Don't over mix. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt all at once and slowly start the beater to mix it in together.  Drop or scoop by tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes for a chewy, soft cookie and 10-12 minutes for a more crisp, durable cookie. They will be puffy when they come out of the oven but will flatten while cooling. Let them set for 1-2 minutes, remove from the pan to cool completely.

Dipping

1/2 package (about 12 oz.) of white almond bark or white candy chips or white chocolate chips
If you are using almond bark you don't have to add anything to it, if you are using white chocolate chips, add about 2 T shortening.  Melt over a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave.  Quickly dip half a cooled cookie into the candy coating and place on parchment or foil.  Immediately sprinkle with bits of crushed peppermint candies and/or Andes Peppermint Crunch.  Let set about an hour to harden so you can pack, freeze or serve.









Print Friendly and PDF

12/1/17

Homemade Vanilla Custard Pudding Used in A Short-Cut Version of French Napoleon Pastry




My posting lately is sporadic due to the fact I'm still traveling out of state every week so I'm not in my own home and I'm cooking in another persons kitchen with very limited ingredients and groceries.  I do shopping when I arrive every other week and get things I need to make meals that week - and with food prices what they are, I don't often buy anything 'extra'.  However, a few weeks ago I bought a Puff Pastry and kept in the freezer thinking my daughter or I might use it at some point.

This week when I arrived there was a plethora of leftover food from Thanksgiving in the refrigerator, including a bowl of homemade whipped cream.  After the 2nd day I knew it would break down soon so I got the puff pastry from the freezer and set out to make some homemade vanilla custard (pudding) to sandwich between.  The frozen puff pastry makes it so quick and easy to throw together a version of the French Napoleon pastry!

Homemade Vanilla Custard (Pudding)


1/3 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/4 c milk
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 T real butter
2 t good quality vanilla extract

Mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a bowl.  Lightly beat the egg yolks.  In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium high until it starts to simmer. Add the sugar mixture and whisk or stir until it comes to a boil.  Boil for about 1 full minute and remove from heat.  Take half the milk/sugar mixture and slowly drizzle it into the bowl of beaten yolks while whisking.  It should be smooth if you do it correctly.  Now pour that slowly back into the saucepan with the rest of the pudding and return to heat.  As it starts to boil, let it boil 1 minute while stirring.  Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla.  If you want to let it cool for later lay a piece of saran wrap or plastic wrap over the top to keep a skin from forming.

If you only want a delicious homemade vanilla pudding, this is your recipe.  If you want to take it one step further, whip 2 cups of heavy cream with a bit of sweetener (about 2 tablespoons to start and add more according to your desired level of sweetness - and a dash of vanilla). Cut the pastries according to the pan or serving dish size you are using.  Bake the 2 packages of puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment according to directions on package.  As soon as they come out of the oven, you can use a cookie sheet or similar to lay on top of the pastry to squash it down just a bit so it's not so puffy and can be layered. 

In the pan or serving dish you've chosen, layer one puff pastry layer, some of the pudding, some of the whipped cream and another layer of pastry followed the rest of the pudding and whipped cream.  Top with the final layer of pastry. 

Chill until time to serve.


Don't care about 'pretty' pictures - I just snapped a quick one on my phone
while I was dishing up yet another piece of it eat and called it 'lunch'!


Two similar recipes I've posted in the past:

http://www.housewifebarbie.com/2010/07/lithuanian-napoleonas.html
http://www.housewifebarbie.com/2013/04/lithuanian-torte-or-napoleon-torte-20.html


Print Friendly and PDF

11/20/17

Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments: (Update to my "not" salt dough Christmas ornaments) - LOVE this dough!







ORIGINAL POST - with 'recipe' from August, 2017

Christmas in August!?  Yes... Christmas ornaments that is!

This morning I had the urge to make Christmas ornaments.  The kind you make with a simple dough, roll and cut out and then bake dry and paint.  I have no idea where this urge came from other than it's been a pretty stressful and busy past two months and I haven't done anything 'fun' since... I don't remember when.  I have done another dough ornament post on An American Housewife, back in 2007 I think (?).  It featured some ornaments I had made 10 years earlier with the traditional salt dough for the ornaments.  I still have those ornaments and they are now 20 years old.  This particular dough today is a softer, non-grainy, pure white dough.  But both (either/or) doughs work well for ornaments.  You can find the other recipe by typing ornament in the search box to your right.





Fun Dough

1/2 c corn starch (I use Argo brand)
1 c baking soda (in the yellow bag/box)
3/4 c water

Blend the cornstarch and baking soda in a pan.  Add the water and stir to mix.  Turn the heat up to medium high and continue to stir.  It will quickly go from looking like white glue to a thick gloop and then suddenly start to come together into a dough (much like cream puff dough).  Turn off the heat as soon as it comes together and push it out onto a flat surface (like a cutting board) to gently start to press it together (*it's hot) to a dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it set and cool a little bit.  The plastic wrap keeps the moisture in so it doesn't start to dry out.  After about 5-10 minutes when it's cooled down to work with it a little bit, start to push and pull and knead it back over itself.  When it's completely smooth and feels like a soft play dough, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and let it cool completely for little hands to play with or you can start to use it right away.

Roll it out on a cutting board, silpat, etc. and cut into the shapes you wish.  Use a straw or small round implement to make a hole if you are going to hang them later.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 170 degree oven approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how thick and large you made your shapes.  Or you can let them set to air dry - although you will need to let them dry about 2 days and even longer if they are thick balls, sculptures or if you live where there is high humidity levels.  (My oven is a digital and the lowest setting it can go to is 170.  That is how I came up with that figure.)  Carefully turn your ornaments over (flip them) about half way through the baking time as the parchment paper under them traps moisture.  This dries both sides.  I placed mine on a wire cookie cooling rack for the last 10 minutes of baking but you don't have to do that.  I did a second batch and air dried completely on a wire cookie cooling rack.

When completely dry, paint them if you wish or glue baubles on it, glitter, etc. String a ribbon or string them to hang or finish however you wish!  If you drop it on the floor they will probably break, but just painting them, etc. is no problem as they are not fragile as long as you are not pressing hard, dropping, etc.




The cornstarch and baking soda in the pan

Adding the water and starting to stir, it resembles white glue

The heat starts to turn it to gloop

It quickly comes to a dough - place it on a heat safe surface and quickly press the hot dough to a ball shape

Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool until you can handle it

Use whatever cookie cutter shapes you wish - have a small utensil to make holes for hanging

Knead it a few times to get it smooth

Roll out as thick or thin as you wish - just like cookie dough

Cut whatever shapes you wish







Don't forget to add holes before baking if you wish to hang them later!

Ready to go into the oven

All finished baking!  Just let them cool completely and decorate as you wish



   _________________UPDATE________________


Spur of the moment decision to 'finish' these today.
Using what I had in the house already, I found some random little bottles of craft paint in the junk drawer and a pack of cheap paintbrushes I bought at the dollar store last week.

Without any plan in mind I just started painting stripes of random paint in shades of black, white, gray, silver, beige and bronze.








Had I gone to buy paint for this project I'm sure I would have chosen matte colors; as it was my silver and bronze were both metallic.  But it worked just fine.








Winging it....



Last years Christmas cards had a letter "B" on them (our last name starts with a B) and I had some extra leftover cards so before I threw them away I had snipped out the monogram and threw them into the envelope thinking 'maybe' I'd use them, maybe not.  

I did.

I just put a blob of modge podge on the ornament and squished it down a bit to attach it.


Drying...


Finished with a simple piece of twine - which is the only thing I had on hand in the junk drawer, but happens to have worked out perfectly with the 'weathered wood' look of the dough ornaments.   These will look great on our rustic, natural decor themed Christmas tree this year.





Print Friendly and PDF

11/8/17

Cheesy Faux Pasta Bake - Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream Noodles Redone Lower Carb






Faux Cottage Cheese and Noodles - lower carb

1 - 7 oz. pk Pasta Zero or other Shirataki Noodle (optional: or just use more zucchini instead)
2 medium zucchini - spiralized (or use all Shirataki or Pasta Zero noodles)
2 cups mild cheddar cheese
1 c sour cream
1 c cottage cheese
2 oz. cream cheese
2 T butter
1 egg
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray your pan with cooking spray - a 9X13 pan works well.  Spiralize your zucchini into 'noodles' - I cut each zucchini into 3 chunks and spiralized those individually so the strands aren't quite as long.  Boil the shirataki noodles for 2 minutes in the microwave and then rinse under water for 1-2 minutes.  Drain.  Mix the cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese and cubed cream cheese.  Add melted butter, salt and pepper.  Mix and add the zucchini noodles and shirataki noodles.  Pour into the baking dish.  Sprinkle with a little more cheese on top if you wish.  Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking about 15-20 minutes until it's bubbling, hot and golden on top.  Let cool 10 minutes to set up a bit before serving.




The two ingredients that inspired this for dinner:  USING UP COTTAGE CHEESE AND SOUR CREAM

If you don't have a spiralizer (link below) you can just julienne or cut your zucchini into small pieces - or use all Shirataki Noodles instead

Shirataki noodles - boiled for 2 minutes in the microwave and rinsed and drained

I mixed the two together, placed them into the pan and put the cheese mixture on top - OR you can mix it in.  Either way.

Ready for the oven - top with foil, bake half the time, remove the foil and finish baking golden brown.



Print Friendly and PDF

11/6/17

Homemade Artisan Bread: Chewy and hearty - only 4 ingredients and no kneading!

 
I LOVE this recipe.  Only 4 main ingredients and you can mix it up with a wooden spoon in a bowl or bucket.  No kneading.  No fuss.  

 

Artisan Bread

1 ½ T yeast
1 ½ T salt
3 c water, lukewarm
6 ½ c flour
cornmeal
flour
Baking/Pizza Stone

Dump yeast, salt and water into a large bowl, bucket or container.
Add flour.
Mix with a wooden spoon just until the flour is incorporated. No dry flour, no lumps.
Put a loose lid on or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Not air tight.  Let set at room temperature about 2 hours.
Sprinkle bit of flour so your fingers don’t stick. Cut off grapefruit sized piece with serrated knife.
Work in your hands to make a ball, pulling top layer to bottom.  Round and smooth.
Place on cornmeal sprinkled board.
Let set 40 minutes.
Sprinkle with flour, slash the loaf with a few slices.
Bake at 375 preheated oven with an empty pan in the bottom.
Slide on middle shelf baking stone.
Pour a cup of water in the hot empty pan and close door quickly to steam the bread.
Baked till top is golden brown - about 20-25 minutes.
Hard crust and moist, soft bread!




NOTE:  This bread is best served fresh.
I like it warm and eaten the first day.
I personally don't think it 'saves' well the second or third day because the texture changes.
I'd use it for croutons, cube & save for Thanksgiving stuffing, or process for bread crumbs and freeze any 
leftovers after the 2nd day. That's just my personal opinion though.

Mix it with a wooden spoon

Let it rise and do it's thing

It's ready!

Pull it out and prepare your bread rounds

Small or large - it's up to you! Just chop or pull some dough and form. No kneading.

Ready for the oven!

Crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside. Love this bread with soup!




Print Friendly and PDF

11/3/17

Homemade Strawberry & Rhubarb Pie (using frozen fruit)




Strawberry & Rhubarb Pie

3 c frozen rhubarb pieces (the whole bag)
3 c frozen strawberries, whole (the whole bag)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c flour (I used this in addition to the corn starch since it was frozen fruit)
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/2 t lemon juice
1/2 t vanilla
egg white
sugar

Mix all but the egg white and extra sugar into a bowl.  Stir and blend well.  Pour into a prepared deep dish pie crust.  You can choose to prick it ahead of time and brush with a beaten egg white or not.  Totally up to you.  Fill the pie crust and use an additional bit of pie crust dough or a second frozen pie crust to roll out on a lightly floured surface.

Cut strips about 3/4 of an inch wide.  Use these to make a lattice top on your pie OR use the 2nd crust to cover the fruit filling without bothering with a lattice.  Seal the edges in your favorite way (finger seal or fork). Place the pie on a baking sheet (foil lined baking sheet if you hate scrubbing pans like I do!)  Beat the egg white with about a teaspoon of water and brush it on the top and sides of your pie and then sprinkle with a bit of sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 1 1/2 hours.  Turn off oven and let it sit in the hot oven for another 15 minutes if you feel it needs a bit more time.  Remove and cool completely before slicing.


The fruit, sugars and spices all mixed in a bowl


I pricked and brushed the bottom crust but it's totally optional


After filling the pie dish, either top with a second crust or cut strips to make a lattice crust


Trim if you have excess on the edges


Seal either with fingers or fork.  I had extra dough so I laid a small rope around the entire edge and pressed it down and then sealed.


Brush the top with beaten egg white and sprinkle with additional cinnamon and sugar


Cool completely before slicing so it's allowed to 'set up' - you can also chill it or just let it set out on the counter until the next day before slicing so it will set up nice.  When  a fruit pie is sliced too soon or when warm, it's quite liquidy.  Not a bad thing at all - especially if you serve the pie with ice cream!









Print Friendly and PDF