Category: Recipes

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Christmas Spritz

I’ve loved the buttery, melty taste of Spritz cookies since I was a little girl. I used to watch my dad shoot cookie dough from a pastry bag into fancy shapes that turned magically into stripes and flowers and stars–each with a different flavor too.

Now, I’m not so hot with a pastry bag, but even so, I’m happy to tell you that I made these little sweeties…

all by myself—no chef skills required.

What it takes is this lovely little Cookie Press from Wilton. I’ve always wanted to try one so today, I got really brave and to my surprise, it was easy! You simply make the dough, fill the press and click the dough onto the cookie sheet in any of a dozen different shapes. Sim-ple.

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsps milk

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well.

Fill cookie press with dough and fit with whichever disc you want.

Press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Add sprinkles or sanding sugar or whatever floats your boat.

Bake 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on the pan,

then transfer to cooling rack.

Won’t Santa just LOVE these? Of course he will!

Classic Christmas Spritz
 
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Ingredients
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1-1/2 cups butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsps milk
  • 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add egg, milk and vanilla.
  5. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well.
  6. Fill cookie press with dough and fit with whichever disc you want.
  7. Press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.
  8. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on the pan, then transfer to cooling rack
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Peppermint Cream Corn Puffs

Perfect munchie for an evening of “Miracle On 34th Street,” or “One Magic Christmas,” or “Muppet Christmas Carol.” I could go on and on here. Sooo many incredible Holiday movies that we haven’t seen– in, well…a year.

Funny how that works.

If you love peppermint, and popcorn–but don’t like all the old maid surprises that come with real kernal-ly popcorn–then you are about to be saved! No, I mean it. This lovely stuff is crunchy and buttery and salty and then–you add creamy peppermint to it and…

well, all I can say is…

Oh. My. Word.

Here’s how to do it.

First, you pour corn puffs into a big bowl–I used about half the bag.

Then, crush about 20 candy canes–I used the blender so it was nearly a powder.

Melt one package of white chocolate–gently in a double boiler–or however you do it.

Now, mix the candy canes and the white chocolate. Add 1 tsp. of peppermint oil.

Pour over corn puffs and mix until pieces are coated. Allow to set on wax paper covered cookie sheet. If you’re in a real hurry–set it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Store in airtight container or large Ziploc bag.

If I could share a piece of this with you–you’d go right out and buy all the stuff to make it–this very minute. But since I can’t…you’ll have to just trust me on this.

 

 

Happy Birthday April!!

~ Oh, and if you’re inclined to do the “Twelve Days of Christmas” for someone special–here’s a lovely Nativity style— sure to warm a few hearts.

3.3 from 4 reviews
Peppermint Cream Corn Puffs
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 bag Corn Puffs
  • 20 medium candy canes
  • 1- 12 oz. package white chocolate morsels
  • 1 tsp. peppermint oil
Instructions
  1. First, you pour corn puffs into a big bowl--I used about half the bag.
  2. Then, crush candy canes--I used the blender so it was nearly a powder.
  3. Melt one package of white chocolate--gently in a double boiler.
  4. Now, mix the candy canes and the white chocolate.
  5. Add 1 tsp. of peppermint oil.
  6. Pour over corn puffs and mix until pieces are coated.
  7. Allow to set on wax paper covered cookie sheet.
  8. If you're in a real hurry--set it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
  9. Store in airtight container or large Ziploc bag.
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Pumpkin Spice Fudge

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In my never ending quest to find all the incredible pumpkin recipes on the face of the earth, that are NOT called pie–we’ve talked about this before— I came upon this recipe innocently enough on a blog called Family Bites. This amazing fudge is smooth, creamy and —I shutter to say—has all the positive traits of pumpkin pie without…you know…being…pumpkin pie. All the right spices and flavors in a little, bitty scrumptious pumpkiny morsel—that I dare you to leave alone for 10 minutes at a time. I know I couldn’t–and I’m incredibly brave.

It’s magic I tell you.

Beware…be-WARE!!

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Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 T. corn syrup

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

12 oz. white chocolate chips

7 oz. jar marshmallow cream

1 tsp. vanilla

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Directions:

Melt butter in a 3-1/2 quart saucepan. Add milk, pumpkin, and sugar. Stir over medium heat till sugar begins to dissolve, then add corn syrup and spice. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full boil. Allow the candy to boil for 10 minutes–stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of your mixer, blend marshmallow cream and vanilla for about a minute. Let sit.

Remove candy from heat and slowly add the white chocolate chips, a handful at a time. Stir until melted, then add the rest a bit at a time. Pour candy into marshmallow mixture and blend on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Immediately pour into a lightly buttered 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish. Allow to set for about 30 minutes. Cut in squares and cover with foil.

Move over pie–you’ve met your match!!

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5.0 from 1 reviews
Pumpkin Spice Fudge
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup butter
  • ⅔ cup evaporated milk
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 T. corn syrup
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 12 oz. white chocolate chips
  • 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in a 3-1/2 quart saucepan.
  2. Add milk, pumpkin, and sugar.
  3. Stir over medium heat till sugar begins to dissolve, then add corn syrup and spice.
  4. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full boil.
  5. Allow the candy to boil for 10 minutes--stirring occasionally.
  6. Meanwhile, in the bowl of your mixer, blend marshmallow cream and vanilla for about a minute.
  7. Let sit.
  8. Remove candy from heat and slowly add the white chocolate chips, a handful at a time.
  9. Stir until melted, then add the rest a bit at a time.
  10. Pour candy into marshmallow mixture and blend on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Immediately pour into a lightly buttered 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish.
  11. Allow to set for about 30 minutes.
  12. Cut in squares and cover with foil.

“If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.”

— Rabbi Harold Kushner

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The Fluffiest Whole Wheat Pancakes…

on the face of the earth.

And I should know–I ate about 37 of them…by myself–

when no one was looking.  Seriously, I’ve had whole wheat pancakes before and well, let’s just say, I didn’t go back for seconds.

But these ones…oh my. I would never have believed they were 100% whole wheat if I hadn’t made them myself–from my very own wheat that I personally ground that very morning…with a rock. Ok, not the rock part. But the rest is true. I expected to hate them, or tolerate them–at the most. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect to LOVE them–and here’s the crazy part–more than the packaged kind.

Whoa. Believe me…that’s big. Perhaps bigger still is the fact that they come together real fast and real easy. I’m all about easy.

The Fluffiest Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Pour ingredients into the blender in the order listed. Whirl until there are no lumps. You may have to scrape the sides. Pour about two Tbsp of batter onto hot griddle and cook until light brown.

I’ve doubled this recipe every time we’ve made it and we get a nice huge plateful. My thought is always to freeze half the batch to warm in the toaster the next morning. Alas, it hasn’t happened yet because they disappear too soon. Yeah, they’re that good.

Perhaps tripling is in order.

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5.0 from 1 reviews
The Fluffiest Whole Wheat Pancakes...
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp honey (optional)
Instructions
  1. Pour ingredients into the blender in the order listed.
  2. Whirl until there are no lumps.
  3. You may have to scrape the sides.
  4. Pour about two Tbsp of batter onto hot griddle and cook until light brown.

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Buttermilk Cornbread

On Thanksgiving morning, from the dawn of time–our family has had a special breakfast–fit, as-they-say, for the pilgrims themselves. It usually involves three very important things.

1) Gingerbread and whipped cream

2) Blueberry muffins and butter

and the star of the show—

3) CORNBREAD and honey butter!!

Now, typically–in the past, we’ve let Marie Calendar do most of the work in the cornbread department, but this year, we’ve stumbled upon a lovely recipe and tweaked it just a bit to suite our no yeast, no sugar adventure. It’s incredible and liable to give Miss Calendar quite a run for her money. Perfectly perfect!

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Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup honey

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8 inch square pan or round pie pan. Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter and honey until creamy. Add eggs and mix well. Add buttermilk and dry ingredients and beat until no lumps remain. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden on top.

5.0 from 2 reviews
Buttermilk Cornbread
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a 8 inch square pan or round pie pan.
  3. Stir together dry ingredients and set aside.
  4. Beat butter and honey until creamy.
  5. Add eggs and mix well.
  6. Add buttermilk and dry ingredients and beat until no lumps remain.
  7. Pour batter into pan.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden on top.