Lots of Birthdays!

 

Beth made Grandmom a marble cake with chocolate icing:

She made Poppy a banana walnut cake from his mom’s recipe:

 

Andrew had his very own chocolate mousse cake with 22 candles in it:

 

If we had put a candle for each year, there would have been 161 candles lit!

And everyone had a good laugh.

Then all of the sudden, it got quite dark.

A few family favorites

 

My favorite quick fix dinner lately is from Cooking Light.  You can find the recipe here:

Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce

I usually substitute button mushrooms for the wild mushrooms, as my family likes it better.

 

One that requires a bit more work, but gives off the most wonderful aroma is:

Beef Bourguignonne with Egg Noodles.

 

The recipe my family loves the most is Roast Chicken Provencale.

  It turns out so elegantly.  I usually serve it with some mashed potatoes.

 

Our favorite salad, that I tried for the first time on Christmas was Gorgonzola & Honey Pear en Croute Salad. 

One substitution I made was to use fresh pears instead of canned, and it turned out wonderful.  I made a few without gorgonzola for my husband, who doesn’t care for blue cheese.

 

Another salad I love is  Mixed Apple Salad over Greens.

  I just make a few extra slices of bacon on a weekend morning and set them aside for the salad. 

 

 I would post pictures, but I went a bit crazy when I started with live spaces, and now I have reached my limit for the month.  I’ll add them on April 1st.  You live and you learn.

 

 

Some Christmas cookie recipies

I have been remiss in posting christmas cookie recipies.  I have tried to do this for at least 5 years – but with my older daughter Beth’s marriage, I felt I had to get moving so that she has access to the recipes she grew up with and can share with her new husband.

Out of this World’s

  The picture below is in my gradmother’s handwriting:

Out of This World Cookies

• 1 c peanut butter
• 1 c powdered sugar
• 1 c chopped dates
• 1 c chopped nuts
• 1 c crushed cornflakes
• 2 8 oz chocolate bars

Melt hershey bars over double boiler.

Mix all other ingredients.  Roll dough into balls.  Dip in melted chocolate.  Place on waxed paper lined cookie sheets.  Put in refrigerator for 1 hour.

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Out of this world’s are the balls in the front.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

 

• 1 c butter
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 2 c flour
• 1/2 c raspberry jam (I use polaner all fruit)
• glaze – 1 c powdered sugar, 1 1/2 t almond extract, 2 – 3 t water

combine butter, sugar and almond extract in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Reduce spped to low, add flour.  Beat until well mixed.  cover, refrigerate until firm (at least one hour).

Heat ove to 350 degrees.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb (edges may crach slightly).  Fill each indentation with about 1/4 t jam.

 

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Let stand 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet.  Cool completely.

 

meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl with a wire whisk until smooth.  Drizzel over cooled cookies.

Spritz

 

Spritz Cookies

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• 1 c butter, softened
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t almond extract or vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• decorative sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine butter, sugar, egg and almond or vanilla extract in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Reduce spped to low, add flour and salt.  Beat until well mixed.  divide and tint dough with food coloring, if desired. 

Fit cookie press with desired template.  fill with dough.  Press dough into shapes, 1 inch apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with decorator sugars.  Bake for 8 to 14 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

 

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• 3/4 c Butter, softened
• 3/4 c powdered sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/4 t almond extract
• 1 1/3 c flour
• 3 T cornstarch
• 1/8 t salt
• 1/2 c mini chocolate chips
• chocolate chips for dipping

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Reduce speed to low; add flour, cornstarch and salt.  Beat until well mixed.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Pat dough into ungreased tart pan.  Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until edges are lightly browned.  Immediately cut into wedges.  Remove from pan when cool.  Dip edges in melted chocolate and cool on waxed paper.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bites

 

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Bites

 

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c peanut butter

1/2 c butter

1 egg

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t salt

Reese’s mini peanut butter cups

 

Mix sugars, peanut butter, butter, and egg in large bowl.  Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours. 

 

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

 

Shape dough into balls, and put in mini muffin pans.  Cook 9 minutes.  Immediately press one reese’s cup into each ball upon removing from oven.  Let cook 10 minutes, remove from the pan and let cool.