Old-Fashioned Fruitcake

A true family favorite here! This is "Aunt Stella's Fruit Cake," and it's delicious (and labor intensive). As with many old-fashioned recipes, you'll have to use some intuition and general cooking know how. I can find many of these ingredients in my local grocery's bulk section, so I "eyeball" some of the amounts. Photos of some of the steps follow the main recipe. It's also part of The Recipe Box Project.

Old-Fashioned Fruitcake

• 1 pound butter
• 1 pound sugar
• 1 dozen eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds flour
• 1 t. nutmeg
• 1 t. cloves
• 1-2 t. cinnamon (we use 2)
• 1 t. allspice
• ~12-oz. raisins
• 1 pound candied cherries (we like a mix of green and red)*
• 1 1/2 pounds mixed candied fruit (pineapple, citron, lemon, and orange peel)*
• 1 "package" currants, optional (~6 ounces?)
• 1 "package" dried figs (~6 ounces?) or small jar fig preserves
• ~6-7 ounces dates, preferably chopped
• 1 pound nuts (we like pecans), preferably chopped
• cheesecloth
• bourbon

*you will need 2 1/2 pounds, total, of candied fruit. The more you can find already chopped, the better. Mixed fruit containers are fine, but you will want at least one small container of whole cherries if you want to use some to decorate the top.

Directions:

1. Prepare pans: line with parchment paper and spray thoroughly. We use aluminum loaf pans in various sizes. Preheat oven to 200-250 degrees (aim for the middle if you don't know your oven well).
2. Sift flour and spices together. Set aside.
3. Chop all fruit and nuts that aren't already chopped. You can combine them all in the same (large) bowl. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar together.
5. Beat eggs and gradually add to butter/sugar mixture, beating thoroughly as you go.
6. Gradually add in flour/spices mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition.
7. Add in preserves, if using.
8. Pour batter over fruit/nut mixture. Stir well with a giant, wooden spoon, or go ahead and use your hands! (This is what we do.)
9. Scoop batter into prepared pans.
10. Bake for around 3 hours in a "very low oven." Check after 2 1/2. You're looking for a clean toothpick, but also that the top looks done. 
11. Remove cakes from pans and let cool. When completely cooled, pour some bourbon over (you can poke a few holes in the top of the cakes with a toothpick for even more bourbon flavor).
12. Wrap cakes in cheesecloth. Place each cheesecloth-covered cake in a tin with a lid and let "cure" for a few weeks. It will taste best after a few weeks of this "curing" stage.
13. Fruitcakes may be frozen before the bourbon/cheesecloth stage. 

~Makes 3 standard loaf-pans.

Directions with some photos:

• Prepare pans: line with parchment paper and spray thoroughly. We use aluminum loaf pans in various sizes. Preheat oven to 200-250 degrees (aim for the middle if you don't know your oven well).
• Sift flour and spices together. Set aside.
• Chop all fruit and nuts that aren't already chopped. You can combine them all in the same (large) bowl. Set aside.

• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Beat eggs and gradually add to butter/sugar mixture, beating thoroughly as you go.
• Gradually add in flour/spices mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition.
• Add in preserves, if using.
• Pour batter over fruit/nut mixture. Stir well with a giant, wooden spoon, or go ahead and use your hands! (This is what we do.)

• Scoop batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for around 3 hours in a "very low oven." Check after 2 1/2. You're looking for a clean toothpick, but also that the top looks done. 

• Remove cakes from pans and let cool. When completely cooled, pour some bourbon over (you can poke a few holes in the top of the cakes with a toothpick for even more bourbon flavor).

• Wrap cakes in cheesecloth. Place each cheesecloth-covered cake in a tin with a lid and let "cure" for a few weeks. It will taste best after a few weeks of this "curing" stage.
• Fruitcakes may be frozen before the bourbon/cheesecloth stage. 

~Makes 3 standard loaf-pans. If you did it right, your kitchen will look something like this ;-) :

And, just for fun, a little peek into the recipe box archives:

German Gluhwein ("Glow Wine")

My parents just got back from a cruise on the Danube; every Christmas market they went to offered a version of this hot mulled wine treat. We enjoyed the version below when we were at home with them over Christmas; it's an adaptation of several recipes.

German Gluhwein

• 2 c. red wine
• 1 c. orange juice
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/4 c. sugar

Boil all ingredients except wine for 5 minutes. Add wine. Heat until hot; do not boil. Remove seasonings (we used a strainer when we poured the wine) and serve hot in a small mug.

~Makes 4 small servings

full tummies: Christmas edition

In the spirit of simplifying, spending more time with my family, and enjoying this Christmas season, I'm taking a bit of time off from the ol' blog!

But wait! I'm not leaving you faithful few readers high and dry. Below are links to some favorite holiday goodies here on full tummies--many of which I'll be making myself in the coming days and weeks. So feel free to browse around and try something new. You might also browse through the recipes tagged "Holiday" for more of our family favorites. Every year I make a Jesus Birthday Cake for Christmas Day; the type of cake varies, but this year I'm actually making one that's already here on full tummies: Chocolate Ice Box Cake. (And hopefully I'll remember to take a picture of it!)

No time to bake goodies for everyone you know? You might consider some of the following storebought treats to have out at your Christmas party or to wrap up with a bow for that faithful Sunday School teacher. Remember: presentation is everything: arrange a few cookies and nuts on a plate, bring along some hot cider, and surprise a school teacher mid-morning (this is what I did for my kids' teachers right before Thanksgiving--it was a big hit!). Use your own special china for displaying storebought cookies and toss that tell tale box! Particularly tasty options which won't break your bank:

• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Spiced Cider
• Aldi Choceur Chocolate Truffles (YUM!)
• Aldi Choceur Chocolate in general
• Aldi or Trader Joe's Speculatius cookies
• Gingersnaps--always a hit!

Easy desserts/snacks here on full tummies:
(Check out the entire Desserts index!)

• English Toffee (a shortbread base topped with melted chocolate)
• Gingersnaps
• Rich Rolled Sugar Cookies (perfect for decorating!)
• Shortbread (my signature cookie offering...)
• Peppermint Rounds
• Pine Bark Candy (saltines + brown sugar + butter + chocolate = amazing!)
• Haystacks (we've already made this one!)
• Toffee
• Erin's Caramel Delight
• Chex Winter Party Mix (the basic standby)
• Life Party Mix (a little sweeter than the Chex Mix)
• Cinnamon-Apple Chex Mix
• Sweet Spice Pecans (my other signature offering along with the shortbread)

Turkey Gravy

This worked out pretty well for my on the ol' turkey day this year. A bit of Paula Deen, a bit of storebought help, and a bit of desperation yielded a very suitable gravy that went great with our various gravy bases.

Turkey Gravy

~1/4 c. fat (drippings from roasting pan separated and/or butter)
~1/4 c. flour
~4 c. stock (I used storebought turkey stock!)
1 sweet potato, cut in half (and scrubbed)
few sprigs fresh rosemary

Melt fat in saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and keep stirring until nutty in fragrance and light brown. Whisk in stock slowly. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. Drop in the sweet potato and rosemary and let the gravy sit on "warm" and covered while your turkey finishes up. I think mine sat for close to an hour! Stir it every once in a while.

Roasted Sugar-Glazed Pears

These are a touch labor intensive, but they are delicious and very impressive to look at. We planned on one pear/person, but that ended up being a bit much since we had them as part of a larger buffet. If you're serving them as dessert, you will probably need one/person. We topped them with whipped cream; vanilla ice cream would also work. They are good on their own as well. (the picture above is not great; hopefully my father-in-law got a better one and will send me a copy....)

Roasted Sugar-Glazed Pears
~Saveur

7 firm pears (we used red; they were ripe, but not very soft)
3 tbsp. rum
2 tbsp. dried currants (we used raisins)
2 tbsp. golden raisins
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tbsp. blanched almonds, finely chopped 
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (we used regular dried)
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 2"-piece ginger, peeled and minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Zest and juice of 1 orange
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
½ cup sugar
1. Peel, core, and finely chop 1 pear and place it in a 2-qt. saucepan along with rum, currants, raisins, brown sugar, almonds, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ginger, and both zests and juices; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring, until mixture is soft and thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

2. Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" glass pie dish with butter; set aside. Combine remaining cinnamon with sugar in a bowl; set aside. Using a channel knife (like a "v"), cut a spiral pattern in the skin of each remaining pear from top to bottom, if you like. Carefully core each pear from the bottom with a melon baller, coring about 1½–2" deep. Divide stuffing among pears; brush outsides with butter and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Stand pears upright in the prepared dish, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar; bake until just tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

~Serves 6 or more

Post-Thanksgiving Wrap-up

Mmmm... I don't know about you, but I had a most tasty day yesterday with promise of similar comestibles awaiting me in my fridge today.

I've updated Mama Blanche's Biscuits with a newer photo and also added some process photos and notes to Grandmother's Cornbread Dressing (shown above). I also updated Grandmother's Fruitcake with some better process directions and a couple of photos--thanks, Mom! (if you're making a fruitcake for Christmas, do it NOW so it can, um..., soak for a month in its special grown-up flavor ☺). Otherwise, wait until January when all the candied fruit goes on sale, buy your fruit, and wait until this time next year!

I discovered a new way to make decent turkey gravy this year, tried out a new DELICIOUS roasted onion recipe, ate AMAZING roasted pears that my sweet hubby made, made an old childhood favorite and was pleased with my turkey and dressing! We had a wonderful time with family; I hope you had as good a day as we did.

I'll be posting the new recipes in the next couple of days--file them away for your next big turkey event (whether it's Christmas or next Thanksgiving!).

Enjoy your extend holiday weekend--hope you're enjoying it with family and friends away from the frenetic consumerism going on at your local stores....

Resurrection Rolls (aka Empty Tomb Rolls)

A fitting recipe on which to end my Lenten fast from blogging this year: resurrection rolls. Carrie and I first made these a couple of years ago, and they're yummy! Kids can help, and they are a fun visual reminder of what we will be celebrating this coming Easter Sunday in particular. Recipe can be increased as many times as you'd like. We've served these as snack food, as dessert, or as a breakfast treat.

1 tube crescent rolls
8 marshmallows
melted butter
cinnamon sugar mixture--just eyeball it (remember, cinnamon goes a long way)

Roll marshmallows in melted butter
Roll marshmallows in cinnamon sugar mixture
Wrap up each marshmallow in a crescent triangle, sort of making a rounded ball--seal up every little corner.

Bake according to directions on crescent roll tube--it is best if you make these on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.... they are quite gooey! The marshmallows melt (if they're not fully melted when you take them out of the oven, let them sit for a few minutes). Then, they look like the empty tomb!

Enjoy

Erin's Caramel Delight

My sister in law showed up to the big family Christmas gathering this year with a bag of this ADDICTIVE and AMAZING candy in tow. Yum, yum, yum. You've been warned: you will not be able to stop with just one bite. Don't say I didn't warn you. Don't blame me for your extra five pounds :-). Unfortunately, I have all the ingredients save the Puffcorn on hand... hmm.... maybe I'll restart Weight Watchers NEXT week.... (in case you don't know, Puffcorn looks like cheese puffs minus the cheese--same long, puffy shape.)

• 1 bag butter flavored Puffcorn
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup lite corn syrup
• 1 tsp baking soda 

 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda.  Place puffcorn in large roasting pan (such as an aluminum turkey roaster); pour sugar mixture over puffcorn and stir to coat.  Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. After baking, cool on waxed paper, separating candies as much as possible. 

Peppermint Candy Cake

Although I've rejected this cake as the "Jesus Birthday Cake" contender which I must then make each and every year, it's worth posting the recipe. This cake doesn't hold well once you put the candies on top and it's labor intensive (and I don't want to have to make it Christmas morning so that we can have it for lunch Christmas day--I need a contender which keeps better...stay tuned for this year's cake recipe!). But this cake is festive and very fun for kids to help with (they love crushing the candies)--it's also a great way to use up the candy canes that seem to multiply like rabbits!! (I so wish I had a picture to post of this--maybe it's in my archives from last year, and I can dig one up).

~From The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

• 2/3 c. butter or shortening (shortening is called for; I sub in butter)
• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 3 c. sifted cake flour
• 3 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/3 c. milk
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 4 egg whites
• Peppermint Filling (see below)
• 1 c. crushed hard peppermint candy (about 36 round ones, numerous candy canes), divided
• Boiled Frosting (see below)

1. Beat shortening or butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to shortening mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in vanilla.
3. Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter.
4. Pour batter into three greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool 10 more minutes on wire racks. While warm, prick cake layers at 1-inch intervals with a fork.
5. Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate; pour one-third of Peppermint Filling over layer, and sprinkle with 1/4 c. peppermint candy. Repeat with remaining layers, but don't sprinkle top layer with candy. Frost top and sides with Boiled Frosting; then sprinkle top and sides with remaining 1/2 cup peppermint candy.

Peppermint Filling

• 1/3 c. butter or margarine
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. milk
• 1/2 t. peppermint extract

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add sugar, milk, and peppermint extract; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  (Makes 1 1/3 cups)

Boiled Frosting

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 t. cream of tartar
• dash salt
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 t. peppermint extract

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is clear. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches soft ball stage or candy thermometer registers 240 degrees. 
2. While syrup cooks, beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; continue to beat egg whites, adding the hot syrup mixture in a heavy stream.
3. Add extract. Beat until stiff peaks form and frosting is thick enough to spread.

Mulling Spices

This is my new go to gift when I need to whip up a bunch of Christmas gifts (well, this and the Chai Concentrate Spice Mix). Together, they make a terrific (and inexpensive) little gift. Try natural foods stores for the resealable tea bags. You'll want to find tea pot sized ones for this. They are simple to reseal with a hot iron. You'll be able to find the spice ingredients easily at any whole foods store as well. I haven't tried the mulled wine version yet, but it's yummy sounding!

~Recipe from about.com

• approximately 14 resealable tea bags (or a tea ball if you're going to make just one serving)
• 3 ounces whole cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole nutmegs (1 ounce)
• 1/3 c. chopped dried orange peel
• 1/3 c. chopped dried lemon peel (I didn't use b/c my store didn't have)
• 1/4 c. allspice berries
• 1/4 c. whole cloves
• 2 T. finely chopped, crystallized ginger (1 ounce)

1. Place cinnamon sticks and nutmegs into a heavy freezer bag or leftover cereal or cracker bag. Hit the spices with the bottom of small heavy skillet or the flat side of a meat tenderizer to break them into small pieces. Place in a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients.
2. Place about 2 tablespoons mix into each tea bag. Seal up with a hot iron.
3. If giving as a gift, include the directions below.

Yield: 14 bags apple mulling spice mix (each will spice a 750 ml bottle of red wine - 3-1/4 cups wine or 1/2 gallon - 8 cups apple cider)

Mulled Wine Recipe Instructions

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
3-1/4 cups (750 ml bottle) red wine
1 mulling spice bag

Combine water and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add wine and spice bag. Heat very slowly over low heat, only until small bubbles form around the edge and wine is very hot. Do not boil. Discard spice bag and serve hot.

Mulled Apple Cider Recipe Instructions

8 cups (1/2 gallon) apple cider
1 mulling spice bag

Place apple cider in a 3-quart saucepan and add spice bag. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard spice bag and serve hot.

Shortbread for a Shortbread Pan or Mold

I've used the same shortbread recipe for years now, but I've always been a bit afraid that my precious shortbread cookie pan/mold would crack after being chilled and then popped into a hot oven. I tried the recipe this year that actually came with the pan (there's a novel idea), and it works beautifully! If you have a pan, use this recipe; if you don't have a shortbread cookie pan, use the other. They are quite similar; this one doesn't call for chilling the dough, so I feel safer using it with my pan.

Photos will come when I can get my camera and computer to get along again!

~From recipe booklet that came with the pan!

• 1/2 c. butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 1/3 c. powdered sugar, unsifted
• 1 c. flour, unsifted*

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan lightly with cooking spray if it's new and/or hasn't been used much.
2. Cream butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add powdered sugar and cream again.
4. Mix in flour by hand; when you can stir no longer, dump the whole crumbly mess onto an unfloured board or counter. Knead by hand until soft and pliable. 
5. Press firmly into pan.
6. Prick lightly with a fork in a few places.
7. Bake 30-35 minutes or until light brown around edges.
8. Let cool in pan 10 minutes.
9. Flip over onto a cooling rack; tap until shortbread comes out (I have a cooling rack that is about the same width as my pan. I put it on top, flip the two over together, and tap the whole contraption on the counter a few times. Believe it or not, the shortbread will pop out in one piece!)
10. Cut with sharp knife while still hot. Let cool before eating (yeah, right). 

*It is best to use a Northern/hard flour rather than a softer, Southern flour for this recipe. Reach for King Arthur over White Lily.

Pecan Shortbread

I make shortbread every single year without fail, no matter what else I do or don't make around Christmas. This year, I broke from tradition and tried "Nut Shortbread." Oh. my. goodness. Yum. yum. yum. This recipe is for a shortbread mold or cookie pan; if you don't have one, I bet a pie plate would work since they're about the same shape. I don't know if the shortbread would pop out at the end as easily or not, but it's worth trying. Or, just pat the shortbread into a flat square/circle about the diameter of a pie plate on a cookie sheet and score it lightly with a knife before baking. This recipe is similar to Pecan Cookies, but I like the texture better--these are more like Pecan Sandies.

~from recipe included with shortbread mold

• 1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar, unsifted
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/4 c. ground nuts (I used pecans and just whirled them in a food processor until crumbly)
• 1 c. flour, unsifted, minus 2 T. flour
• 1 T. cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cream butter until light and fluffy.
3. Cream powdered sugar with butter until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
4. Stir in nuts.
5. Stir in flour--when you can stir no more, dump the whole mess (it will be VERY crumbly) onto an unfloured rolling surface (counter, board, etc.), and knead by hand until soft and pliable.
6. Press firmly into shortbread pan. Prick top with a fork in a few places.
7. Bake until light brown at edges, 30-35 minutes.
8. Let cool in pan 10 minutes.
9. Flip over onto a cooling rack; tap until shortbread comes out (I have a cooling rack that is about the same width as my pan. I put it on top, flip the two over together, and tap the whole contraption on the counter a few times. Believe it or not, the shortbread will pop out in one piece!)
10. Cut with sharp knife while still hot. Let cool before eating (yeah, right). 

Note: shortbread is best stored in a tin lined with wax paper. It should keep nicely for a few days this way, so you can make it before you need/want to give it away.

Holiday Snacks and Sweets

In March, the hubby and I began a Weight Watchers experiment which, to our delight, was a success! But... unfortunately... the recent influx of holiday-related goodies is starting that scale to inch back in the wrong direction! AAGGHH... and we have a few weeks to go!

So, what's a girl (or guy) to do in the face of all of these irresistible sweets and snacks? In the past, I myself have contributed freely to the mass gluttony occurring all around me by baking and cooking up a storm.

This year? Not so much. So, first rule in avoiding overconsumption of holiday calories? Don't bake/cook as many goodies if you can't resist them.

Second rule? Give healthier gifts. I'll still make a batch of shortbread to pass out to select few. And I might whip up 1 batch of pecans. But for mass teacher gifts this year, I gave out Chai concentrate spice mix. (and it was a huge hit!)

Third rule? Choose your recipes and occasions wisely. Our families identify lots of foods with this time of year, but that doesn't mean our own immediate families must consume each recipe's worth of our favorites. For instance, I needed to bring 1 dozen cookies/per kid to a cookie-decorating party (I have 3 kids). I found a recipe that made 3 1/2 dozen smallish cookies (no giant 5-inch cookies here).

I made lowfat gingerbread men (which taste great) so we could decorate those for our yearly gingerbread extravaganza--but we made them the day before a party and passed most of the cookies out at the party.

I made Gingersnaps to send to a family on moving day (and saved just a few back for us to enjoy).

And I made Chex Mix for a family get together that would include lots of folks to help nosh on it...rather than having a batch sort of always on hand at this time of year for just us.

Some healthy (yet still delicious) food items to consider for gifts--teacher and/or hostess and/or others!

• Granola packed in a Mason jar (this has been a BIG hit with folks)
• Chai Concentrate spice mix
• Mulling Spices mix (very tasty)
• Spice Tea Mix (not so healthy, but it won't tempt you to keep snacking...) 

We'll still indulge in the big days' events (Thanksgiving, Christmas, our upcoming birthdays), but hopefully the in between days won't be so full of extras.

Rich Rolled Sugar Cookies

While I still enjoy making our Valentine sugar cookies, I've been looking for a recipe that doesn't make quite as many. Found it! I realize I could have halved the old recipe, but I'm glad I found this one below. Easy to make and little mess to clean up; the downside is that you use a significant amount of wax paper. Still, they are delicious! These are a good candidate for cookies that you just want to sprinkle some colored sugar on before baking. They remind me of the flavor of shortbread.

~From Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition

•  1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened*
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. salt*
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla
• 2 1/3 c. flour

*if using salted butter, omit salt later

1. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg, baking powder, salt, and vanilla; beat until well combined.
3. Stir in flour until well blended and smooth (or keep using your mixer).
4. Divide dough in half. Place each half between 2 large sheets of wax paper or parchment paper. Roll out to a scant 1/4 inch thick, checking the underside of the dough and smoothing any creases. Keeping the paper in place, layer the rolled dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate until cold and slightly firm but not hard, about 20-30 minutes.
5. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets (unless using stoneware).
6. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time (leave the other refrigerated), gently peel away and repalce 1 sheet of the paper. (This will make it easier to lift the cookies from the paper later.) Peel away and discard the second sheet. Cut out the cookies using 2- or 3-inch cutters. With a spatula, transfer them to the cookie sheets, spacing about 1-inch apart. Roll the dough scraps and continue cutting out cookies until all the dough is used; briefly refrigerate the dough if it becomes too soft to handle (this dough warms up quickly!). Lay extra shapes on lightly floured wax paper if your cookie sheets aren't big enough to hold all the cutouts from the initial layer. Leave other dough portion in refrigerator until you're finished with first.
7. Sprinkle with decorator sugar if desired.
8. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, just until the cookies are lightly colored on top and slighly darker at the edges, 6 to 9 minutes (or more); rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even browning. Remove sheet to a rack and let it stand until cookies firm slightly. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.**

**I just put the sheets from the oven onto my stovetop instead of a "rack" since I use heavy stoneware. This frees up my actual cooling racks for the cookies themselves.

~Makes 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 dozen 2 1/2 - 3 1/2- inch cookies

Festive Food!

So many of our festive traditions for various holidays revolve around the food! We are looking forward to our usual Christmas morning menu around here:

• Scotch eggs (breakfast sausage wrapped around hard-boiled eggs, rolled in bread crumbs, and, um, fried--although we bake ours because I don't feel like cleaning up that kind of mess on Christmas morning)
• Scones
• fruit

We have zero plans, so far, for any kind of Christmas lunch/dinner. We'll be en route to see family by then, so we'll see what's on tap at our destination. We DO have plans for yet another cake. Each year, I've been trying to come up with a good "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake that we can have each year as part of our tradition. So far, the tradition is that Mommy experiments by making a totally new cake every year. I guess that's still a tradition! They've all been good... just not quite what I want/need for a yearly thing. This year's candidate? A lemon-raspberry layer cake that is actually fairly simple looking (mwha-ha-ha-ha.... maniacal laughter ensuing). Isn't that sort of a holiday Murphy's law? If a recipe is supposed to be easy, but you're making it for any sort of occasion, something WILL go wrong?

But, just for the record, growing up we had Chocolate Icebox Cake every year and it really is awesome. ("Why doesn't she make that?" someone is no doubt asking themselves. "Because she's not in the mood to make that, and it's hard to find the ladyfinger," she responds. "Can't she make ladyfingers?" "Why yes, yes she can. Her trusty Joy of Cooking does indeed have a recipe for those. But this is about enjoying her family and not biting off more than she can chew....")

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Supper

For some strange reason, my kids are not huge fans of the Thanksgiving feast (sigh). Instead of serving up the same food for supper that they'd rejected at lunch, I pulled a Charlie Brown stunt--and this is going to be our new Thanksgiving evening tradition for whoever wants it. Although marshmallows were a good substitute, I plan to have jelly beans on hand next year!

• pretzels
• popcorn
• jelly beans (we subbed in leftover marshmallows)
• toast (we did crackers)
• something fun to drink

The kids loved it, and it was super easy to throw together while we adults made amazing turkey sandwiches and added in a side of marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes :-).

Thanksgiving Menu

This year, we're keeping our Thanksgiving pretty simple. It's been a hard, crazy semester with lots of travel, lots of school work (mostly for me), lots of work at church (our church is getting ready to move into its new building), etc. We're not going anywhere; instead, we've invited some good friends over (they're in the midst of moving, so they'll be bringing easy, storebought stuff).

• Roast Turkey (of course)
• Stovetop Stuffing (sigh--my little Southern heart will miss dressing, but none of us has time this year to really make anything labor intensive and we all like Stovetop)
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows on top (the kids are gonna love this!)
• Spinach Maria (mmmmm) 
• rolls
• cranberry sauce
• apple-cranberry pie
• pumpkin pie

We might throw in a fruit dish or something else.... but our goal is to enjoy each other's company, not stress out, and relax!

Holiday Hosting: Get Ready!

If you're like me, you will be hosting at least one holiday get together of some sort over the next couple of months (we're on deck to host 3 so far--all with significant numbers). Here are my favorite strategies for making this as low stress as possible.

1. KISS: Yep. Keep It Simple no matter what. Your food offerings don't need to be the absolute best and most amazing your guests have ever seen and/or eaten. Your decorations don't need to be the latest Martha Stewart creation or an amazing bounty of natural goodness. Most guests just appreciate the warmth of a loving home and good, basic food at this time of year--especially if you're hosting folks for one of the big days who can't make it to their own family's homes (i.e Thanksgiving or Christmas Day).

2. Routine: Starting TODAY, if you don't have good routines in place for keeping your home picked up, put routine in your life. We just started a new one last night: 7 minute dash downstairs to pick up as much as possible followed by a 5 minute dash in bedrooms. Each kid is given a laundry basket downstairs and given a specific thing to collect and put back (shoes, clothes, and toys-that-belong-upstairs). This doesn't get everything, but hopefully it will help us keep clutter to a dull roar. I clean up my kitchen every night--completely. Enough kitchen "stuff" accumulates this time of year as baking begins in earnest; stay on top of it.

3. Shop Ahead: pick out your favorite holiday treats and beverages and buy those supplies now. I like to keep hot tea selections, coffee, hot chocolate mix, and chai concentrate on hand. I also make at least one batch of wassail, so I start looking now for those ingredients as well. I know I'll be making several batches of shortbread, at least one batch of gingersnaps, at least one batch of haystacks, and a few other goodies. So I start accumulating those ingredients as well (butter freezes nicely!). I've already bought pecans for my Sweet Spice Pecans. Make sure you're also thinking about containers for gifts you plan to send to your child's teachers, your pastor, and other people in your life. Stores like Dollar Tree start stocking inexpensive tins, but they can sell out as the season progresses.

4. POTLUCK! I've yet to host a gathering where I actually provided all the food. The past couple of years, I've adopted this strategy:  I provide all drinks and paper products and the guests end up bringing the food. (I don't use this approach when I'm hosting one of the big days' main meals; this is for holiday parties and the like.) Most guests are happy to bring something to contribute. We often do appetizer parties--folks bring heavy hors d'oevres and desserts, and there is plenty to eat.

Christmas Wassail

One of the family recipes! (from my husband's side...)This makes A LOT; it also keeps for a few days, so you can make it ahead of time for a big party. It will make your house smell wonderful while it's simmering. Perfect for those holiday gatherings ahead.

• 2 (46-oz) apple juice
• 2 (46-oz) pineapple juice
• 2 c. orange juice
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 t. whole cloves
• 1 qt. water
• 1 c. lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick

Bring water, sugar, and spices to a boil, and boil for a few minutes. Strain. Add juices and refrigerate. That's it!

Heat on the stove in a large stockpot if serving for a party. Otherwise, you can heat it by the cup. Mmm...

Peppermint Frosting

This is a simple, rich buttercream frosting with peppermint extract added. I've noticed that peppermint extract loses some of its potency after a day, so make this the day you plan to eat it. It makes terrific frosting for Chocolate Cupcakes.

~Recipe from America's Test Kitchen Family Favorites Cookbook

• 2 T. whole milk (or heavy cream)
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1 1/2 t. peppermint extract
• pinch salt (if using unsalted butter)
• 2 1/2 cups butter (salted or unsalted), softened/at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• food coloring, if desired

1. Combine milk and extracts; stir in salt to dissolve, if using.
2. Beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy (30-60 seconds).
3. Beat in powdered sugar on medium-low speed until smooth and fluffy (2-4 minutes).
4. Beat in liquids until completely mixed.
5. Add food coloring, if desired. The frosting in the picture was tinted with about 4 drops red food coloring.
6. Frost!

Makes about 3 cups--enough for 24 cupcakes (or 12, if you want to really slather it on... like those pictured), a sheet cake, or a 2-layer cake