Butter Spritz Cookies

Last year I acquired my Great Aunt Geral's cookie press.  I hadn't used it all year so I was determined to give it a try for Christmas.  Looking at the assortment of dies that came along with the press, the Christmas tree was the obvious choice.

Take a look at some of these options though:  dog, camel, butterfly, clover, spade?  What would you ever use a camel for?!  Where are the Christmas dies I would have thought were included with the cookie press like the wreath and the snowflake?  At least the heart and clover give me an excuse to whip up some spritz cookies for other holidays.  I think the two oddball tips in the top left are for frosting.

I was a little nervous to try spritz cookies because of the bad experience using a different cookie press a few years ago.  I am happy to report that I didn't have any trouble this time around.  I don't know if it was the cookie press, the recipe, the temperature of the dough or having perfect conditions all around, but getting the dough out of the press and onto the baking sheet was a breeze. And there was minimal dough pushed behind the inside plate (which was the major problem I had when I tried that other cookie press).

When I was making these cookies, Kevin said he didn't like spritz cookies, but it turns out he likes these ones.  He can't keep his hands off them!  It turns out that these are my dad's favorite Christmas cookie (they remind him of his childhood).  I had no idea!  Needless to say spritz cookies will be added to my holiday must-bake list.

Butter Spritz Cookies

Adapted from Emily at Sugar Plum

Yield: Emily says 4 dozen, but I got about 6 dozen small cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (this is very important!)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

Food coloring

Colored sugar or sprinkles (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and desired amount of food coloring until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just combined.

Put on your die of choice, then fill the cookie press with dough.  Form* the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle your garnish on the cookies if using.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool 1-2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

* The cookie press I have uses a method where you turn the knob at the end, other types of presses use a trigger method.  For my particular model, I had to turn the knob about a quarter turn, then lift up for smaller cookies.  It seems that most cookies presses available today are the trigger type.  Use one crank for smaller cookies and 2-3 cranks for larger cookies.

Smoky Corn Chowder

The past few months I've really started getting into soups, but this is one soup I've been making since the February 2008 issue of Real Simple magazine.  It's delicious and so darn quick and easy.  All of the ingredients are already in my kitchen except the half and half, but in a pinch you could substitute milk. 

This soup is great as an entree with some good bread and a salad.  I have also served the Smoky Corn Chowder in a shot glass (or other small vessel) as an amuse-bouche before the meal.

Smoky Corn Chowder

Adapted from Real Simple, Feb 2008

Yield: 2 quarts

8 oz sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp kosher salt

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen corn

1 cup half and half

4 scallions (optional)

1 baguette (optional)

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings.  Return the pan to medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic, paprika, red pepper, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Stir in the corn, broth, and half and half and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender (in small batches) and puree until smooth.  Return to the pot and taste; adjust seasoning if needed. 

Divide the soup among bowls and top with the scallions and bacon.  Serve with bread, if desired.

Mushroom Risotto

This mushroom risotto is creamy, earthy and delicious.  It's the perfect side dish or entree to warm you up on these cold winter days.

Don't be scared of making risotto, it's not the huge labor of love people make it out to be.  You can either make it the more traditional way (adding small amounts of stock at a time) or the easy way (dump the stock all at once).  It does take about 20 minutes for each method, but it's not all active work.  You can prep something else, while keeping your eye on the risotto.  I definitely recommend you try this recipe. 

A word of the wise when making risotto: make sure the stock is hot.  If it's not hot, you'll slow down the cooking process and your risotto will take longer to finish.

Mushroom Risotto

Adapted from Simply Recipes

4 Tbsp (half stick) butter

2 cups mixed mushroom varieties (such as white button, shiitake, chanterelle, or portabello mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces)

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 1/2 cups chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup shallots, minced (can substitute onion)

1 cup arborio rice

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute about 5 minutes (if using chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter). Add white wine, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add cream, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

In a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan, heat oil and remaining butter on medium low. Add shallots or onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with butter and oil. 

Adding Stock Method 1:  Add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 20 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.

Adding Stock Method 2:  Dump all the simmering stock into the rice mixture all at once, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  This process will take about 20 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.

Stir in the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with parsley (if using). 

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

This dish was all about leftovers.  I had leftover ham and rice in the fridge and I needed something that would give us leftovers for the rest of the week.  This casserole certainly did the trick, and it tasted great too.

Jacques Pepin taught me a trick about broccoli.  When you buy it fresh, don't throw away the stalk.  Just peel or cut off the rough outside skin of the stalk to expose the insides.  Once cooked, the tender stalk pieces are my favorite part of the broccoli (and Jacques')!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Yield: 6 servings

1 pound fresh broccoli (about 4 cups), chopped

Salt for blanching water

2 cups cooked ham, chopped

1 cup cooked rice

1/3 cup flour

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cream

1 cup milk

2 to 3 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper (1 to 2 teaspoons if using fine ground black pepper)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp Dijon mustard

8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 Tbsp salt for 2 quarts of water). Add the broccoli and boil for 3-5 minutes or until just tender enough so that a fork can easily pierce the floret, but still firm. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

While the water in step one is coming to a boil, cook the bacon pieces on medium heat in a frying pan until lightly browned, but not crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425. Butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. In a bowl, whisk the eggs into the flour, then whisk in the cream and milk. Add the black pepper (more or less to taste), salt, and mustard. Mix in about a third of the cheese.

Place the parboiled broccoli florets in the casserole dish, sprinkling about a third of the cheese over the broccoli as you lay them down. Sprinkle the ham and rice over the broccoli. Pour the egg, cream, milk, cheese mixture over the broccoli, moving the broccoli pieces a bit so that the mixture gets into all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until set. Once the top has browned, you may want to tent with aluminum foil to keep from burning.

English Toffee

I love me some toffee!  I've been wanting to make it forever, but haven't until now.  Candy involving a candy thermometer can be temperamental.  Having attempted other types of candies, I knew that it was important to have all the ingredients measured and ready.  This technique is called mise en place and I should really do it with all my recipes, but most of the time I don't. 

My first attempt to make English Toffee went really well, until the very end.  When the candy was ready to be poured into the prepared pan, I removed the candy thermometer and dropped it into the molten liquid.  The glass of the thermometer broke, and I couldn't find any traces of it anywhere.  Not knowing what else to do at the moment, I transferred the candy to the pan and let it cool.  After breaking a piece off and examining it for glass, I tasted it, and it was excellent.  It's a real shame the batch was ruined by glass because for my first attempt, this toffee could not have turned out more perfect.  It was buttery, nutty and had a perfect sweet crunch.

I had enough butter and slivered almonds in the house to make another batch the next day.  I awkwardly used my digital thermometer (nothing to attach it to the pot like my candy thermometer had).  Other than the thermometer, I did everything the same as before, however the replacement batch did not turn out as well.  The second time around, near the end of the cooking process, the butter and sugar started separating.  I couldn't get it to come back together, but I soldiered on and spread it into the pan.  Once it cooled for a minute I took a few paper towels and tried to get rid of the excess butter that was pooling.   Before it cooled too much in the pan, I used a knife to score the candy to make more uniform pieces once broken apart.  The toffee ended up tasting fine, but the texture turned out a little grainy.  Not willing to waste another pound of butter, I decided that these were good enough and coated them in chocolate and chopped nuts.

Marilyn's English Toffee

From America's Test Kitchen

Yield: About 3 pounds

1 lb unsalted butter
1/2 tea. table salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. water
1 cup slivered almonds (do not use sliced almonds)
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (chips are fine)
1 1/2 - 2 cups lightly toasted pecans (or walnuts), finely chopped

Melt 3/4 of chocolate over hot water or in a microwave oven at half power for 2-3 minutes. When melted, stir in remaining chocolate and set aside. Line a large jelly roll or half-sheet pan with heavy-duty foil and butter the foil.

Melt the butter with the salt in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the water about halfway through this process. 

After all the sugar is added, begin testing the mixture to see if the sugar is dissolved. Place a drop of mixture on wax paper; allow it to cool and rub it between your fingers to make sure it doesn’t feel grainy. If it does, continue to cook and test again. The mixture will probably be boiling at this point.

When sugar is dissolved, add the almonds, and increase the heat to medium high. Cook to the hard-crack stage, or about 310-320 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring often to keep the candy from burning on the bottom. When it’s done, it should be a medium-dark amber color and have a caramel aroma. The almonds should have a toasted color but they should not burn. This is the tricky part, as there’s a thin line between perfect and overdone, and to some extent it’s a matter of taste.

Remove from heat and pour into the prepared pan, spreading as evenly as possible with an offset spatula. Be careful, this stuff is hot! Set the pan on a cooling rack. After 2-3 minutes, when toffee is just set, pour reserved chocolate on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, and press them in gently with a spatula or bottom of a glass to anchor them in the chocolate.

Allow the toffee to harden at least 6-8 hours—overnight is better. Break into pieces using a sharp pointed knife with a rigid blade, or you can use your hands. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Eggnog Fudge

I really like eggnog, so it's a good thing it's only in stores around the holidays.  As far as I know, I never had eggnog until high school.  I think I asked my mom to buy some so I could try it.  Maybe my parents don't like it?  Maybe it's just something they didn't have while they were growing up?  Neither my mom or dad's side of the family offer it during the holidays.  The first year I spent Christmas with Kevin's family, I had my first homemade eggnog, what a treat!

This fudge definitely tastes like eggnog, yum!  It was a complete success, and it was fairly quick and easy too.

Eggnog Fudge

From: Recipe Girl

Yield: 60 to 70 pieces

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

3/4 cup dairy eggnog

10.5 oz white chocolate bars, chopped into small pieces (I used an 11 oz package of Ghiradelli white chocolate chips)

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus a little more for the top of the fudge

7 oz jar marshmallow creme (I used 7.5 oz jar of Fluff)

1 tsp rum extract

Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with foil and let it hang over the sides. Butter the foil.

In a heavy, 3-quart saucepan combine sugar, butter and eggnog. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until a candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

Using a wooden spoon, work quickly to stir in chopped white chocolate and nutmeg until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in marshmallow creme and rum extract. Beat until well blended and then pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle a little freshly ground nutmeg on top. Let stand at room temperature until cooled. Refrigerate if you’d like to speed up the process.

When completely cool, cut into squares. Store in a covered container.

*This fudge freezes well. Place in a covered container; it will keep for several weeks.  

Chocolate Mint Cookies

I hope everyone has at least started their Christmas baking by now.  I love this time of year because it gives me an excuse to try a bunch of new cookie and candy recipes (mixed in with some holiday standbys).  I always have these high hopes of making a ton of different things, but I run out of time to actually make everything.  

I'd been looking for Nestle's Mint Chips all season and when I finally found them I bought three bags.  I didn't really know what I was going to do with them.  Kevin has been craving Chocolate Crackles, but I decided against them because I needed to make them closer to Christmas so the confectioner's sugar wouldn't dissolve.  The Chocolate Mint Cookies are an adaptation of my Gram's Chocolate Crackle recipe.  These cookies are ridiculously quick and easy, and have the classic combination of chocolate and mint.  These are so good, I can guarantee you won't be sorry if you try them.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Adapted from my Gram's recipe

Yield: About 4-5 dozen cookies

1 package Devil's Food cake mix

1 Tbsp water

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 (10 oz) package mint chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine all ingredients except chips in a bowl.  Mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.  Add the mint and chocolate chips and stir until combined.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Place on greased baking sheets.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.