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Midnight Snaps (Festive Cookies for New Years Eve)

December 30, 2010 By Laura 20 Comments

My kids and I were trying to come up with some themed food for New Year’s Eve, and {JM} came up with this great idea, right off the bat: Cookies that are designed like clocks! (Oh, to have his quick, 8 year old brain!)

Right away I started trying to figure the details, and decided to start with homemade Gingersnap Cookies. To design them, we went with a white icing that hardens, and a bit of chocolate art. The design process does involve some intricate detail work, but if you enjoy the creative process and have a little patience to work with, they are worth the effort! Your party-goers will be impressed with these festive cookies, you made!

First, I’m going to start by giving you this basic Gingersnap Cookie Recipe. This post is not featuring how to make the cookies, with step by step photos, etc., but how to turn them into clocks. So, using the recipe below, bake some cookies and let them cool before getting to designing.

Participating Ingredients for Gingersnap Cookies:

3/4 shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy, then stir in the molasses. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture, and stir until well blended. * (See foot note below). Roll bits of dough into 1 inch balls. Dip each ball into sugar and place on cookie sheet, sugar side up, about 2 inches apart.

*Now, being the first time we made these, we did indeed use 1 inch balls of dough. However, we found that the cookies were pretty small to work with, and it was difficult making such tiny chocolate numbers! So……we advise that you make cookies twice the size, using 2 inch dough balls, and putting a little further apart on the cookie sheets. That way, your chocolate numbers can be made larger, and it will all be easier to do.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies have spread, and cookies have cracked. Let cool on wire rack.

They are delicious straight and plain, for sure! Crispy on the outside, a little softer on the inside, and amazingly good! Surely no one would notice, if just one, was missing. ; )

Again, these are small cookies, and we recommend having bigger ones to work with.

Now, once they are cool, you’ll need to whip up some icing. I am going to guess some of you already have a recipe, and I am sure there many variations out there. This one below is the one I started with. BUT, I really needed to add a lot more liquid than it calls for, being careful to keep it a very pretty thick consistency. Really, this is one of those recipes where you need to tweak as needed, depending on how yours is looking.

Note: You’ll probably want to at least make a double batch of this icing.

Participating Ingredients for Cookie Icing

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons milk *
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon of preferred extract (called for almond, I used vanilla, frankly, because I hate almond. )

* I probably had to add at least 2 tablespoons of milk! But gauge for yourself.

Using a piping bag, we outlined a circle around the edge of each cookie, and filled it in, using the tip to push the icing around some, to help get it all covered.
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The icing is bound to drip a little sometimes, but if you try not to be close to the edge where the fall-off is, you should do o.k.

At the back of the photo above, you can see where we experimented with seeing if covering the whole cookie would be easier. It was just too much icing. So we stuck with our original icing plan.

Allow the iced cookies to set, so that the icing can harden.

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Now you’ll need to melt some chocolate to work with, otherwise known as tempering. I should do a post just on this process at some point, but you’ll need to know it for this recipe! So I’m going to share with you a quick tutorial. Now, you may have used the double-boiler method of melting chocolate before, but we’ve never had much good luck with that. Then, we learned a quick and easy trick to tempering chocolate, from Barefoot Contessa – and I am going to share it with you right now:

You’ll need: some milk chocolate -shaved or chips (we used Hershey chocolate chips, which as chips are easier to melt), a glass measuring cup, a wooden spoon, and a microwave.

In the glass measuring cup, add about half of the amount of chocolate that you’ll need. Microwave it for about 15-20 seconds. Take out, and with the handle/ butt end of the wooden spoon, mix the chips rapidly. It will likely need more melting, so put it in for 10 second increments, and stir with the end of the wooden spoon very rapidly after each time, until the chocolate is all melted smooth and glossy. Now, just as the remaining half of your chocolate, and stir rapidly some more. You really want to mix it hard and fast – the more you do, the shinier your chocolate will be.

Now that’s a tip we can all use for life!! Thanks Contessa!

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Now below is some writing with chocolate tips. Since I didn’t photograph making the teeny-tiny numbers, here below I am using the photos of when we made the words for Jesus’ Birthday cake on Christmas.

We printed out the words on a piece of paper, having laid out the size we wanted, in the font we wanted. Then we slipped that ‘stencil’ to trace, under a piece of parchment paper. Using a fine tip on a piping bag filled with the melted chocolate, do your writing or designs!

As the chocolate cools, it will harden.

Our words came out nice, and when they were hardened, we just placed them on our cake!

Michael and the kids had chocolate left in the bag, and they just couldn’t stop themselves from playing with chocolate some more.

See how you can just pick it up?

So this is the method we used, to make tiny little number and click hands. They were probably only 3/8ths of an inch, so you can imagine it was a tad difficult. Bigger would be easier. This way, doing the chocolate work on parchment paper first, if something comes out awful, you didn’t ruin a cookie or a cake. You just start a new one on the parchment paper, and use the ones that came out best.

If the icing on the cookies is hardened, then use a bit more icing to apply the numbers and dots to the cookie.
Otherwise they won’t stick and stay put.

So here is how our Midnight Snaps came out!! Not perfect by any means. But we think they are imperfectly cute!

Now I realize I am giving you this grand idea, pretty last minute. (lol….lol….). So I wouldn’t blame you, if you went out and tried to find some large, store bought gingersnap cookies, or maybe even molasses cookies, to just bring home and decorate. That would be a time saver for sure. ; )

May you all rock around the clock on New Year’s Eve, (or at least until midnight) and may we all have a Happy New year!

No-Bake Eclairs | Recipe

November 9, 2010 By Laura 6 Comments

No-Bake Eclairs

I’m going to be quite honest with you here: This dessert of no-bake eclairs is quick, easy, and sooooo good.

I’m going to be even more honest than that: It’s not quite like real eclairs. It’s more of a…. fun spin-off, of real eclairs. But you know, everyone is going to eat them all up, just like that, anyway. So does it really matter?

I’m thinking, ‘not really’. So here we go….
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No-Bake Eclair(s)

002 Participating Ingredients:

*Graham Crackers

* The kind we actually prefer is the Nabisco Grahams Original, in the red box.

2 boxes Instant Vanilla Pudding
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 can Chocolate Frosting (Milk Chocolate of Chocolate Fudge), and 2 Tbs. Milk
3 1/2 cups Milk
(tad of Butter, if making in cake pan)

Now there’s 2 ways you can make this no-bake eclairs dessert. It’s all just layering of pudding mixture and cracker until the topping, either way.

The original recipe I got was made in a 9″ x 13″ cake pan. This is the easiest and fastest way to make it. If you make it this way, just coat pan with a rub of butter first.

But we had another idea that we are sharing with you here. It takes a bit more time, but we didn’t mind.

We wanted to make cute little individual servings, in the 4 oz hard plastic clear cups.

First step: Mix all of the pudding and the milk with the blender in a good sized bowl, let it get thick. Then add the container of Cool Whip in and mix.

Over a little bowl, break graham crackers into roundish pieces, to fit the bottom of about 11 4 oz cups.

They don’t have to be perfect.
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As you do this, save the crumbs and little pieces you are breaking off. They will not go to waste!
(You need ’em….so don’t eat ’em!)

006 ….because you are going to put them on top of that cracker circle, like this.

Next, on top of the crumbled crackers in each cup, add a few plops of pudding/Cool Whip mixture to less than half way up the cup…

007

….and then add a good layer of just crumbled graham crackers.

Then more pudding/Cool Whip mixture.

For the top layers, you do want to use another circle of graham cracker fitting for the larger tops, and then just use up the crumbled cracker you have to put on top and fill in the sides, etc.

Now in a separate little bowl, add the chocolate frosting and 2 Tbs. of milk, mixing it all together to make it nice and creamy, and easily spreadable.

Using a spoon, carefully put some on the tops of every cup, and spread it around a little.

Now if you wanted to make the cake pan version, it can be a lot easier and faster. The layering is all the same, but any crumbling is really not necessary, since there is not a lot of custom fitting to do with the crackers! So you just lay crackers in a single layer, all over to cover the bottom of the pan, and start your layers.

So whether the cups or the pan, the layers go as follows, with the 1st layer being at the bottom:

6th layer – frosting (w/ 2 Tbs milk) mixture
5th layer – graham cracker
4th layer – pudding / cool whip mixture (the rest of the mixture, for the pan)
3rd layer – graham cracker (flat in pan, crumbles only in cups)
2nd layer – pudding / cool whip mixture (about 1/2 the mixture, for the pan)
1st layer – graham cracker (& crumbles in cups)

The layers look really nice in the clear cups. When the cups are all filled, put them in the fridge to chill and set a little, until you are ready to serve them.

They are ready to serve and enjoy!!

(Go ahead and lick the cup when you get to the bottom. We won’t tell. ; )

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Beef Stroganoff | Recipe

October 7, 2010 By Laura 1 Comment

Beef Stroganoff is a meal we had only made once before, in our married years here, years ago. As I recall, too, it didn’t come out quite as we had hoped. I believe the issue was that the meat came out a little too tough. So I guess we decided we weren’t good at making that meal, and we didn’t make it again.

That is, until a few weeks. I found myself dreaming of, and really craving, some Beef Stroganoff. Day, after day, after day. Finally, I decided I just had to have some, and set out to find a new recipe. I found one. This is it. And I can assure you…..we’ll be making this a little more regularly now! It was DE-LICIOUS, and it sure satisfied my craving. But only for that day, because now we all want it again, a.s.a.p. So count this recipe as tried, true, and definitely approved! (And that counts the kids!)

Participating Ingredients:

12 ounces boneless beef sirloin steak
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups hot cooked noodles

Directions:

1. If desired, partially freeze beef for easier slicing. Trim fat from meat. Thinly slice meat across the grain into bite-size strips.

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beef-stroganoff-recipe-2 2. In a small bowl stir together sour cream and flour. Stir in water, bouillon granules, and pepper; set aside.

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beef-stroganoff-recipe-1 3. In a large skillet, melt the butter, and then add 1 glove of minced garlic.
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beef-stroganoff-recipe-3 4. Cook and stir the meat, mushrooms, and onion, in the hot butter with garlic over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until desired doneness. Drain off fat.
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beef stroganoff 5. Once the meat is cooked to your satisfaction, along with the mushrooms and onions, stir in the sour cream mixture into skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more.
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*Now interestingly, whenever I have thought of Beef Stroganoff, I’ve always imagined it in my picture-mind, with a dark rich brown gravy. As you can see, that’s not how it comes out here. And why would it, with the sour cream we’ve added? Suddenly, I realized that the darker brown gravy I was recalling, was from the Beef Stroganoff hot school lunch menu, that I got in my elementary years. Now, I have to wonder what that stuff really was. Hmmm.

beef-stroganoff-recipe-5 6. Serve over noodles.

And have seconds, while you can.

Yes, your peas too! ; )

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Facts:

Calories427, Total Fat (g)23, Saturated Fat (g)13, Monounsaturated Fat (g)7,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, Cholesterol (mg)119, Sodium (mg)575, Carbohydrate (g)29, Total Sugar (g)6, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)26, Vitamin A (DV%)0, Vitamin C (DV%)3, Calcium (DV%)9, * Iron (DV%)23, Starch (d.e.)2, Lean Meat (d.e.)3, Fat (d.e.)2, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Bruschetta (Bread Topping) – Recipe

September 11, 2010 By Laura 1 Comment

Here’s another delicious little something, to make with some of those fresh summer tomatoes!

Bruschetta!!

Bruschetta topping on toasted bread, is a perfect side to a nice salad (as shown here), or an appetizer for luncheons or cocktail parties. (Well, I’ve heard. I haven’t been to a cocktail party in…..well, I actually can’t think of a time I have ever been to one, come to think of it. Or, maybe I’m not sure what one is. But I know what bruschetta is!)

‘Bruschetta’ is an Italian word (Tuscany, to be exact), that means to ‘toast or burn’. I prefer to toast my bruschetta. ; ) There are many variations that can be made to this recipe, so don’t be afraid to experiment on your own! That’s generally what I did when I made this bruschetta this evening a couple of weeks ago. My father, with his ever-discerning tongue, was here for dinner, and he gave it all gold forks. (He loved my salad too. He’s a natural born food critic. Ask anyone who has ever sat down and eaten with him.)

No complete step by step this time photos for the directions this time, but it’s easy enough to follow. I kind of winged it, with loose measurements, adjusting by eye. You can do that….have no fear. Here’s how (generally) I made it:

Participating ingredients:

Ciabatta bread; (can be found at bakery), sliced thick. French baguette loaf can also be used
1 Garlic clove peeled, and cut in half once. (Optional)
~ 2 cups chopped tomatoes ( I used Early Girls > It’s what I had on hand.)
~ 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
~ 1 cup chopped cucumber
2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
3-4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste.

1) Put all chopped vegetables into a small to medium mixing bowl.

2) Add olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper if you choose, and mix well.

3) Place mixture in fridge or just on counter to all sit together in the bowl, while you prepare the rest.

4) Per-heat oven to broil (My oven requires a temp, so I set it for 375)

5) Line cookie sheet with tinfoil, or whatever you use to protect sheet.

6) Place breads on sheet, spaced evenly.

01_bread

7) Place in oven, and toast for 1-2 minutes, until you see they start to brown or turn golden. (Shown in photo above.)

8) Remove sheet from oven, and brush each bread piece with the olive oil.

9) Rub each piece with the halved garlic clove for added flavor, if desired. (I desired.)

bruschetta
10) Mix mixture in bowl again, and then I drained all of the excess liquid in the bottom.

11) Spoon tomato/vegetable mixtures onto bread slices.

12) Top with some shredded mozzarella. (Show with all toppings on bread, in photo above.)

bruschetta
13) Put back into oven for a minute or so, watching closely, just until cheese is melted, and remove.

Serve up, and enjoy!!

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A Garden Tomato Sandwich

August 28, 2010 By Laura 5 Comments

tomato sandwich

It’s been said that some of the best things in life, are the simple things.

I’ve certainly found that to be true, when it comes to the enjoyment I find in the fruits of my own gardens.

To be able to just walk out my front door, to my own little garden beds, and pick something I need, fresh right off the vine, brings a satisfaction you could have never convinced me that I would relish in one day.

But I really do.

Ripe, brilliant red, fresh tomatoes, are often what I am after.

And a simple tomato sandwich, is often on the immediate menu.

One can hardly call it ‘a recipe’ I guess. But before you think “Oh brother’, try one!

And try it my way.

Start with a fresh garden tomato. This is an Early Girl.

Slice it up about a 1/2 inch thick.

Now toast up 2 slices of your favorite bread. I like multi-grain.

Once it pops, butter just one side, very lightly.

Then load both sides, with Hellman’s Mayonnaise.

Just go ahead. You deserve it.

Layer on a couple of tomato slices (depending on the width of them), and dash on some black pepper!

Cut in half, and enjoy!

It’s my favorite summer time sandwich.

In case you are wondering, those are Sea Salt & Vinegar Cape Cod Potato Chips with my sandwich here.

I deserved those too, this day. ; )

Sometimes, I add some fresh cucumber slices in my sandwich, cut the long way.

That’s how the kids and I had them the other day.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have heard that my son said to me while eating lunch that day, “Mama, I can taste the love in this tomato and cucumber sandwich!”.

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