Hot Cocoa

Make a Smilebox recipe

This picture was from December of 2007- They Still Love Hot Chocolate and Snow.

Today Is National Cookie Day

In honnor of National cookie day, I am going to try out a new "cut-out" cookie recipe.


Almond Cocoa Cut-Outs
3/4 c. butter, softened
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
2-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. baking cocoa
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 c. chopped almonds

Combine butter, condensed milk, eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a large mixing bowl; mix well and set aside. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture until well blended. Stir in almonds. Divide dough into 4 portions; wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Chill for 2 hours; remove each portion when ready to roll out. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Arrange on lightly greased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. Makes 6 dozen.

recipes I want to try: Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies and Easy Swirled Fudge

Prep: 35 min., Freeze: 4 hr., Bake: 7 min. per batch, Cool: 35 min. These cookies are delicious eaten at room temperature, or chill them 30 minutes for a firm, cool filling.

Yield: Makes 4 dozen
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon red food coloring paste
* Parchment paper
* Peppermint Frosting

Preparation

1. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended, scraping bowl as needed.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle on a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.

4. Knead food coloring paste into remaining portion of dough while wearing rubber gloves. Roll tinted dough into a rectangle as directed in Step 3. Invert untinted dough onto tinted dough; peel off plastic wrap. Cut dough in half lengthwise, forming 2 (12- x 4-inch) rectangles. Roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side, using bottom piece of plastic wrap as a guide. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 month.

5. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut ends off each dough log, and discard. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Bake at 350° for 6 to 7 minutes or until puffed and set; cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

7. Place Peppermint Frosting in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe about 2 tsp. frosting onto half of cookies; top with remaining cookies, gently pressing to form a sandwich.
Southern Living, DECEMBER 2008

Frosting Recipe:


Ingredients

* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
* 2 cups powdered sugar
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

Preparation

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium, and gradually add milk and peppermint extract, beating until smooth.




Easy Swirled Fudge Recipe:



Prep: 15 min., Stand: 3 min., Chill: 2 hr. A very thin crust forms over the surface of the fudge while you microwave the white chocolate mixture. Don't be alarmed—once you swirl the two together, it will become smooth again.

Yield: Makes about 1 3/4 lb.
Ingredients

* Parchment paper
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar, sifted
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bar, chopped
* 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Preparation

1. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides.

2. Microwave butter in a large microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted. Gently stir in powdered sugar and next 3 ingredients. (Mixture will be lumpy.) Microwave 30 seconds; add vanilla.

3. Beat mixture at medium-low speed with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth. Pour into prepared pan, spreading to edges of pan.

4. Microwave white chocolate and whipping cream in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH until white chocolate is melted (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), stirring at 30-second intervals. Stir until mixture is smooth. Let stand 1 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spoon mixture over fudge in pan, swirling with a paring knife. Cover and chill until firm (about 2 hours).

Note: We tested in an 1,100-watt and a 1,250-watt microwave oven. Cook times will vary depending on your microwave wattage; be sure to follow the descriptions in the recipe for best results.
Southern Living, DECEMBER 2008

It Feels Like Winter Today

I Heard a Bird Sing

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember:
"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,"
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

Oliver Herford

Making: Lollipop Cookies

These Cookies were called Play dough cookies due the brightly colored dough. These were fun to make- the recipe was not that flavorful so next time I would add more vanilla or use a favorite sugar cookie dough recipe instead. The Boys loved how the cookies looked but said they tasted like "Play Dough".

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup butter, softened
* 3 ounces cream cheese
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* assorted colors of paste food coloring
* 24 lollipop sticks

Directions

1. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different food color. I used red, pink, lime green, and dark green. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Working with half of each color, shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place 1 pink, 1 green, 1 Dark Green and 1 red ball together to make 1 large ball. Shape into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a 2 3/4 inch round cookie. Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into bottoms of cookies.
4. Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Play Dough Cookie Recipe from all recipes

A Great Turkey Left-Over Recipe: Spicy Turkey Soup with Yogurt, Chickpeas, and Mint

A Great recipe from Simply Recipes:

Spicy Turkey Soup with Yogurt, Chickpeas, and Mint Recipe




Ingredients

* 1 cup water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup raw basmati rice (rinsed if package directs you to rinse)
* 4 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
* 2-3 cups cooked leftover turkey meat, dark or light, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 cup full-fat plain yogurt
* 1 large egg yolk
* 2 Tbsp flour
* 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
* 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
* 2 teaspoons sweet paprika (can also use smoked paprika for a smokey added touch)
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
* 3 Tbsp finely chopped mint
* Lemon wedges, for serving



1 Bring water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and rice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

2 In a medium saucepan, add the turkey stock and bring to a simmer, remove from heat. (If you are like us, and make your own homemade turkey stock and store it in glass jars, you can remove the lid from the jar and heat the stock in the microwave. You are just trying to warm up the stock in this step.)

3 Whisk together the yogurt, egg yolk, and flour in a large pot. Slowly add the heated stock, whisking after each small addition to incorporate. Heat to a simmer. Add the chickpeas, cooked turkey, and cooked rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Melt the butter on medium heat in a small skillet. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a couple minutes, until fragrant, then remove from heat.

Serve soup with a small amount of paprika butter sauce swirled on the surface. Sprinkle with chopped mint. Serve with lemon wedges. Squeeze lemon juice from the wedges onto the soup before eating.

Serves 4-6.

Turkey Spice Rubs

Cocoa-spice Rub
Combine 2 T cocoa, 2 T cumin, 1 1/2 T paprika, 1 T coriander, 2 tsp salt and fresh ground black pepper, 1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, and 1/2 tsp ground allspice in a bowl. Rub a 12 pound turkey with 4 T of olive oil, then apply 7 T of rub. We used this rub and then infused the turkey with extra rub mixed with olive oil and pale ale beer.

A few other Rubs to Try:

Provencal Rub
Pulse 1/2 cup Lavender, 1 T each of salt, fennel seeds, and dried thyme and 2 tsp of white peppercorns in to a grinder until mixture is fine but not powdery about 6 pulses. Rub 4 T of olive oil over and under the skin of a 12 pound turkey, then repeat with 6 T of herb rub.


Lemon-Sage Rub
Pulse 1/3 cup dried sage., 11/2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper in a spice grinder until coursely ground about 4 pulses. Whisk together 3 T lemon juice, 2 T grated lemon juice, 2 T grated lemon zest, 4 T olive oil, and 5 T ground spices for a 12 pound turkey.