Christmas Cookies

 

Christmas Cookies

Every year at Christmas I get accused of going over board with my cookie baking.  This year is no different.  With the help of my sweet daughter Tori, and her wonderful best friend Molly, we baked up quite a storm.  This year we made peanut butter kiss cookies, chocolate chip cookies, thumbprints, snickerdoodles, gingerbread , and almond paste cookies.

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all of my wonderful friends and family.

 

Peanut Butter Kiss

Preheat oven to 350

In kitchen aid, combine 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 Tbs. milk, and 1 egg.  In a seperate bowl combine  1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 baking soda.   Slowly add the dry ingegients to the wet.  Roll into 1″  balls and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  When you take the out of the oven, place an opened Hershey’s Kiss on top and gently press in.  Remove from cookie sheet and place on cooling rack. The kiss will start to melt a little.   Place cooling rack in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, until the kiss is solid again.  Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350

 

In kitchen aid, combine 2 sticke butter, 3/4 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 Tbs. vanilla.  In seperate bowl combine 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp baking powder.  add dry ingredients slowly to wet ingredients in kitchen aid.  add 1 bag Hersheys Chocolate Chips.  Scoop desired size of dough onto cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes.  Enjoy!

 

Thumbprints

Preheat oven to 375

In kitchen aid, combine 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 egg yolks (store the whites in a small dish in refrigerator for later…you will need them.  Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp. vanilla.  Roll into 1 ” balls, dip each ball in the egg white, and then roll the ball in chopped almonds (you will need to food process 1 bag of almonds).  Place cookies on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 min at 375.  Remove from oven and very gently make a dent in the top of the cookie, make a small dent with either your finger or a small spoon.  Spoon a small amount of seedless raspberry preserves into the dent.  Put the pan back in the oven for about 3 min to slightly melt the preserves.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.  Enjoy!

 

Snickerdoodles

Preheat oven to 400

In kitchen aid, combine 3/4 cup white sugar, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter,and beat until fluffy.  add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 egg.  Spoon in 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2  tsp salt.  Roll into 1 ” balls and then roll each ball in 1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.  Bake at 400 for 8 minutes.  Enjoy!

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Preheat oven to 350

In Kitchen aid, combine 3/4 cup butter and 1 cup sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add 1 egg, 1 Tbs. water, and 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses.  In seperate bowl combine 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 tsp. ginger, 1 twp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. salt.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Roll into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for  8-10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Almond Paste Cookies

In Kitchen aid, combine 1 cup butter, 8 oz. almond paste, and 3/4 cup sugar.   Add 1 egg.  slowly add 3 cups flour.  Take out of mixer, and form a log out of the dough.  Refrigerate the log for 2-3 hours.  When ready to bake, slice 1/2 ” pieces of dough, and then cut each piece in half.  Bake at 350 for about 10-12 min.  Enjoy!

 

Tree Trimming Dinner Recipes

Nothing says Christmas better than getting together with friends for a great dinner, some wonderful sparkling wine, and trimming the tree.   This meal is involved, but worth all of the time and effort!

Roasted Root/Fall Vegetables

Peel and cut 1 butternut squash, 3 turnips, 1 package brussel sprouts, 3 beets, 1 zucchini, and 2 carrots. Mix on cookie sheet with about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and course ground pepper.  Roast at 425 degrees for about an hour.

Spinach with Garlic and Oil

In a medium to large stock pot, saute 4-8 garlic cloves (depending on how much garlic you like) in about 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil.  Add 2 large bags of already washed and cleaned spinach.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Keep moving spinach around in the pot to wilt.  As soon as the spinach is just wilted, take off heat.  It is better to not overcook…and never cover green veggies or they will loose their bright green color.

Chilean Sea Bass with Champagne Marinade

Let the Sea Bass sit out for at least 1/2 hour to bring down the temperature.

In a small bowl, mix together 3-4 cloves finely chopped garlic, 3/4 cup champagne, 2 tbs. good dijon mustard, 1 tsp herb de provence, 1 tsp worchestershire, and 1/2 tsp. Pick-a-Pepper sauce.  Marinate the sea bass for about an hour.

In a hot pan on the stove, sear the top, bottom and edges of a large piece of sea bass…our piece was 1 lb.

Bring the fish out to the grill, and finish cooking. Keep the grill cover closed so that the fish cooks through.   The fish will start to seperate when it is done cooking, but it is not a bad idea to take it off and check the center every once in a while.  You do not want to overcook it.

Double Cut Porterhouse Steaks

In a smal bowl mix together 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, 1 Tbs. worchestershire, and 1 Tbs. dijon mustard.  pour over the steaks and marinate overnight.

Heat grill and place each steak on.  ClosE grill and leave on for 5 min or so.  Flip steaks and cook another 5 min or so.  Flip steaks again, and keep checking the steaks to be sure to not over cook.

 

Holiday Tree Trimming Dinner

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables
Sauteed Spinach and Garlic
Tossed Field Greens with Rice Wine Vinaigrette
Marinated Barbequed Double Cut Porter House
Champagne Marinated Sea Bass
Grilled Asparagus
Sparkling Wine

One of my gifts from my friend Cat Johnson–it’s an actual fork bent into a bracelet. How appropriate for the chef’s wife!!

Recipes to follow shortly–have to go decorate the tree now!! Donna

French Onion Soup

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large heavy stock pot. I prefer my Le Cruset ( in green)
Add 8 cups of onions sliced. ( cut the onion in half then slice lengthwise thinly) and 2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
Cook for 30 minutes until browned
Add 1 cup good cognac, 1 cup sherry to deglaze pan approx 20 min
Add 3 cups Pinot Grigio and cook for 30 mins at a simmer
Add 16 cups of organic beef stock and simmer 30 minutes

On a cookie sheet, place 1/2 inch slices of baguettes and drizzle with really good extra virgin olive oil, I prefer Monini
Shred 1/2 lb gruyere and spread over bread
Broil and watch carefully! Remove when cheese is slightly browned

Serve with baguettes floating in the soup

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Going back to college meal

Just when you thought Thanksgiving was over…. We have to bring our son back up to college tomorrow (sniff sniff), and I thought he might like 1 more home cooked meal before we leave him to dine at the mercy of the cafeteria. Keep in mind, this kid has a father who is an amazing chef, and a mother who is “the chef’s wife”…enough said.  He hates the food at school.  Since it is Thanksgiving break, and since my turkey was so awesome that there were almost no leftovers, I thought I would make a mini Thanksgiving diner for him.

Turkey Breast

I bought a 6 1/2 lb. turkey breast, injected it with a stick of melted butter, placed it in a pan on top of 3 large onions cut in 1/4’s , 5 peeled carrots, and about 2 cups chicken stock.  I stufed the cavity of the breast with thyme and rosemary, totally covered with foil, and baked at 350 for 2 hours.  Next, I uncovered the breast, and basted every 10 minutes for about 2 more hours.  Don’t forget to let it rest for at least 20-30 min.

Acorn Squash

Cut 2 acorn Squash in half and scoop out the seeds and the stringy stuff that is around the seeds.  Brush with about 2 Tbs. melted butter, add salt and pepper, and place flesh side down on a buttered cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min.

In a seperate pan on top of the stove, combine 2 cups orange juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp freshly grated cinnamon, 1/2 tsp all spice, and 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg.  Let this cook down to about 1/2 cup. This will take about an hour at a slow boil.

When the squash is done, flip it over so that the flesh side is up, brush it with the reduced OJ mixture and return to the oven for 5-10 min at 450 degrees to carmelize.  I had made roasted butternet squash earlier.  When the acorn squash is done, spoon the butternut squash into the acorn squash, and drizzle the OJ reduction over the top.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and return to the oven for a minute or two at 450 to slightly carmelize the butternut squash..

I also made stuffing (yeah…I used stove top because I was busy watching the Jets game while cooking and I was running out of time), baked sweet potatoes, and will serve with left over drunken cranberries.  I made Hershey Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert….which I packed some of up for him to bring back to school and share with his suitemates.

My daughter woke up with a bad sore throat, so I made her chicken soup, which I have already posted the receipe for .   I used 1 small free range chicken instead of just bones.  Enjoy!

Turnips with fried shallots

Start a pot of water to boil and add 1 Tbs. kosher salt.

Cut the ends off of 2 medum sixed rutabagas. Now cut them in half.  Now run your knife down the sides to peel the rutabagas.  Cut into 2″cubes.  When the water comes to a boil, put the rutabaga in.  Boil until fork tender.

When tender, drain.  In a pan, melt 4 Tbs. butter and add 1/2 cup heavy cream.  Add the cooked rutabaga and mash with masher.

In a pan on stove, heat 1 1/2 cups of extra virgin olive oil and 3 Tbs. butter.  Slice 6 shallots into very thin rings. Fry in the olive oil and buter at a low simmer for until brown.  Drain on paper towels and place in air tight container when cool.  Store at room temperature for up to a day or two.

When you heat the turnips (rutabaga) up , sprinkle the shallots on top and serve.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Day Salad

Because I like to make things difficult for myself, I have decided to come up with a very involved salad for Thanksgiving.  Everything is preped in advance, so you are free to hang out and drink wine on Thanksgiving!

Peel, seed, cut and roast 1 butternut squash in olive oil at 450 for about 30 min. Set aside till ready to serve salad)

Peel 1 small bag of pearl onions (mine had about 15 onions in it).  Saute the onions in 1 Tbs. butter and 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for about 5 min…until they start to brown.  Add 1/3 cup of water, and 1 Tbs. sugar and cover.  Lower heat and simmer for 20 min.  Uncover, raise heat, and add 2 tsp. white wine and some fresh thyme.  cook down until there is close to no liquid.  onions will be carmelized. Set aside till serving salad.

In a pan on the stove combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of freshly ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp lemon juice.  Right now, after all this cooking, I’m considering adding a capful of bourbon to the nuts and then drinking the rest straight out of the bottle. Cook down until it’s a syrup then cook 1 cup walnuts. Keep stiring and shaking pan.  The sugar mixture will coat the walnuts.  Pour onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and let cool. Set aside til serving salad.  (Soak the dirty pan for like a week before trying to wash it)

In a sauce pan, pour 1 cup apple cidar, 3 Tbs. cidar vinagar, 1 finely chopped shallot.  Bring to a boil and reduce to about half.  Take off the heat and wisk in 1 Tbs. dijon mustard, 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbs. maple syrup, 1 tsp. salt, and some fresh ground pepper. Set aside till serving

Right before serving…In a large salad bowl combine whatever greens you want for this salad.  I am using organic arugula and organic spring mix.  Add about 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup crumbled gorganzola cheese, the roasted squash, the carmelized onions and the walnuts.  Warm the dressing up and pour over the salad to taste.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Turkey (the day of)

Good morning sunshine.  We are getting up at 6 am and taking big bird out of the refrigerator so that he can spend and hour coming to room temperature on the counter.  Make sure if you go back to bed you set an alarm, or you will not have your turkey ready on time.

Pour 4-6 cups of organic chicken or turkey broth into the bottom of your roaster pan.  I also add a few cut up onions and 2 bay leaf to add flavor.

At 7 am, preheat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven reaches 450, put your uncovered turkey into the oven for about 10-15 min.  The skin will actually start to turn light brown. If it needs longer to start to get that light brown color, go ahead and give it a little more time.

Now, tent the turkey with non stick foil (reynolds wrap makes one).  To tent it, you want to actually build a foil tent over your turkey so that the foil is ideally not touching the turkey, and the tent is open on one side. The side with the herbs sticking out of the cavity should be the open side.  The breast should be covered so it stays moist.  I tend to keep the opening kind of small.  LOWER THE TEMPERATURE TO 325.  The turkey will now take about 15-20 min per pound ( I will start checking the temperaure of my 18 lb turkey at about 4 1/2 hours).  Do not open the oven to baste until you are about half way through  the cooking process.  Try to not wreck your tent when you start basting, because it is a pain to take that big, half cooked turkey out and start building another tent.  The turkey needs to cook until it is 180 degrees in the thigh.  It is really important to let your turkey rest for a minimum of 30 min so that the juices don’t run out of the bird.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Turkey (the day before)

Hands down one of the most stressful things to make  on Thanksgiving day is turkey. The whole day revolves around this strange looking bird, and it is very tricky to prepare it and have it be moist.  There a a few things that I do to ensure my turkey is moist and delicious.  Try not to be alarmed at the amount of butter in this recipe…I’m making Paula Deen proud on this one!

The day before…..

Use an assortment of fresh herbs.  I use rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives, and a little fresh oregano.  Chop up the herbs and  pour into a blender.  Now pour 1 lb of melted butter into the blender. Add 1/2 cup of white wine and 1 finely chopped shallot.  Blend well so that you end up with a greenish paste.  Be sure that the herbs very fine now…they have to fit through your injector.

This mixture will most likely turn into a paste, so, use it as a rub under the turkey’s skin.  To get in there, you have to carefully pull the skin away from the bird by working your hand slowly down the back of the turkey.  Grab small amounts (about 1/4 cup) at a time and rub .  Do this until the whole breast is covered, or until you are so grossed out that you can’t do it anymore.

Now rub on the outside of the bird covering the whole bird.

Now melt the mixture and fill your injector.  Continue to fill and empty your injector into the trukey until you have no more butter.  Make sure that you inject the legs too.

Just when you thought you have used enough butter…put a whole stick of butter into the cavity of the bird, along with 1-2 onions cut in quarters and a large bunch of herbs (not chopped).

Your turkey is now going into the refrig till tomorrow.  Goodnight turkey…see you bright and early tomorrow morning!

Drunken Cranberry Sauce

Let’s face it…the holidays are tough on some families.  I adore my family and am grateful for every second that I spend with them, especially on the holidays, but I have been told that I am not normal!  If you want to enjoy your Thanksgiving more than you ever have before…I highly recomend this receipe.  I am not sure that the alcohol burns off of this, so you may want to keep it away from little kids.  If you don’t like cranberry sauce, you will if you make this one.  If you like bourbon…you are in luck!  This receipe is posted today because the cranberries have to marinate in the bourbon and orange juice for at least 24 hours,

Rinse and pick through 3 bags of fresh cranberries , discarding any cranberries that are split, smooshy, white, or just don’t make the cut.(by the time you pick through them, you will have more like 2 bags of usable cranberries).  Place the cranberries into a medium sized bowl, and pour 1 1/2 cup of bourbon and 1/2 cup of good orange juice over the top.  Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The next day….pour all of the cranberries and bourbon into a medium sauces pan and add 2 cups of brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2-3/4 tsp. cloves, 1/2 tsp. all spice, and about 1/2 tsp. nutmeg.  Spices should be added to taste (if you hate cloves, leave them out, if you love nutmeg add more, ect.)  Grate in about 2 Tbs. orange rind.  Bring to a slow boil and lower to a simmer until it reduces by and turns jell like….about a half hour.  Stir occationally.  Enjoy!