Puffy Gingerbread Cookies / Gingerbread Dough

My friend Joyce made these for me last Christmas, and I LOVED them.  They smell amazing, and taste even better.  A perfect way to start off your holiday season!

1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. Grandma's brand molasses (USE THIS! no substitutes, or I will not guarantee the taste!)
3 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine sugar, molasses and butter until creamy.  Add egg.  Beat well.  Add remaining ingredients, beat well.  Mixture will look crumbly at first.  Keep mixing until you have a shiny dough.  Divide into 2 large balls (or you can roll this onto a pizza pan for a gingerbread pizza cake).  Roll out on floured surface (use about 1/4 c. of flour) about 1/4 inch thick (or more if you like them thick).

Bake cookies at 350 for about 7-8 minutes.  DO NOT OVERBAKE, they will be too crispy.  Pizza cakes take about 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness.

Note: If you are using this recipe to make gingerbread houses, you may want to cook them til crispy, and it helps to chill the dough to keep the edges sharp.

Sweet Potato Souffle

Prepare to be wow'ed (I was last Thanksgiving, when my friend A. made this for me and I couldn't stop eating it).  This sweet potato souffle will have you coming back for seconds, and maybe even thirds.  It's easy to throw together, and bakes up perfect for Sunday dinner.  NOT to be missed at your Thanksgiving feast this year, make note!

also pictured here: Dutch Oven Pork Chops 'n' Onions



5 or 6 medium to large sweet potatoes
1 stick, salted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)
mini marshmallows, optional for topping

Peel and chop sweet potatoes.  Boil until tender (about 12 minutes, or until soft). Drain water, put potatoes and butter in bowl and mix with handmixer until well blended. Mix egg, milk, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in bowl.  Add to sweet potato mixture. Place mixture in a casserole dish (or 9x13 pan).  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven, add marshmallows to cover. Turn on broiler, broil until marshmallows melt and become toasted.

Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies

Need a last minute holiday treat to share at a party (or eat all by yourself?!)  These are a cinch to whip together, and have just the right amount of chocolate with a hint of mint!  Enjoy!

 (adapted from tootsie.com)

2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour, sifted

¾ c. cocoa, sifted

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ c. shortening

½ c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. Mint Chocolate Baking Chips (if you don't have this, you can substitute with 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, and then add 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips)

3/4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.

With a hand held or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter until creamy. Add the sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth. Fold in the mint chips.

Roll the dough, by hand, into a 1 ½ inch balls. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar to fully cover ball. Flatten the balls gently into ½” thick disks and place about 2” apart, spacing them evenly on un-greased baking sheets. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove from sheet and move to wire rack to cool completely.

Yields: 3 Dozen Cookies

Christmas Apple Pie

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (recipe follows - or you can just use your favorite, even a store bought roll-out will do!!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
7 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, stir in vanilla and let simmer.

2.Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust (thanks to Annie @ Annie's Eats!!  She's a genius!) and seal the edges in a fluted pattern.  Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off, trying to avoid the dough as much as possible. 

3.Bake 15 minutes at 425. Reduce the temperature to 350.  Bake for 35 minutes, until apples are soft, and crust is golden brown (place tin foil around the edges to prevent burning.

DOUBLE PIE CRUST
2.5 c. flour
2 TBS. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6 TBS. ice cold water (I dip my Tablespoon into a cup filled with ice and water, just don't add chunks of ice)

Directions:
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of food processor. Mix briefly to blend. Add in the butter pieces and mix on medium-low speed to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand and the largest butter pieces are not much bigger than peas. Mix in the cold water on low speed just until the dough comes together.  It will look a little dry and that is okay.

Shape the dough into two even-sized balls incorporating all dry parts, but avoiding overworking the dough.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.  I make mine the day before. Remove from the refrigerator. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface.

PIE POLISH
The perfect finish to the perfect pie!  All you need is:
1 Tbsp heavy cream, half and half, or milk
1 large egg yolk

Beat egg yolk with cream and brush on the surface of the pie with a pastry brush.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

I don't even like pumpkin pie.  In fact, I despise it.  Long story, involving the first gift my husband ever gave me along with a card that had cats on it.  Anyway - this dessert is awesome and it didn't even remind me of that pumpkin pie gift.  It's delicious, and perfect for holiday parties.  Thanks to Kraft Food & Family and my cousin Tisha (see Tisha's Tips) for making it so I could try it.  I made it myself the next week - it was THAT good.

1-1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, 1/4 granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.

RESERVE 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

BAKE 25 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Pomegranate, Pear and Avocado Salad

Salad:
2 bunches red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 avocados cut into ½ inch chunks
1 large pomegranate (seeds only)
2 pears, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 block of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (or use asiago, romano or parmesan for milder flavor)
1 bag almond slivers, toasted on low with butter and 1 heaping tsp. of sugar
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
Dressing:
½ t grated orange peel
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 T red wine vinegar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 T sugar
1 T Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix

Mix the dressing ingredients and chill before mixing with the salad. Toss immediately before serving.

Christmas Candy Bar Surprise Cookies

1C. margarine, softened
1C. creamy peanut butter
1C. sugar
1C. Brown Sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
60 snickers miniature candy bars (or mini of your choice)
In a large bowl, beat together margarine, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to peanut butter mixture, beat until combined. For each cookie use 1 tsp. or more of cookie dough and shape around a snicker candy bar (or candy of your choice), forming a ball. Place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack. makes 60 cookies.

Holiday Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 c. water
1 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding

Combine ingredients, adding pudding mix last. Put in 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

In saucepan combine
1/2 stick butter
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. heavy cream
bring to boil until thick.

Top sauce on cake, add a dollop of whip cream on that!