Victoria's Walnut Peach Apricot Thumbprint Cookies
Finely chopped walnuts add a deep, nutty flavor to classic buttery thumbprint cookies. I used a mixture of peach and apricot jam, but you can use any jam you like. Just don’t use jelly.
INGREDIENTS
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
1/3 Cup Peach Apricot Jam
In a large-size bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add flour and chopped nuts. Cover and place in fridge for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Using your finger or end of a wooden spoon, press into balls to create a deep well. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes until light brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Fill center of each cookie with jam before serving. Makes about 20 cookies.
Versatile Pound Cake
About now I start thinking about ways to cut corners and maximize all I can in the kitchen in order to pull off smooth going holidays. Of course pies are important to have on hand, but a pound cake is so versatile that it can arise to nearly any occasion. You can serve it for Christmas breakfast with fruit and yogurt or you can serve it after dinner with Grand Marnier Poached Apricots. You can also bake this cake 3 days ahead. Make sure to store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Room Temperature Unsalted Butter (Plus More For Pan)
3 Cups Unbleached Flour (Plus More For Pan)
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
2 Cups Superfine Sugar
6 Room Temperature Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and move the rack to the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a Bundt pan or angle food cake pan. In a medium-size bowl combine kosher salt, cream of tartar, cardamom, and flour. In a large-size bowl beat butter, with an electric mixer, until very light and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and add sugar. Increase speed to high and beat for another 8 minutes. Beating the butter and sugar until light and fluffy is essential to this cake’s moisture. Add eggs one at a time. Beating to blend between additions. Beat in cream and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture. Mix until mostly combined and then finish mixing by hand with a rubber spatula just to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in oven and bake for 70 to 80 minutes. Rotate cake halfway through baking. Remove from oven and transfer pan to wire rack and let cake cool completely before turning out.
Poached Apricots
INGREDIENTS
2/3 Cup Grand Marnier
2/3 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Water
2 Cups Dried Apricots
2 Inch Piece Peeled Ginger (Sliced)
In a small-size saucepan, bring Grand Marnier, sugar and water to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add apricots and ginger. Reduce heat to low and gently summer for 25 minutes. You will want apricots to be very soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Just before serving remove ginger pieces. Serve cake with apricots and syrup and perhaps a dollop of whipped cream. You can make these poached apricots 1 week ahead. Cover and place in fridge until ready to serve if making ahead.
Christmas Morning Frosted Cinnamon Rolls
I believe in planning ahead. Heck, I start my Christmas shopping in July for goodness sake! Most of us focus on Christmas dinner, but what about breakfast? I always liked to have a warm batch of frosted cinnamon rolls ready for all to eat after opening presents.
INGREDIENTS
Dough
2 Room Temperature Eggs
3/4 Cup Warm Water (Not Hot Water)
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
3 1/2 Cups Sifted Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
Filling
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Raisins
1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans
Extra Sugar For Sprinkling
Frosting
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
3 Teaspoons Milk
In a medium-size bowl beat eggs for 1 minute. Add warm water and yeast. Stir to dissolve yeast. Place in fridge for 10 minutes. In a large-size bowl combine flour, kosher salt, and sugar. With two forks or a pastry blender, blend in butter. It should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in center and pour in yeast mixture. Gradually blend mixtures together. It should look loose and sticky. Gather dough onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Form dough into ball and put into lightly greased bowl. Place in fridge and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. When you’re ready to bake, roll dough into an oblong shape on a floured surface. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. For filling: In a medium-size bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and pecans. Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Leave a 1-inch boarder. Roll dough to form what looks like a jellyroll. With serrated bread knife cut roll into 1-inch slices. Place onto greased baking sheet 2 inches apart and allow to rise, in a warm place, for 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Place into 350 degree preheated oven. Bake for 24 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes on wire racks. You may want to drape cooling racks with waxed paper. To make frosting: In a medium-size bowl mix together powdered sugar and milk together until nice and smooth. Drizzle frosting over rolls and serve. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
Grandmother Libby’s Spiced Oatmeal Cookies
My great grandmother used to make these cookies for the holidays. One year I asked her for the recipe, which I am delighted to share with you. They are easy to make. You can add raisins or leave them out.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Shortening
2 Cups Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Room Temperature Eggs
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Additional Sugar
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large-size bowl cream shortening, vanilla and brown sugar. Add eggs and milk. Mix well. In a medium-size bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, kosher salt and cinnamon. Add to the creamed mixture. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with additional sugar. Place into oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remember that all ovens heat differently. I like to remove my cookies just a tad underdone because they will continue to cook a bit when out of the oven. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing. Remove cookies and let cool on wire racks. Makes about 4 dozen.
Holiday Pumpkin Cherry Bread
This pumpkin cherry bread is perfect to give away as gifts or to have around for quick breakfasts. It’s easy to make and keeps quite well. Make several loaves and store one in the freezer for those out-of-town guests who are coming for the holidays.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 1/2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
3 Cups Sugar
15 Ounces Pumpkin Puree
4 Large Eggs
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup Dried Tart Cherries
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9×5 inch loaf pans
In a large-size bowl combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and kosher salt. In a separate large-size bowl combine sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, and orange juice. Beat until blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture. Stir JUST until moist. Fold in dried cherries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans. Place into oven and bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.
Rum Pecan Pie
While Pecan Pie is not my favorite I certainly appreciate a good one. I added dark rum, which I believe, improves the basic traditional Pecan Pie. Growing up in the Midwest we always had three traditional pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas: Pumpkin, Apple, and Pecan. Try my Pecan Pie for your holiday dinner. It just may become everyone’s favorite pie.
INGREDIENTS
1 Single Pie Crust
1 Cup Pecan Halves
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Dark Corn Syrup
2 Tablespoons Dark Rum
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Lightly Beaten Large Eggs
Whipped Cream For Garnish (Optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You can use premade pie crust or make your own (see below for pie crust recipe). Transfer pie crust to a 9 inch pie plate. Crimp the edges of the dough with your fingers and use the fork to prick the bottom of the dough in several spots. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and cover prepared pie shell with parchment paper. Make sure to leave a bit of an overhang and add enough pie weights or dried beans to cover the bottom of pie crust. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove parchment paper and weights. Place back in oven and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Set aside. Turn oven down to 350 degrees. In a medium-size bowl combine pecans with 1 tablespoon butter and kosher salt. Spread pecan mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl combine sugar, corn syrup, rum and vanilla extract and remaining butter. Stir in eggs. Add toasted pecans. Pour filling into cooled piecrust. Place in oven on bottom rack and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until center of pie feels gelatin-like when pressed with back of a spoon. Remove from oven and transfer pan to wire rack to cool. Serve with whipped cream if you lie. Makes 1 pie.
Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Sticks Cold Butter (Cut Into Small Pieces)
5 To 7 Tablespoons Ice Water
In a large-size bowl, combine flour and kosher salt. Add cold butter, cut into small pieces; using your fingers, cut into butter until mixture resembles grated Parmesan. Add 5 to 7 tablespoons ice water, a tablespoon at a time, while mixing with you’re your fingers, until dough holds together in a ball. Turn dough out onto floured piece of wax paper. Sprinkle more flour onto dough, cover with a second piece of wax paper, and place on baking sheet. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. When ready to use, remove dough from fridge and let sit, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Boston Brown Bread
It’s so easy to make your own Boston Brown Bread that you can forget about buying those canned ones on the grocery store shelves. I used golden raisins for this recipe, but you can use any kind of raisins or dried fruit that you like best.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Golden Raisins
1 Cup Boiling Water
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Wheat Flour
1 Cup Cornmeal
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Cups Buttermilk
1 Cup Molasses
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place raisins in a small-size bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 20 minutes. In a large-size bowl combine the flours, baking soda, kosher salt and brown sugar. Mix well. Drain raisins. In a medium-size bowl combine buttermilk and molasses. Stir in raisins. Add molasses mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Pour into a parchment paper lined loaf pan. Place into oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Remove from loaf pan and transfer to serving platter. Makes 1 loaf
Note: You can also make this Boston Brown Bread into muffins.
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
I was having a dinner party last night and I knew that my guest is a huge peanut butter lover. These cookies are easy to make and will bring a big smile to a peanut butter lover’s face. These cookies are easy holiday cookies as well. I used mini-kisses because that’s what I had in my pantry. You can use either the regular size kisses or the mini-size kisses made by Hershey’s Chocolate. If you want to make these cookies a bit healthier then use only one cup of unbleached flour and add 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Shortening (Look In The Natural Food Section)
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Large Egg (Room Temperature)
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar (For Rolling Cookies In)
1/2 to 3/4 Cup Milk Chocolate Kisses
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large-size bowl beat together shortening and peanut butter with electric mixer for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat just until combined. Beat in egg, milk, vanilla extract just until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll cookie balls in 1/4 cup sugar. Place two inches apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Press chocolate kiss into each cookies center. Place in oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown. Remember that each oven has a mind of it’s own and heats differently. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.
Grissini
While in Rome I had the best grissini (breadsticks). While grissini is typical of Turin they were on every restaurant table that I visited. They really aren’t too difficult to make and are so much better than buying those packaged ones from the supermarket. You can make them plain or sprinkle them with kosher salt, sesame seeds or any herbs you may like.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour (Plus More As Needed)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
3/4 Cup Warm Water (Not Hot Water)
Semolina Flour
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. In a large-size bowl combine flour, olive oil, kosher salt and yeast mixture. Knead for at least 30 minutes. Divide dough into 12 pieces and let rest for 5 minutes. Form pieces into oblong rolls. Set them out on a damp surface, flatten them by hand, and let them rise for 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle a baking sheet with semolina flour. Cut dough into strips and set them out on the semolina. By hand, draw each out to at least 12 inches in length. Place in oven and bake for about 10 minutes until crisp and golden. If you are going to sprinkle them with your favorite salt, sesame seeds or herbs do this right before baking. Remove from oven and let cool. Makes about 2 dozen depending on the size you make your grissini.
Smoocharoo Cookies
Give your cookies a cuddle and a kiss. These cookies are great holiday or anytime cookies. I like these cookies soft, but if you like a crisp cookie then keep them in the oven a minute or two longer.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Shortening (I found a good shortening in the natural foods section)
1 1/4 Cups Light Brown Sugar (Firmly Packed)
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg (Room Temperature)
1 3/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
10 Ounces Mini Kisses (I used Hershey’s Brand)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large-size bowl beat together the shortening and brown sugar with an electric mixer on a medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in milk, vanilla and egg. Stir in flour, kosher salt and baking soda. Blend in mini kisses. Drop by rounded tablespoonful two inches apart onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to cooling racks. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
