Christmas Cookies 2014

I love Christmas cookies. I like that I get to be in charge of them every year (for both sides of the family) and I like making something new each year.

I asked my family for their requests. I received these: almond crack candy, Mexican wedding cakes, peanut butter blossoms with dark chocolate kisses, and chocolate peppermint crackles. Yay! The chocolate chip peppermint crackles were new to me, and I added Cinnamon Sugar cut-outs to round it out.

 

These didn't make it to the Christmas platters but I made gingerbread cake balls for a work holiday potluck. They were a hit!

 

A picture of my handy chocolate melter. I never thought it would get so much use. Melting chocolate for strawberries, for candy melts, cake balls, and now making my own body butter/creams (a later recipe?)

 

Back to cookies.

The Chocolate Chip Peppermint Crackle cookies were better than I expected. They had crushed peppermint candies inside the dough, tasted brownie-like, and then were topped with a piece of peppermint candy to make them pretty. I was so glad these made it on the platter!

The peanut blossoms are a pretty standard cookie but my Jimmy said these tasted better than usual. It's that love ingredient, you know! And the dark chocolate kisses were a great choice. Good job, Richie!

 

 

The Mexican Wedding Cake cookies. Can you believe that I didn't even try these? They are made with pecans. I'm okay with pecans but the peanut butter blossoms and almondy candy called my name so much more.

 

 

I really, really enjoyed making royal icing this year. I had this plan of making gnome cookies for over a month. I wanted to try an easier technique using royal icing and it worked so well! I made one huge batch of royal icing and then separated it into a few bowls for different colors. I only made one consistency of royal icing- thin enough to spread but thick enough to stay put. I used this woman's blog for her technique.

Here's Frosty the Snowman, complete with a flower on his hat! These were fun but required a lot of patience. The colors needed to be piped one color at a time, so they didn't run together. I'd wait 15-20 minutes and then go back to the cookie with another color or to add a detail on top of a color. They were worth it. I think they were darn near perfect.

 

One gnome as Santa!

 

The gnomes were the most fun. I knew my sister would love them :) I was even able to add the tiny eyeballs once I became familiar with the consistency of the royal icing. Delicate work.

 

The cookies dried overnight but I still took care that they wouldn't smear. I kept recalling my Thanksgiving cookie fiasco so I made sure the covered pan had plenty of room above each cookie and then I carried the tray on my lap during the car ride. They made it!

 

Yay for cookies!

 

Click here for the stolen recipe for Gingerbread Cake.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Cut-out Cookies.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies (or Snowball Cookies).

Click here for the stolen recipe for Chocolate Chip Peppermint Crunch Crackle Cookies.

There is no shared recipe for the Almond Crack Candy. Sorry!

 

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Repeat- Pork Medallions in Mustard Tarragon Sauce

I made a few improvements since the last time I made this.

 

My searing technique was much improved- the pork had a lovely brown sear and stayed very moist.

I whisked the heavy cream with the mustard so that it was thickened slightly when I added it to the leeks, wine, and broth. The sauce was much smoother and thicker than last time.

I used fresh tarragon instead of dried.

And this was served over mashed potatoes instead of roasted potatoes on the side.

"Better than a restaurant," said the hubby.

 

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Lighter Thai Inspired Wraps & Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad (repeat)

I really love this picture. You can't get any more colorful than that!

 

This is a great combo! Some of the same ingredients are in each food, but it made it easier for chopping.

The peanut sauce in the wrap sandwich is awesome! I actually made a 1 1/2 recipe so we could enjoy it a bit more. (Good decision, Lisa. *pat on the back*) The sauce ingredients are all staples in our household, so even better. -lime juice, peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, ground ginger-

I think we got all of our vitamins through vegetables in just this one meal! No complaints from the husband. He really did dig this meal.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Lighter Thai Inspired Wraps.

I've made the Crunchy salad before. This is the post where I wrote about it.

 

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Update: Grilled Corn Salad

I've blogged about a corn salad. I love it. I've made it several, several times since but it wasn't until just today that I've made a few changes.

I make half the amount now. Duh. It was just way too much for two people.

AND I added an ingredient that we've discovered that Jim really loves. Cotija cheese. It's a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese that my big sister introduced us to. The recipe has always stated that Cotija or Feta cheese were optional. I guess I just chose to NOT include it. Silly me.

I hope it makes a huge difference! It is getting happy in the fridge for tomorrow's dinner. I go back to work and I'm making a few things ahead of time so I don't get overwhelmed by being a Super(Working)Mom.

 

 

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Pumpkin Oatmeal

 

This is just a different version from the other crockpot steel cut oatmeal that I've been making. I think the only difference is that I used less apples, added two cups of canned pumpkin, and upped the amount of cinnamon. Delicious. I always top my bowl of oatmeal with 2 T of sliced almonds and 2 T of craisins.

Double recipe of this:

Click here for the stolen recipe for Overnight, Crockpot Steel Cut Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.


 

Better Pie Crust (for Pot Pie)

I'm always looking for a better pie crust. I'm starting to think it's not the recipe but my technique that needs to improve. Well, here's a better crust recipe than the one I've been using. It was definitely flakier! I think baking it longer than usual also helped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for the stolen recipe for Perfect All-Butter Pie Crust.

 

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Repeat for Lisa

 I was telling my teacher friend Lisa (Lisa T's rock!) that we were having these pulled pork sandwiches tonight for dinner.  I thought I'd make it easier for her to search for this recipe (:

Notes:  I didn't buy a full 6-8 lb roast.  I think mine was darn near 4 lbs.  I still used the full amount of spices.  Extra yumminess!  

Click here for the stolen recipe for Crockpot Pulled Pork.

Sick food

 I wasn't feeling I'll when I made this Tortilla Soup but I was glad to have it the next day.  I think it's colorful and tasty.

 My stomach was in upheaval so I was thinking about the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce?, toast). I figured tortillas are Mexican bread so I toasted some up quickly in the oven (chips!) and mashed my leftover avocado with a bit of lime, salt, and salsa.  I think after not eating all morning it was heaven-sent!

 I feel better tonight.  I don't think I got the major flu bug that's been going around...

Repeat

I've also blogged about this dinner before. This one is seriously in our regular meal rotations. It feels like a very indulgent meal with the pan fried chicken, pasta, and heavy cream. It is. It doesn't appear on our plates too often but it's a good option!

The mushrooms reduce down a LOT.

Mmmm.... butter and olive oil... pan fried chicken...

Repeat

Mmmmm... Pioneer Woman's Lemon Basil Pasta (with chicken).

Wedding Shower Cupcakes

I was asked very nicely to make cupcakes for a wedding shower for two teacher friends. I asked each bride to request a cupcake flavor.

Sandy chose Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Naomi chose White Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream.

These weren't new recipes so I am going to link to my existing blog posts. Naomi's choice was a bit different, mixing and matching from different recipes for her perfect combination.

Click here for my post about the Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Click here for my post about the White Cake. (It's actually a very flavorful, fluffy almond cake.)

Click here for my post about the Salted Caramel Buttercream.

Happy Weddings!!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes & Repeat

I baked four dozen cupcakes last night. It made me happy. My friend Jessica had her baby shower at work today and I knew that pumpkin is one of her favorites. These pumpkin cupcakes were fluffy and moist. Well received today!

Two dozen Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.





Two dozen Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting. I've made these before. I knew they'd be good!



And I have leftover salted caramel sauce in the fridge. Bonus!!

Click here for the stolen recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream.

Repeat Skillet Lasagna

Pretty darn good! We need to make this more often.

Click here for my original post.

Repeat & Pie Crust

This is a favorite. I didn't realize until today how much time it takes to make this darn pot pie. I enjoy making it though because it's full of vegetables and today I was really excited because I made my own pie crust. I actually made the crust a week ago but I froze it. I am weary of Crisco but now I realize that it really does make a crust flaky and buttery.

So yup, I'll be making my own crusts now. It was quite easy and it's pretty handy having those in the freezer.

The pie crust recipe is from my Baking Illustrated cookbook but here is the recipe online-

Click here for the stolen recipe for Basic Pie Crust.

White Chicken Chili

Reposted because I included the recipe below!



OH WOW. I just love this soup. I think it could be one of my favorite meals ever. OR I'm just really hungry lately :)

This soup is low-fat, flavorful, and just awesome. It does take a bit of time to make- it involves many steps, taking about 2 hours total. Well worth it.

I did substitute white hominy for the cannellini beans. It reminds me of posole. And this isn't really a white chili but a green one. Those chiles just make this soup.


Make this on a relaxing Sunday and enjoy!

I just can't find this recipe online to save my life. That is just WRONG. No one has blogged about this great soup? Inconceivable!

There are 8 servings in this soup. Each serving is only 3 weight watcher points! I had two servings :)

The recipe since I was asked very nicely to share it :)



White Chicken Chili

3 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
Salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 medium poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
3 medium Anaheim chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
1 medium jalapeno chile, plus 1 small jalapeno chile, seeds and ribs removed and set aside, flesh minced
2 medium onions, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 Tablespoons)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2- 15 oz. cans cannellini beans (or hominy), drained and rinsed
¼ cup juice from 2 to 3 limes
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, sliced thin

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear on the second side until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove and discard the skin.

2. Add all of the chiles except the small jalapeno, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 12-15 minutes. Transfer half of the mixture to a clean plate; set aside.

3. Stir in the broth, chicken, and beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate. Continue to simmer the chili, uncovered, until it has thickened, 35-40 minutes.

4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones. Stir the shredded chicken, reserved chile mixture, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and small jalapeno into the chili. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the chile is too thick, stir in additional water to thin it out.

The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Per 1 ½ cup serving: Calories 320, Fat 4.5g, Carb 28g, Protein 39g, Fiber 9g

This recipe was adapted from The Best Light Recipe, from the Editors of Cook's Illustrated.

Thanksgiving

It's amazing how little time it takes to scarf down all that food, all that love, energy, and time spent cooking for two days. Was it worth it? Of course! I was very happy to try so many new recipes. I don't think a single one really disappointed. My cranberry walnut rolls weren't light and fluffy, but kind of dense but still good. It was one recipe I wouldn't repeat as is. I wonder if I kneaded too much? Anyway, lots of good food. And I made my own gravy! Very proud and happy :)


OH! And my husband made both desserts. I can't make any claims on those. He did a fabulous job!


Appetizer-

Stuffed Mushrooms

Meal-

Pioneer Style Herb Roasted Turkey with Sage Gravy

Unfortunately, I didn't get any "after" pictures of the turkey. This is the 20 pounder slathered in herb butter. James declared it "yucky" looking.

The turkey ended up with a fabulous brown crust. It was darn pretty. I am so regretful that I did not get one little picture. Oh well. I have something better- leftovers!

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes- These were great because I made them ahead of time and just stuck them in the oven while the turkey rested.


Brussel Sprouts Gratin- This isn't a picture from tonight's gratin. I was flying around the kitchen at the very end and didn't take a picture of the gratin or the turkey. Bummer.



Sourdough Stuffing with Carmelized Onions and Apples

Framboise Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Walnut Rolls

Dessert-

Jim proudly serves up his creations.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Chocolate Pecan Pie

We are all satisifed and full. Our guests all went home with plenty of leftovers. That 2o pound bird was more than enough for our meal and many others. Happy Thanksgiving!

Best Meal Ever

So I guess we were both really hungry. We both devoured our food. Jim proclaimed this "the best meal ever". It's damn good.

Easy notes: Make this on a Sunday, be leisurely about prep. I made the rice in the morning. I chopped the carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, and green onions ahead of time so when it came time to put everything together it was all just about following the recipe steps.

The sweet and sour chicken takes some effort because you have to pan fry the chicken pieces after they've been dipped in cornstarch and then egg. You brown them up and then put them in a 9x13 pan, pour the sweet and sour sauce over it, and then bake for an hour. You do need to flip the chicken pieces every 15-20 minutes so they don't dry out. In the last 15 minutes I started the fried rice.

Yum.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Vegetable Fried Rice

Repeat

This is from a few weeks ago but the picture makes me happy. I must make this again especially now that it's cold!