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From the Hearth
Holiday Baking
When kaylee was young, the holiday season meant baking. From
gingerbread to fruitcakes, cookies to fudge, my mother always
found time to gather her daughters together for an afternoon of
baking treats to share with family and friends. We sang carols
and joked around as we mixed ingredients, sipped cider with
cinnamon sticks and decorated gingerbread men. It was a time for
family and love and togetherness- and those afternoons provided
this girl with a sense of holiday spirit that cannot be found in
the overcrowded malls or mad rush of juggling holiday
obligations.
Hot Buttered Rum
Candy Canes
Snowballs (Russian Tea Cookies)
Apricot Turnovers
Cherry-Walnut Biscotti
Apples with Walnut Apricot filling
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Hot Buttered Rum
Perfect for warming the soul on wintry nights, this
mixture can be made in advance and stored in the freezer. Don't
try this recipe with butter substitute- only the real thing
works! This can be a potent beverage, so please, drink
responsibly.
1/2 gallon premium vanilla ice cream, softened
1 pound butter, softened
16 ounce box confectioners sugar
16 ounce box brown sugar
1. Mix the softened butter and sugars together. Fold in
softened ice cream.
2. Store mixture in a freezer proof container until ready to
use.
3. To serve: place two heaping spoonfuls of frozen mixture in
mug. Add a shot of dark rum. Fill the mug with boiling water and
top with fresh grated nutmeg and cinnamon.
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Candy Canes
If you are extremely busy during the
holidays, take
heart. Many cookie dough recipes can be made in advance, frozen
for weeks, and simply thawed out the day you need. Rolled out
cookies as well as drop cookie recipes are perfect for this
method.
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
1/2 cup white sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together the
following
ingredients: butter, confectioners sugar, egg, almond flavoring,
vanilla extract.
2. Add flour and salt, mixing well. Split the dough in half,
adding red food coloring to one half of the dough.
3. Take small amount of the dough, roll out into a long
"rope".
Cut lengths into 4".
4. Take one red length, one white. Twist together like rope and
curve top down to look like a cane. Roll over top lightly so the
two colored doughs press together but don't lose their
shape.
5. Place on baking pan lined with parchment or baking paper (or
use cooking spray). Cook for 8-9 minutes until lightly
brown.
6. Lightly sprinkle with crushed peppermints and white sugar
while cookies are still warm. Let cool on wire rack- handle the
cookies gently until cool.
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Snowballs
Normally called "Russian Tea
Cookies" but the
dusting of confectioners sugar always reminds kaylee of snow- and
the way they melt in your mouth is divine!
1 cup butter
softened 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cream together the butter and vanilla. Add sugar and salt;
blend well.
3. Slowly mix in the flour and pecans, a bit at a time.
4. Roll into 3/4 inch balls. Place on baking pan lined in
parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray (kaylee prefers
the parchment paper method).
5. Bake until lightly brown- approximately 15 minutes. Roll in
confectioners sugar- it will lightly melt against the heat of the
cookie. Handle the cookies gently- they are fragile.
6. Let the cookies cool slightly on a wire rack and toss each one
gently in a bag filled with additional confectioners sugar. Store
in airtight container.
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Apricot Turnovers
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (this works out to
approximately one cup grated)
1 1/3 cup sifted flour
2 Tablespoons water
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup sugar
1. Blend butter and cheese together until it forms a creamy
consistency. Sift flour into butter mixture, stirring well.
2. Mix in 2 tablespoons of water. Let dough chill overnight in
airtight container.
3. In saucepan, add apricots and several tablepoons of hot water.
Water should not cover the apricots- just a little bit will be
fine. Heat saucepan, allowing the apricots to soften and plump in
the water.
4. Add sugar and let the mixture grow to a boil, then simmer and
reduce into a smooth jellylike sauce.
5. Take out chilled dough; roll out on a floured surface. Cut
into 2.5 inch squares.
6. In the center of each square, place a small dollop of apricot
jelly. Fold the square diagonally so the cookie is shaped like a
triangle. Crimp the cookie's edges shut with a fork (use a drop
of water if you have to). Place cookies on baking pan lined with
parchment paper.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes in 375 F oven. Let cool before
serving.
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Cherry Walnut Biscotti
Elegant recipe that can make a
perfect gift for a
hostess- wrap biscotti festively and pair with a bag of gourmet
coffee. Biscotti stores well in airtight containers or even
frozen.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried bing cherries, chopped
3/4 cup walnut pieces
(optional: semisweet chocolate pieces to melt and dip the
biscotti into)
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour large baking pan
and set aside.
2. Beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla to light, creamy
consistency. Blend in one egg at a time.
3. Sift together dry ingredients. Fold into the creamy butter
mixture, stirring well. Add dried cherries and walnut pieces;
combine.
4. Chill mixture for an hour. Turn dough onto lightly floured
surface; split into two amounts. Shape each log to be
approximately 3 inches wide. Set both logs into baking pan- leave
a good amount of space so they don't touch each other.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until it has a pretty gold color.
Let each log cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
6. Slice log into 1/2" slices. Return slices to baking pan and
bake for additional 6 minutes each side.
7. Melt chocolate in double boiler and dip the biscotti once
cooled. Place on wire rack to set.
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Apples with Walnut Apricot
filling
3/4 cup firmly packed dried apricots, chopped
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 Granny Smith apples
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup butter, softened
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the apricots, walnuts, brown sugar,
and butter.
3. Core the apples, making each opening large enough to hold 1/6
of the apricot mixture, peel the top third of each apple. Arrange
the apples, cavity side up, in a 13" x 9" x 2" baking
dish, and
fill the cavities with the apricot mixture. Sprinkle any
remaining filling around the apples, pour the orange juice around
them, and dot with butter.
4. Bake apples 15 minutes and baste with juices. Continue to
bake, basting regularly, until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from
oven and let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to
serving bowls, spoon juices over, and serve.
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If anyone would care to submit one of their favorite recipes,
this one can be reached at kaylee{G}
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