by Rogenna Brewer
My grandmother had a long standing tradition of baking Christmas Cookies every year on the 10th of December. I don't know why she choose that day. But I believe there was some logic to it. This was a woman who hand-painted dishtowels with days of the week and corresponding chores for those days.
Feeling nostalgic my mom and I got together last year on the 10th and went all out in introducing my four-year-old niece to the world of holiday traditions. After all my aunt and cousin manage to get together every year the day after Thanksgiving to do their baking.
We made a big mess. Had a lot of fun. And way too many men in the kitchen with unsolicited advice.
This Friday I invited my son's fiancée over to bake cookies so we could get to know each other a little better. Before the wedding. Before the baby. Did I mention I'm going to be a grandma before next Christmas? A very young grandma.
We made cookies for the kids to take home. Some for her to ship off to her dad in Afghanistan. If I'd been on the ball like my grandmother, they wouldn't be late. Anyway, it's the thought that counts. And I got a nice text from her afterward saying she had fun.
I know I did. So why does it feel like it's going to be such a chore? Are you a regimented baker? Or a fly by baker like me?
Monday was the cookie exchange at work and I thought it would be kind of fun to have our own cyber cookie exchange here. I've finally mastered fudge making after years of wasting chocolate chips. Okay, I had to Google it. But this Dark Chocolate Cherry Fudge recipe sounded so good I didn't want to wind up with another batch of grainy goo.
The secret (I've added to this Nestle's original recipe) is Cream of Tartar and IT WORKS! NO MORE GRAINY FUDGE!
~ NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® ~
Ingredients
Directions
Rogenna's Footnotes
Add 1/4 t Cream of Tartar during step #2 to prevent sugar from crystalizing. NO MORE GRAINY FUDGE!
Please share a holiday recipes here! I'll be giving away a nutcracker ornament and an autographed copy of Mitzi's Marine, which happens to be set during the Christmas holiday and has a Nutcracker theme running through it. Mitzi's Marine recently garnered a mention in the December 5th issue of Time Magazine.
Please share a holiday recipes here! I'll be giving away a nutcracker ornament and an autographed copy of Mitzi's Marine, which happens to be set during the Christmas holiday and has a Nutcracker theme running through it. Mitzi's Marine recently garnered a mention in the December 5th issue of Time Magazine.
37 comments:
Rogenna, a lovely story. I'll definitely be making this fudge. Congratulations on Time Magazine...I might have to start name-dropping!
Karina
My Mother makes a Port Wine Trifle that is divine. It’s very simple:
Port: as much or as little as you want to soak in the cake
Raspberry Jelly: just use half the recommended water, you want it firm to cut into bite sized into squares
Bananas: sliced up
Vanilla Custard:
Sponge Cake: cut the cake into bite sized squares.
Fold all the ingredients gently through.
You can buy the cake & custard – but it’s best when made from scratch.
Just use amounts enough for however many people you want to feed.
I've just pulled my last batch of shortbread cookies out of the oven -- phew! (Quite literally, it was really hot today and having the oven on for a couple of hours was a dumb idea!) This recipe looks delicious -- and no oven baking required -- yay!
OMG, thank you for the reminder! A girlfriend loved my butter tarts earlier this month and requested that we do an exchange "before Christmas" - she'd get some tarts from me and I'd get some shortbread cookies from her. Last night she said she made my cookies, and she'd pick up those 24 tarts this afternoon - and I haven't made them yet! Yowsers!
Before I forget, here's the recipe:
Laney’s Butter Tarts
1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar
⅔ cup (160 mL) corn syrup
2 eggs
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
24-30 frozen mini tart shells (or make your own)
Mix all above ingredients well. (I sometimes use the electric mixer and other times use a rubber spatula.) Pour into tart shells. Bake in 425oF (220oC) preheated oven for 13 minutes.
* Can add raisins if you like.
Woke up to snow this morning :)
LOL--Karina. Marybelle, who wouldn't love a recipe that starts out, "Port: as much or as little as you want..."
Emmie, is it summer where you live?
Laney, thanks for the recipie! guess you'd better get busy baking :)
Merry Christmas, Rogenna. Thanks for the fudge tip. This is what we are making for Christmas breakfast. It's so good.
Baked French Toast Casserole
Recipe by Paula Deen.
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for
garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9
by
13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large
bowl,
combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg
and salt
and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly.
Pour
mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the
milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover
with
foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until
puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for
Baked French Toast Casserole
Rogenna, loved your cookie baking story. I'll just share my mother's secret for Christmas cut out cookies. She rolled out the dough in powdered sugar rather than flour and they had that extra spark of sweet.
Merry Christmas
Yum! Fudge is an excellent, excellent food. Never heard the cream of tartar trick, but then I am a fudge consumer, not a fudge maker.
I love seeing the diversity in the treats we're sharing. I'm going Tammy's route and sharing our Christmas breakfast recipe.
I looked for years for a recipe for cinnamon roll dough that would work in the bread machine. I finally found one that I love. It's at AllRecipes.com here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cinnamon-rolls-ii/Detail.aspx.
Congrats on becoming a grandmother.. What wonderful traditions you will be able to share with your grandchild in the coming years.
My grandmother and grandfather when they were both alive would make shortbread cookies. It was a recipe that was brough over from Scotland by my great, great grandmother. This would be something we would help with every Christmas. Grandma always gave a cake of shortbread to the milkman, mailman, the doctor and she would let us take some to our teachers.
My cousin inherited the recipe and I hope she has shared it with her kids and grandkids...
Marry Christmas to all
That snow I mentioned...
half the people called in at work.
Thank you, Tammy. I've been wanting a good baked French Toast recipe.
Rogenna, thank you for the recipe and also for the cream of tartar hint! And it's VERY cool about the article in Time magazine--congrats! I used to do a lot of cookie baking at Christmas, then stopped when I realized I was my own biggest customer. :-) Since fudge seems to be popular I'll return your favor with my grandmother's recipe for peanut butter fudge:
Peanut Butter Fudge
3 cups sugar
1/3 cup light Karo syrup
2/3 cup evaporated milk
6 TB butter
pinch salt
1 TB vanilla
14 large marshmallows
1 cup peanut butter
Mix first 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to slow boil and let cook ½ hour. Add marshmallows and blend. Add peanut butter and blend. Quickly pour into greased 8”x8” pan and cool.
Thank you for the other wonderful recipes! Merry Christmas, everyone!
Ro,
Thanks for the recipe and the tip. I need all the help I can get.
Congratulations on the new grandbaby. You're going to be a wonderful grandma.
Wow, I love all these recipes!
I loved all these recipes--thank you! Rogenna, congratulations on the coming grandbaby!
Ro, love the recipe exchange! I need more fattening food.
Here's my contribution. Don't be put off by the long instructions. These are really easy and so delicious.
Chocolate Florentines
Graham wafers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flaked almonds (I toast them lightly first to give them more taste)
packet dark chocolate chips
Oil a 15 X 10 " cookie sheet with sides. Arrange wafers to cover pan. Melt butter, and brown sugar and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not boil. Spoon mixture over wafers. Sprinkle flaked almonds over top. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 7 minutes. Turn oven off, open door and cool for about one hour. About 30 minutes into the hour sprinkle over a packet of chocolate chips and leave. At the end of the hour, spread the still warm choc chips around evenly. Cut the wafers, also while still warm, otherwise they'll stick to the pan.
Congratulations Gramma :) congrats on being mentioned in Time also. I don't bake anymore and never did bake for Christmas, so don't really have any recipes to share. Mostly when I do bake a cake or something I follow the instructions on the box!
I don't bake but the recipe combines my two favorite foods ~ dark chocolate and cherries so I may have to try your recipe.
I am going to try the cream of tarter thing, never thought of that before.
~ OATMEAL RAISIN SPICE COOKIES IN A JAR ~
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup raisins
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Layer ingredients in order given in a 1 quart "wide mouth" canning jar. It will be a tight fit, make sure you firmly pack down each layer in place before adding the flour mixture.
Instructions to attach to jar:
Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies
1. Empty jar of cookie mix into large mixing bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly blend mix.
2. Add: 3/4 cup butter or margarine softened at room temp. Stir in one egg, slightly beaten. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. 3. Mix until completely blended. You may need to finish mixing with your hands. 4. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. DO NOT USE WAXED PAPER. 5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to baking racks to finish cooling. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
If you decorate the jars.These make cute little gifts for someone you want to do a little something for. Very tasty!
Congrats on the grandbaby
Yum, Mary! Sounds like a good way to avoid the bitter aftertaste from flour when rolling the dough scraps into a second and third ball.
Wish I had a bread machine, Ellen.
So I'm home from a long day at work. My husband had to 4-wheel drive me into work and pick me up again because of the snow.
I'll be reading and catching up to all the posts in a bit.
Thank you, Kathleen.
I hope your cousin shares the recipe with you!
Kathy, being my own biggest customer is my problem too. I have a houseful of men who don't eat sweets. But that doesn't mean I won't try your grandmother's fudge.
And FYI for anybody thinking it, yes, I know fudge isn't technically a cookie :)
Thank you, Linda. I'm excited. I don't have any girls so a daughter-in-law is the next best thing :)
You're welcome for the recipes, Cathryn! I don't think the whole grandma thing has suck in yet.
Joan, do any of us really NEED fattening food. But, ya!
Ellen, try it you'll like it :)
Although, I should warn everybody my husband pooh-poohed the fudge because the dried cherries looked and tasteed like raisins.
Don't try canned cherries because I ruined a batch that way. But next time I'll try candied cherries.
There's a gal at work who makes cookie jars every year and I just love it. Great gift idea, Virginia. Even for those who don't like to bake.
Hi Rogenna ~ Sorry,I've been busy today and now I have a headache so no recipes from me. I don't bake much anymore. Hope you have a Merry Christmas
Kaelee, it's a busy time of year! Merry Christmas.
Hi Rogenna,
I bake birthday cakes but no Christmas cookies. My husband makes biscotti, those twice-baked Italian fingers. Very tasty.
Congrats on Time magazine- but link only lets subscribers read so I didn't get to see your name. :(
Merry Christmas.
Sorry I missed you yesterday... Congratulations on becoming a grandma. Sooo exciting.
I bake with my kids and grandbaby and even dh. A lot of fun.
Congratualtions on the mention in Time - wahoo!
Have a Merry Christmas
Hi Laura,
I think I could get onboard with the husband doing the baking :) Sorry the link is just the teaser.
Hey Linda;
Thank you, yes. I'm very excited.
Merry Christmas, everyone. I just popped back in to get that French Toast recipe for tomorrow morning
I love baking cookies with my daughter every year. Usually we make spritz cookies, rum balls, wreath "cookies" (really corn flakes, marshmallow creme, butter, and green food coloring shaped into a wreath with red hots as the holly berries), and sometimes cut-out cookies, too, when we're organized enough (not often). This year, because time was at a premium, we only did the spritz cookies (two varieties), but we still enjoyed them!
Here's one of my spritz recipes.
Cream Cheese Spritz:
1 cup softened butter
1 (3 oz.) pkgs softened cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Madagascar Pure Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream butter and cream cheese together.
Add sugar and mix well until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix well.
Gradually add flour and salt to creamed mixture.
Shape dough in small logs and place in cookie press. Press cookies onto cool, ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Sotre in airtight container at cool room temperature for several weeks or freeze for two months.
P.S. Congratulations on becoming a grandmother! Your holiday baking traditions will be a wonderful thing to share with a grandchild!
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