I
love white chocolate. I love pecans. I love dried cherries. So when it came
time to bake cookies for my kids Christmas goody packages, I figured I couldn’t
go too far afield if I baked a cookie that included these ingredients that I
personally adore. After all, we would be eating these cookies too. And therein
lies my tale of woe.
I
liked these cookies way too much. So instead of leaving the cookies in their
lovely Christmas tin, I could not resist. I tried. I really did. But they kept
calling to me. And I simply had to succumb to their siren song.
So
suffice it to say – these are really tasty cookies. Plus they pack well, and
stay fresh for days and days. In fact, I made so many of these cookies, we
still have some in our cookie jar. And they are still delicious. I should know.
I had a couple for dessert last evening.
So if you too love white chocolate, dried cherries, and toasted pecans – bake up a batch of these little darlings at your earliest convenience. Take some to work with you. Share some with a neighbor. Prepare a batch for a bake sale. Just do whatever it takes to get most of them out of your house! Because they are truly addictive. Happy baking.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 c. good white chocolate chips (Ghirardelli or Guittard)
1½ c. dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1 c. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
In
the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until
pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In
a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. At low speed,
beat in the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then beat in the white
chocolate chips, dried cherries, and chopped pecans.
Using
a small ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough 2-inches apart on lightly greased
baking sheets. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until
lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes
before transferring to a rack to cool completely. When completely cooled store
in an airtight container.
If there is one
thing I am sure of, it’s that peppermint and Christmas go together. Then you
throw in some chocolate and to my thinking you have now achieved a perfect
trifecta.
So for Christmas
this year, I decided to make a chocolate peppermint shortbread cookie to
include with several other goodies in my annual Christmas package to my kids. (And
yes, they are all well into adulthood. But what has that got to do with being a
kid at heart when it comes to Christmas goodies? After all, their Uncle Dan was
the original cookie monster!) But back to these cookies.
One of the things
I like best about making these cookies is that I get to use a hammer. Nothing
relieves stress like taking a hammer to a poor defenseless peppermint stick.
And I’m always stressed getting ready for Christmas. So smashing candy feels
almost liberating. (I’m sure the peppermint stick would disagree, but tough noogies!
It’s really just all about me, right?!?!)
And then
preparing the dough for this cookie is absolutely non-challenging. And you don’t
even have to use an ice cream scoop or hand roll tiny little balls of this
dough to shape the cookies. Just two simple steps. Roll the dough into a round
log. Then after it spends some quality time in a cold environment, slice it
with a sharp knife. Could not be easier.
Then all you have
to do is bake them off. And wait until they are cool to take your first bite.
(Now that’s the hard part!)
So even though Christmas has come and gone, please do yourself a favor and bake up a batch of these cookies. They are truly delicious. And crunchy. Every one of your family and friends will love them. Besides, it never hurts to keep a little bit of Christmas alive throughout the year. Like one of my favorite Christmas carol reminds us – Christmas is a feeling in your heart. Peace and love to all.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt (if using salted butter, add ¼ tsp. salt)
2 c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. mini chocolate chips
½ c. chopped good peppermint candy (like King Leo or Sees peppermint sticks)
With
an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and
creamy. In a separate bowl combine the flour, mini chocolate chips, and chopped
peppermint. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, mixing just until a
dough forms. Place dough on a long piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands,
wrap the dough into the plastic wrap gently shaping it into a round log about 1½-inch
wide. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Un-wrap log and using a serrated knife slice dough 3/8
inch thick (if dough feels really hard, leave at room temperature for 5 to 10
minutes). Arrange slices, about 1-inch apart, on parchment paper lined baking
sheets. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not
under-bake.) Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes.
Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight
container.
I
promised to provide you with a couple more recipes for fudge. And yes I know.
Fudge recipes are a dime a dozen. (Well actually they’re free. If of course you
don’t take into consideration what you paid for your computer or fancy phone to
begin with. And the exorbitant fee (really a hostage fee) you pay each month to
be able to access information. But let’s get back to the matter at hand. Fudge!)
Like
I said, there are a lot of recipes out there for fudge. (And God bless them,
one and all!) But just like in every dish, some are better than others. Now I
don’t mean to brag (but I’m going to do it anyway), this fudge is everything a
fudge should be.
It’s
chocolaty, it has a smooth not grainy texture, and you don’t really taste the
bourbon as much as you “experience” it! Sounds crazy right? But it just happens
to be the case. And of course the toasted pecan pieces offer their own little enhancement
to the overall culinary delight. In other words – this is really, really delicious
fudge! And super easy to prepare.
But
please don’t just take my word for it. Make a batch of this for yourself. And I
do mean for yourself! This is the kind of treat you just might not want to
share with others. Let me explain.
Let’s
say you gift a friend with a tin of this fudge. Next year, that friend will want
more. It’s inevitable. And he or she may even have told your other friends about
the fabulous fudge you make. And now you are the “fudge person”. It can only
get more difficult as the years go by. So think before you gift!
But
if in your zest for this most joyful of holiday seasons you decide to take a
chance and share this candy with your loved ones, more power to you. That puts
you in the same boat with me. And in my estimation, it’s a fine boat to be in.
I love making holiday treats to share with my family and friends. And I adore
receiving homemade gifts of any kind, but especially the ones that are edible.
So go for the gusto. Throw caution to the wind. Embrace the holidays rather than shrinking away from all the festivities. And make some fudge. It’s good for that inner kid in you that is still yearning to believe in Santa Claus. Now if Santa will just grant me my wish for world peace………………
3½
c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (the better the chips, the better the fudge)
¼
c. (½ stick) unsalted butter
1
(14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
¼
c. bourbon
1
tsp. vanilla extract
¼
tsp. kosher salt
1
c. toasted pecans, roughly chopped
fleur
de sel or other flaky sea salt
Place
the chocolate chips in a large glass bowl. Microwave on medium heat until the chocolate
is melted and smooth. Stir often.
Add
the butter and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until the butter
is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir often. Remove from microwave.
Gently
stir in the bourbon, vanilla, and kosher salt; mix well. Stir in the pecans and
scoop the mixture into a parchment paper lined 9×9-inch square or 11×7-inch
rectangular baking pan. Pat the fudge into place and smooth out the top. Sprinkle
lightly with fleur de sel.
Place
the fudge in the fridge for at least 2 hours. When the fudge is firm, remove
the pan from the fridge. Lift the fudge out of the pan and place on a cutting
board. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so. Using a
sharp knife, cut the fudge into small squares. Store in an airtight container
in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
Tis
the season for making fudge. And of course I could always prepare a few of the
lovely fudge recipes that I already have in my arsenal. But what fun would that
be? Where is the challenge of coming up with something new and different to
send to my kids in their goody packages? And from my practical side – how can I
put the bag of marshmallows that have been in my pantry since the beginning of
last summer to good use? While at the same time answering the age old question
of why did I think I needed peanut butter chips when I shopped at Winco a few
days ago? (I already had about 4 cups worth in my freezer!) See where this is
leading?
So,
the result of all that I have candidly revealed above is a new recipe for a
fudge that tastes at least to me, better than a Pay Day candy bar! No kidding. This fudge is truly that amazing. And it’s
stinkin’ easy to make!
The
recipe (with a couple minor changes) comes from the liluna.com site. Thank you
Kristyn. And I’m not kidding when I say that you simply must make this fudge if
you are like me and consider Pay Day candy bars to be a bit of heaven in a
wrapper. Ahhh – just thinking about them makes me happy. But what makes me even
happier is that I have some of this fudge in my very own refrigerator. And now
that I think about it, I could use a little pick-me-up. So bye for now. Happy
Holidays to all.
There are also several recipes for fudge on this site already. Just type FUDGE in the search box and you will be rewarded with more opportunities for adding unnecessary calories to your diet than you ever dreamed of. And watch for 2 more new fudge recipes to come. (Just keeps getting better, right!?!?) White Chocolate Fudge with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries and Salted Bourbon Chocolate Fudge with Pecans.
6
T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter
4
c. peanut butter chips
4
c. (8 oz.) mini marshmallows
2
(14-oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
6
c. salted peanuts (no skins), divided
In
a heavy medium-sized pan, melt butter and chips until well combined. Reduce
heat and stir in the marshmallows and sweetened condensed milk until creamy and
smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 4 cups of the peanuts.
Pour
mixture into a lightly buttered 10×16-inch pan. Cover the top with the remaining
2 cups of peanuts. Gently press the peanuts into the fudge. Allow candy to cool
completely before covering with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and storing in
the refrigerator. When ready to serve, cut into squares and let come to room temperature.
Recipe
can easily be halved, but why bother. You’ll just have to make more!
Note: Instead of buttering the pan, you can line it with parchment paper
allowing for a bit to hang over all four sides of the pan. Then when you are
ready to cut the fudge, just lift the whole mess onto a cutting board. Cut into
whatever sized pieces you desire. Serve on a really pretty plate. This candy
deserves only the best presentation.
Sometimes roasting a whole turkey just seems like way too much work, especially if you are not feeding the masses. Or if all you really want is a nice simple turkey dinner with a bit of leftover turkey for sandwiches the next day. Or when you go to your local grocery store and half turkey breasts are on sale. Which is what happened for me a couple days ago. And since I had not hosted Thanksgiving this year, leaving us without any leftover turkey to call our own, I jumped at the chance to rectify this situation. So armed with 2 packages of half turkey breasts in my grocery shopping bag, one for the freezer and one for our oven, I went about developing this recipe.
I
had dry rubbed a turkey breast a few years ago, but the herb/salt rub recipe I
used at the time left a lot to be desired. So I started over using a variation
of the dry rub I use when preparing a whole turkey and went from there. And it turned out just swell. And really
easy. And provided us with just the perfect little turkey dinner with leftover
meat for turkey sandwiches. Just according to plan. Even the gravy for our
mashed potatoes was delish. Rounded out the meal with some steamed broccoli and
we enjoyed a wonderful turkey dinner with very little prep time involved. And
we have leftover turkey for sandwiches. (Can’t mention the leftover turkey too
often because at our house, turkey sandwiches are tantamount to heaven in
sandwich form!) White bread, lots of mayonnaise, freshly ground black pepper, lots
of thinly sliced turkey, and a little more mayonnaise for good measure. If that
ain’t heaven, I don’t have a clue what is! Anyway……….
If
you want an easy way to prepare a turkey breast, give this recipe a try. Dry
rubbing is really the way to go. And if you are the lucky cook who gets to host
the next holiday meal and are looking for a great recipe for roasting a whole
turkey, give my Herb Salted Turkey with
Cognac Gravy on this site a try. It too is easy to prepare and the results
are perfect every time. And the gravy you will get from roasting your turkey
this way. Suffice it to say, it simply could not be more delicious. Of course
the wee bit of cognac stirred in just before serving certainly doesn’t hurt.
But you must have a great flavor base to start with, or you might as well drink
the cognac straight out of the bottle and throw the rest away! Not going to
happen if you take your time and pay attention while your gravy is simmering
away to perfection.
So
whether you choose to roast just a turkey breast or a whole turkey, I’ve got
you covered. So enjoy your time in the kitchen. And remember. Turkey is not
just for Thanksgiving. It can be enjoyed any old time of year. Gobble gobble!
½
tsp. dried rosemary leaves
½
tsp. dried sage leaves
½
tsp. dried thyme leaves
8
black peppercorns
1
small bay leaf
1
T. kosher salt
2
tsp. brown sugar
½
tsp. lemon zest
1
(about 3-3½ lb.) half turkey breast (not boneless)
1
T. butter, melted
chicken
stock
flour
1
tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
freshly
ground black pepper
1-2
tsp. cognac, opt.
Grind
the rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf together and place in a
small bowl. (I use my mortar and pestle.) Stir in the kosher salt, brown sugar,
and lemon zest.
Place turkey, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a
rimmed baking sheet. Pat herb and spice mixture under the skin and all over
both sides of turkey breast.
Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Remove turkey breast
from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 2–3 hours. Slather the top
side with the melted butter. Pour 1 cup chicken stock into baking sheet.
Place the turkey breast on the middle rack in preheated
450 degree oven.
Roast turkey breast until skin is mostly dark golden
brown all over, about 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and
continue to roast turkey breast, adding another cup of stock as needed to
maintain some liquid in baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer
inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150 degrees (don’t worry;
the temperature will continue to climb while the turkey breast rests), 30-40
minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown and crisp.
Transfer turkey breast to a cutting board, tent
with aluminum foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before
slicing. Retain the liquid and brown bits in the bottom of the pan for gravy.
Place
the roasting pan on the stove after the turkey has been removed. Turn the heat
to very low and begin making your gravy immediately. (Good gravy flavor and
consistency require time to develop.) Do not remove any fat from the pan, do
not strain the liquid, do not do any of the things most cook book writers tell
you to do to make good gravy (except me, that is!)
Whisk
in enough flour to absorb the fat. Let burble for a couple of minutes. (This
process takes time, so be patient.) Slowly whisk in turkey or chicken stock
until you reach the desired thickness you like. Add the Kitchen Bouquet (gives
the gravy great color) and some freshly ground black pepper. Taste the gravy.
Add a bit of salt if needed.
Turn
heat as low as possible and let the gravy simmer away for the next 30 minutes
or so, whisking periodically. (You will probably need to add more stock during
this time.) Also, after the turkey is sliced and plated, don’t forget to add
the juices that have accumulated to the gravy.
Just before serving (and gravy should be the last item plated), taste the gravy and make any final adjustments to the seasoning. Stir in the cognac and serve piping hot.
Note: This recipe doubles nicely if you want to roast a whole turkey breast.
Just double all the ingredients.
Sometimes
I get nostalgic for no better reason than beautifully colored deciduous leaves
in the fall. And every fall as the leaves start to turn color, I immediately want
to hunker down in my kitchen and make soup. Or in the case of this past
weekend, I wanted to re-create a classic fall and winter dessert I enjoyed as a
child and made for my children when they were young. But I didn’t want the
gingerbread of my youth, and not even the one I fed to my children. I wanted a
modern take on this old standard that would appeal to more sophisticated palates.
What
I envisioned was a gingerbread that had the consistency and moistness I
associate with a truly delicious cake. Plus I wanted to make my ginger cake
include a background flavor that set it apart from others. And I think I found
that special something. It’s called bourbon.
And
yes I know, I use bourbon in a lot in my recipes. Bourbon just pairs so well
with all kinds of dishes. But what it did for this dessert was beyond compare.
I
used the basic recipe for gingerbread from one of my favorite bloggers – Jenn Segal
(Once Upon a Chef). She is truly one of my favorites. Please visit her site,
because she is the real deal!
I
did however make one small change. I substituted a wee bit of bourbon for some
of the boiling water in her recipe. (I just had to do it.) Then I went
completely bourbon crazy, and created a bourbon caramel sauce, then went
further off the deep end (it’s called gilding the lily) by adding a bit of
bourbon to the whipped cream topping.
Now
something you should know. There isn’t enough money to get me to drink bourbon
straight. I don’t like the taste of any whiskey, so why would I want to sip on
something that makes me scrunch up my face? (Mother Nature is already having
her way with my face. I don’t need any more help in that arena thank you very
much!) But, as a subtle (or in some cases not-so-subtle) background flavor,
bourbon is a perfect ingredient. For many, the flavor of bourbon hints of vanilla,
caramel, honey, butterscotch, apple, pear, figs, raisins, dates, nutmeg,
cloves, and cinnamon. So when you analyze the flavors associated with bourbon,
really what’s not to like? (I still can’t get straight bourbon past my lips!) But
what bourbon does for ginger cake is nothing short of miraculous.
So
if you too haven’t enjoyed or even thought about gingerbread for years, now is
the time. And as a dessert to serve for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, I
think it would be absolutely perfect.
To find other recipes on this site that use bourbon as an ingredient, just type “bourbon” in the search box – hit search, and a new world of boozy recipes will appear on the screen. Some of the recipes are even for delicious adult beverages. Imagine that!
1½
c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1
tsp. baking soda
½
tsp. salt
2
tsp. ground ginger
1
tsp. ground cinnamon
¼
tsp. ground cloves
4
T. unsalted butter, melted
2/3
c. packed brown sugar
2/3
c. molasses (not Robust or Blackstrap)
2/3
c. boiling water minus 4 tsp. (I’ve
replaced 4 tsp. of boiling water with bourbon)
4
tsp. bourbon
1
lg. egg, beaten
chopped candied ginger, opt. garnish
In
a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and
cloves. Set aside.
In
a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and boiling
water. When the mixture is room temperature, whisk in the bourbon and the egg. Add
the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.
Pour
the batter into a lightly greased and floured 9-inch square pan (glass
preferably). Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (or 350 degree oven if using
a metal pan) for about 25 minutes, or until the edges look dark and the middle
feels firm to the touch.
Remove
from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Or allow to cool slightly, then cut
into squares and serve with a bit of warm Bourbon Caramel Sauce, dolloped with Bourbon
Whipped Cream, and garnished with a tiny bit of chopped candied ginger. Ginger cake
is wonderful served at room temperature, warm out of the oven, or reheated.
The
cake can be baked up to 3 days ahead. Cover and store at room temperature. If
you prefer, warm before serving.
To warm cake: Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE
1 c. packed brown
sugar
½ c. (1 stick)
unsalted butter
pinch sea salt
½ c. heavy cream
¼ c. bourbon
Whisk
butter, brown sugar, and salt together over medium heat in a small heavy
saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved completely. (This happens after the
mixture comes to a boil and is allowed to burble for a couple of minutes or
until it turns kind of shiny. Continue whisking the whole time the mixture is
on the heat.) Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream and bourbon.
Serve warm over this ginger cake, bread pudding, ice cream, or any old thing
you want! (Great in coffee too!)
Can
be made ahead and refrigerated. Best to warm slightly before serving.
BOURBAN WHIPPED CREAM
2
c. heavy cream
¼
c. powdered sugar
2
T. bourbon
1
tsp. vanilla
Beat cream until stiff
peaks form. Beat in the powdered sugar, bourbon, and vanilla until well
blended. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Now,
there are two kinds of people when it comes to fruitcake. Those who love it,
and those who have never had good fruitcake. And I was definitely in the second
camp until I tasted the real thing. Oh don’t get me wrong. I grew up having
fruitcake at Christmas, but it was truly terrible. But God bless my maternal
grandmother, she tried her best to make it special. The main problem with her
fruitcake was the lack of booze, an assortment of dried and candied fruits,
spices, and nuts. What it did contain was an abundance of raisins, most of
which were burned. And if you have ever tasted a burned raisin, you will know
that it is not a pleasant experience.
So you can imagine my horror when as a 21 year old college student, I was given a fruitcake from a new neighbor in student housing. Little did I know at that time that my new neighbor was a home economics teacher. (She and her husband were also living in student housing while her husband was working on his masters and money was tight for them too.) Anyway, I was now the proud owner of this small loaf nicely wrapped in tin foil. Of course I said thank-you, while thinking to myself – what in the heck do I do with this “thing”!?!? Well, I took a chance and served it that evening for dessert. That was the beginning of my love affair with fruitcakes, and not coincidentally, the beginning of a very lovely friendship.
Over the next year or so, I learned a lot from this charming and talented woman. Not the least of which, a love for cooking and entertaining. She came into my life at the perfect time. We had very little money (both my former husband and I were in school), but I learned from her that soups and casseroles could feed us very well for several days and that they didn’t cost an arm and a leg to prepare. In fact, almost anything I could build myself was sure to save us money. I also learned that sharing food with others was about as good a way as any to show people how much they were valued. Her simple gift of a small fruitcake and her subsequent friendship helped me become a more caring and productive human being, not to mention a better cook.
So do I like fruitcake? You bet I do! For another great fruitcake recipe on this site, look up my Caribbean Black Fruitcake recipe.
1
lb. dried fruit combination (peaches, pears, apricots, apples, golden raisins, currents,
etc.)
½
lb. dried Bing cherries
1
lb. chopped dates
1
lb. candied/glazed pineapple, coarsely chopped
21-oz.
container red candied/glazed cherries, coarsely chopped
3
c. spiced rum
1
c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2
c. brown sugar
2
tsp. cinnamon
1½
tsp. ground allspice
1½
tsp. ground nutmeg
5
lg. eggs
2
c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2
tsp. baking powder
½
tsp. salt
1 lb. coarsely chopped pecans
Combine
dried fruit, dried Bing cherries, chopped dates, candied pineapple, candied
cherries, and rum in a covered glass container for 3 to 7 days. 7 days is best.
Cream
butter, sugar, and spices until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In a
separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir into
butter mixture just until combined. Stir in
the macerated fruit, including any remaining liquid, and the pecans.
Place
a large shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of your oven to prevent the
cakes from baking too dry. Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees.
Line
3 (9×5-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9×5-inch) and
5 (7×4-inch) loaf pans with parchment paper and grease paper lightly. Divide
the batter evenly between the pans and bake in the middle of the oven for 2-2½
hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool on racks for one hour. Remove cakes from pans, and carefully peel off the parchment paper. When completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and foil. Store for at least 1 month before serving.
I found this recipe on the Taste of Home site while I was searching for a cookie that featured dried cranberries and pecans. I truly love the combination and wanted to make a cookie with these two amazing ingredients for members of the Seabreeze Jazz Band with Mr. C. on piano. (Always want to keep the boys happy so they’ll keep coming back and filling our home with live music as they practice.) After reading this recipe, I knew I had found the perfect holiday cookie for the guys and for us. So I made a batch and the rest is history.
There isn’t much more to say except to thank Brooke Maynard for the recipe and to recommend that you bake some of these easy to prepare and delicious cookies at your earliest convenience. Christmas may be over, but winter is really just getting started. So a couple of these darlings and a hot cup of tea or coffee on a cold rainy evening is just the ticket to ward off winter woes.
2/3 c. whole
almonds
2 c. unbleached
all-purpose flour
½ c. granulated sugar
½ tsp. salt
¾ c. (1½ sticks)
plus 2 T. cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 lg. egg yolks
2 T. cold water
½ c. chopped toasted
pecans
½ c. chopped
dried cranberries
powdered sugar
Pulse almonds in
a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, granulated sugar and salt;
pulse until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl,
whisk the egg yolks and water together. Add to the almond butter mixture, and
pulse until dough forms. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for
about an hour.
Remove the dough
from the refrigerator. Divide into fourths.
On a lightly
floured surface, roll each portion into an 8-inch circle. Sprinkle with pecans
and cranberries; lightly press into dough. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll
up from the wide end. Place the point side down on lightly buttered baking
sheets about 1-inch apart.
Bake until lightly browned, 15 – 18 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Immediately sprinkle with powdered sugar. (I use a fine mesh strainer to sprinkle on the powdered sugar. Just place a small amount of powdered sugar in the strainer and shake over the cookies.) Let cookies sit until completely cool. Store in an airtight container.
Every
year at Christmas time, there are a few of us who live in the same neighborhood
that exchange a little something sweet with each other. We dearly treasure
these people, so of course I treat them like I would if they were family
members. That means I experiment on them just like I would if we were related.
Now
sometimes my “experiments” turn out better than I expected. Other times, not so
much. This year, I gifted these dear friends with a version of an eggnog bread
that I read about on the On Sutton Place food site. I changed a couple of things
here and there, but the essence of the recipe remained true to the original. And
I am very pleased to announce, that in my humble estimation, this bread recipe is
a winner.
The
bread is ever so tender, moist, and the flavor is absolutely lovely. So even
though Christmas has come and gone, or as they say in the common vernacular ‘so
yesterday’, I’m providing you with this recipe as an early Christmas present for
next year! This bread is simply that delicious. It is definitely gift worthy,
even if the one gifted is just you!
So before eggnog no longer appears in your local grocery store dairy case, bake a batch, freeze 2 of the loaves, and every 4 months or so, take one out of the freezer and make an otherwise uneventful weekend breakfast a special occasion. Cheers!
½
c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
1
c. granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1½
c. eggnog (not the low fat
variety)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. VS cognac*
1
tsp. dark rum*
2¼
c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 small pkg. (3.4-oz.) instant
vanilla pudding mix
2 tsp. baking powder
½
tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. cinnamon
Butter
and flour 3 small loaf pans. Set aside until needed.
In
the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and beat until combined. In a glass measuring bowl, whisk the
eggnog, vanilla, cognac, and dark rum together.
In
another bowl, whisk the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and
cinnamon together.
Add
the dry ingredients and eggnog mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches,
mixing well after each addition. The batter will be thick. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared
pans.
Bake
in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
into the middle of each loaf comes out clean. Do not overbake.
Remove from oven and cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks to cool completely. Or, if you are giving the loaves as gifts, and have used disposable aluminum pans, they can remain in their pans.
Cognac Glaze
1
c. powdered sugar, or more as needed
1
T. eggnog, or more as needed
1 tsp.
cognac, dark rum, or bourbon (whichever you use in the bread batter)
freshly grated nutmeg, opt.
Whisk
the powdered sugar, eggnog, and cognac together to form a pourable, but not
runny mixture. If your glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If
it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more milk. Drizzle glaze over cooled loaves. Sprinkle lightly with freshly grated nutmeg. Let set
completely before wrapping each loaf in wax paper and aluminum foil. Store at
room temperature.
*Or you can use all cognac, dark rum, or bourbon. All work well in this recipe.
It has been a tradition in our family since my children were very young, to enjoy cinnamon rolls with our Christmas morning breakfast. (And it’s a fine tradition I have to say!) Of course it’s one more thing for Mrs. Santa to do on Christmas Eve. But I’ve been making these rolls for so long, they practically throw themselves together. And never being one of those people who has a favorite cinnamon roll topping, I sometimes make sticky buns and other times it’s frosted rolls. I love them both ways, so it’s a dozen of one or a dozen of the other. (I think that’s how the saying goes!) Anyway, this year I decided to make Sticky Buns. And for the life of me, I have no idea why I haven’t previously posted this recipe. Perhaps it has something to do with PCSD – Post Christmas Sleeping Disorder (my need for at least a solid 12 hours of sleep each night between Christmas night and New Year’s Eve). But regardless of the reason, I am not going to let any more time pass without providing you with my recipe for these yummy cinnamon rolls.
I believe the original recipe came out of my Betty Crocker cookbook. I would verify that belief, but I’m pretty sure the cookbook pages would self-destruct if I tried to pry them apart. I am certain however that I made a couple of ingredient changes a while back. I substituted butter for shortening, and bread flour for all-purpose flour. (Got to stay up to date with the ever changing world of nutrition. BTW – it’s once again OK to eat up to 3 eggs and 70g of beef daily! Well, that is, until “they” change “their” minds again!) But back to cinnamon rolls.
So do yourself a favor, and bake a batch of these rolls for your family or friends. And no, you do not have to wait until next Christmas! These babies are delightful any old day of the year. But beware. They are addicting. And yes, if you are a lot more organized than I am, which isn’t difficult I might add, you can make these rolls ahead and freeze them until needed. Happy New Year.
STICKY BUNS
Dough recipe:
¾
c. scalded, room temperature whole milk (see how to scald milk below)
1
pkg. or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
¼
c. room temperature water
¼
c. granulated sugar
¾
tsp. salt
1
egg
¼
c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
3½
c. bread flour
veggie
oil
2
T. unsalted butter, melted
½
c. packed brown sugar
2-3
tsp. ground cinnamon
½ c. golden raisins
In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the room temperature water. Add the sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. (The yeast should foam up a bit during this time.) Add the cooled milk to the yeast mixture along with the salt, egg, butter, and half of the flour. Mix until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft, but not sticky ball. Knead for about 5 minutes.
Pour
a small amount of oil over the dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Cover
the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 90
minutes. Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes. While the dough is rising, make the sticky
part.
When
the dough is ready, roll into a 15 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with
the melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, then sprinkle evenly
with the cinnamon and golden raisins. Roll up tightly, beginning at one of the
wide ends. Slice into 12 rolls (about 1-inch slices.) Place slices in the
baking pan over the “sticky part”. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and
let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake
in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and
immediately turn upside down over a tray or aluminum foil. Let pan stay over
the rolls a minute or so to allow the “sticky stuff” to run down over the
rolls. Anything remaining in the pan can be removed and spread over the rolls.
Serve warm.
If you make ahead, allow to cool completely and cover with foil and store on your counter. When you are ready to serve, heat the rolls gently in your oven or microwave. Don’t expect any leftovers!
Sticky Topping:
1/3
c. unsalted butter
½
c. packed brown sugar
1
T. corn syrup
½
c. chopped pecans or walnuts
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Pour in to a buttered 9 x 13-inch pan (glass preferred). Sprinkle with pecan pieces. Set aside.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING TOPPED CINNAMON ROLLS
Dough recipe:
¾
c. scalded, room temperature whole milk (see how to scald milk below)
1
pkg. or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
¼
c. room temperature water
¼
c. granulated sugar
¾
tsp. salt
1
egg
¼
c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
3½
c. bread flour
veggie
oil
2
T. unsalted butter, melted
½
c. packed brown sugar
2-3
tsp. ground cinnamon
½
c. golden raisins
½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts
In
the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the room temperature water.
Add the sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. (The yeast should foam up a bit during
this time.) Add the cooled milk to the yeast mixture along with the salt, egg,
butter, and half of the flour. Mix until smooth. Add enough of the remaining
flour to form a soft, but not sticky ball. Knead for about 5 minutes.
Pour a small amount of oil over the dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes.
When
the dough is ready, roll into a 15 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with
the melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, then sprinkle evenly
with the cinnamon and golden raisins. Roll up tightly, beginning at one of the
wide ends. Slice into 12 pieces (about 1-inch slices). Place in a buttered 9 x
13-inch pan (glass preferred). Cover
with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake
in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, place on a
cooling rack, and allow to cool completely before slathering with the frosting.
Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the frosting.
Cover with foil and store on your counter. When you are ready to serve, heat the rolls gently in your oven or microwave. (You don’t want to warm them too much or too fast. You don’t want the frosting to melt completely. It may melt a little. Not such a bad thing!) As with the Sticky Buns, don’t expect any leftovers!
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cream Cheese
Frosting:
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room
temperature
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
3½ c. powdered sugar or more
if needed
Cream butter, cream cheese,
and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt, cinnamon,
and enough powdered sugar to make a firm but not stiff consistency. Beat until
smooth and easy to spread.
*How to and why is it necessary to scald
milk:
In a small pan, heat the milk to just below the boiling point (180 degrees). (Milk will have just begun to simmer at this point, and will give off steam while small bubbles form at the edge of the pan.) Remove from heat. The temperature of the milk at this point is actually higher than the temperature at which milk is pasteurized (161 degrees). Milk actually needs to be scalded for this recipe to help the dough rise up better and produce a firmer, lighter textured roll. For the scientific reasons behind scalding milk, consult the internet.
