Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

(Source: Allrecipes.com)

1 C Butter

2 C white sugar

2 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

3 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

10 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark chocolate cocoa)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs one at a time, beating well. Mix in the vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder; add to butter mixture and mix well. Wrap dough in waxed paper and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degreesF. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with desired cookie cutter shapes. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Sugar Cookie Icing

1 C confectioners sugar

2 tsp milk

2 tsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp almond extract

assorted food coloring

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each bowl to desired intensity. Dip cookies or paint them with a brush.

Russian Tea Cakes

Russian Tea Cakes

1 C butter or margarine, softened

1/2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 C all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C finely chopped nuts

Powdered sugar (to coat cookies)

Heat oven to 400F.

Beat butter, 1/2 C powdered sugar and vanilla on medium speed with an electric mixer. Stir in flour and salt. Stir in nuts.

Shape dough into 1" balls. Place 2" apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-9 minutes until set, but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and roll in additional powdered sugar. Cool completely on a rack. Roll in sugar again once cooled.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
(Source: Brown Eyed Baker)
Yields 3 dozen

For the cookies:
2/3 C sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg white
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
3 1/2 C sweetened flaked coconut

For the Chocolate:
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla and salt until combined. Stir in coconut.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Form the cookies into loose haystacks with your fingertips, moistening your hands with water as necessary to prevent sticking. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the cookies are light golden brown - 15-20 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheets until lightly set, about 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack with a wide metal spatula.

Once cooled to room temperature, line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt 8 oz of the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate until smooth. Holding a macaroon by the pointed tip, dip the bottom into the chocolate. Scrape off excess chocolate and place macaroon on parchment covered sheet.

Refrigerate the macaroons until the chocolate set, about 15 minutes.

Christmas Cookies - finally

Yay, I'm finally getting Christmas pics up before all of this snow melts...woo hoo! I made tons of cookies this year for my family. I had the entire week before Christmas to have my own litle cookie extravaganza, turning our kitchen into a cookie factory.





TONS...








Here's the tally:

• 3 Dozen Peanut Butter Blossoms

  2 Dozen Double Chocolate Mint Truffle Blossoms

  2 Dozen Raspberry Thumbprints

  3 Dozen Whole Wheat Gingersnaps

  3 Dozen Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

  4 Dozen Russian Teacakes

  9 Dozen Shortbread Bites (they are super tiny!)

  3 Dozen Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

  7 Dozen Dark Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

Some were old tried and true favorites, and some were new. I even tried my hand at decorating the chocolate cut outs, something I haven't done before. I had a lot of fun and the family loved them!

Almond Chicken with Strawberry Balsamic Sauce

Yummmmm....I loved this dish!

I tore this out of a Taste of Home magazine and tucked it away in a pile of recipes to try. Even Norm liked it, and he's not big on fruit with savory dishes. We had it over sauteed spinach and a side salad.

Almond Chicken with Strawberry Balsamic Sauce

(Source: Taste of Home)

1/2 C panko bread crumbs

1/3 c unblanched almonds, coarsely ground

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4oz each)

Butter-flavored cooking spray

3 tsp canola oil, divided

1/4 C chopped shallots

1/3 C chicken broth

1/3 C strawberry preserves (I used a berry blend)

3 T balsamic vinegar

1 T minced fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried, crushed)

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine panko, almonds, salt and pepper. Add chicken one piece at a time and shake to coat.

In a large non-stick skillet coated with butter spray, cook chicken in 2 tsp oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

In same pan, cook shallots in remaining oil until tender. Stir in the broth, preserves, vinegar and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until thickened.

Pecan Pumpkin Pie Candy

I found this on another blog...it looked like something yummy to take to my brother's house for Thanksgiving to snack on while we watched the parade and football games.

They were good, my neice loved them. I did cut back on some of the sugar because I was afraid they would be way too sweet, and I used sweetened coconut.


Pecan Pumpkin Pie Candy
(Source: cathy's kitchen journey)

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
2 C white sugar (i used about 1 1/2 C)
2 C unsweetened coconut (I used sweetened b/c I had it on hand)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C chopped pecans

In a medium saucepan, combine pumpkin, sugar, coconut and spices (except vanilla). On medium heat, cook and mix together and allow sugar to disolve. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture forms a ball (it will take a long time 20-30 minutes at least, but it will get there once all the liquid evaporates)

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a heat safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap so a skin doesn't form. Chill in refrigerator until cooled completely.

Using a small scoop, scoop out 1 TBSP balls of mixture and roll in the palms of your hands. Roll balls in chopped pecans to coat. Put back in fridge to set. Makes approximately 30 balls.

Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream Frittata‏

I made this the day after Thanksgiving for some fuel for Black Friday shopping! It was really good, and it was quick and easy...ready in minutes. I served it with some whole grain toast. I think in the summer it would also be good with some fresh berries on the side or with a side salad for brunch.


Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream Frittata
(Source: weightwatchers.com)
Serves 4

16 oz fat-free egg substitute
1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 oz smoked salmon, chopped
2 T capers, drained and chopped
2 T chives, chopped
cooking spray

Preheat Broiler.

Whisk together egg substitute, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir in salmon, capers and chives.

Coat a large ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-heat. When hot, add egg/salmon mixture and cook until almost set but still runny on the surface (about 5-6 minutes). Note, frequently lift the mixture from the sides of the skillet with a spatula and let the uncooked egg to run to the bottom.

Place skillet under the broiler until golden on top (about 1-2 minutes). Slice into eight pieces and serve. 1 serving = 2 pcs/4 pts