Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

So I started with the first day of cookies, and then stopped. I really did do two more days after that but then I just got so overwhelmed with everything else that something had to give. But I would love to share one of the other cookies I did with you now.

Another cookie we made for Christmas were Gingerbread cookies! I know I've done gingerbread cookies before, but when I looked at my recipe I saw that it included shortening. *blech* I don't know why, but I've been in a mood where I try really hard to avoid using shortening. So anyway, I wanted to do something a little different from the usual gingerbread cookies. (Last Christmas for the 25 Days of Christmas Cookies I made Chewy Gingerbread Cookies.)

2 cups flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Set the bowl aside.

12 Days of Christmas..Cookies! Day 1 -- A Classic!

I am so happy (and very thankful) to be able to say that this is my third year to get to do 25 Days of Christmas …. In Cookies! The last two years I’ve baked one kind of cookie each day as part of my 25 day celebration. It usually gets pretty hectic as the days go on and I usually get a little behind at one point or another. J But it is always a lot of fun.

I actually had someone ask me about the upcoming cookie madness a couple weeks ago – because we like to share our multitude of cookies. J This year, due to some life events that happened at the beginning of the month, I’m cutting the number of days down from 25 to 12.

So this year I am happy to present the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! To kick off the fun, I’m baking a classic. This cookie has given me so many headaches over the years that I’ve always fallen back on using a recipe. It sounds crazy but I have never been able to come up with my own recipe for this cookie. Until this year! I made a recipe all my own and it turned out perfect! They taste so delicious to me, that it rivals the Pillsbury refrigerator-roll-of-dough cookies that I made the other day (don’t judge). Without further ado…..

My Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Brace Yourselves...Pumpkin Flavored Everything is Coming!



photo from memegenerator.net

I know, I’m late to the pumpkin party.

I’m chronically late for everything. I joke about how I’ll end up being late to my own funeral. haha

Despite not having blogged about anything pumpkin at all, it sure has been present in my kitchen since I first saw the pie pumpkins in the grocery back in September. We’ve been making pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin cookies and pumpkin bread – LOTS of pumpkin bread.

We’ve bought so many pie pumpkins (and had some given to us) that I lost count of how many I’ve peeled, chopped and steamed. Then the day before Halloween, I took the girls to get our pumpkins for carving. While I was at the stand, I saw such a multitude of tan pumpkins all around that I bought one. I figured, at the time, that it was a good size and I should get a fair amount of pumpkin puree from it. I sorely underestimated this pumpkin.

 

Cookies for Santa!

It's Christmas Eve!! Wow! It seems as if Christmas just kind of snuck up on us this year. Crazy how time flies when you are running around everyday. Anyway, with Santa's impending arrival, we were in need of cookies!


And I wanted to do the very traditional--but still not perfected--chocolate chip cookies. These did not disappoint. :)

Chocolate Chippers
recipe adapted from Grandma's Kitchen

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Traditional Holiday Goodies--2 Kinds of Fudge

After having so much fun with cookies, I nearly forgot about the usually holiday goodies I make...because it is what my mom used to make. :) So on Christmas eve, I set to work.

First up was the Butterscotch Marshmallow Fudge.

We needed to crush the graham crackers first.

The girls had fun whacking the ziplock bags of graham crackers with pots. :)

 Then Abby took a break to test one of the crackers.

Soup and Chocolate Orange Cookies!

Monday's planned dinner was a tomato soup. So when the time came to get dinner started, I began with a can of tomato soup and two cans of vegetable broth.

Those went into a large pot over medium heat. Then I pulled out the leftover pureed sweet potatoes I had in my fridge. I also thought the mashed butternut squash would be a nice addition. 

25 Days of Christmas in Cookies--Day 11 Mocha Chip Peanut Butter Cups

    What a weekend. I can safely say that this is one weekend that I am glad is behind me. It's funny how kids not sleeping throws your entire weekend off. But ya know what makes any day better? Playing in the kitchen. :)


    I was trying to explain that to Nate earlier too. Being in the kitchen by myself for just a little bit is therapeutic. Don't get me wrong, I love having the girls help me bake cookies. But when it comes time for me to make dinner, I want them no where near the kitchen. It's something like how an artist feels about his/her studio. I don't know that this is making sense, so let's just say that in order to keep my sanity I need some "alone time" in the kitchen. haha 


    Anyway, so with our weekend lacking in the sleep area Nate gave up control of the television and football games to have the girls sit with him and watch a movie. This was Mommy's time to play in the kitchen. And in the end, the girls were glad of it. Because after dinner, there was a super scrumptious, gooey, moist, and chocolatey dessert waiting. :)

This is the face of a kid who has seen the dessert and is ready to eat dinner. :)

Mocha Chip Peanut Butter Cups
Yield approx. 48 cookies


3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 oz hot water w/ 1 rounded tsp instant espresso
Nestle dark chocolate chips
mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat and set aside.

Heat up 3 ounces of water and stir in the instant espresso. Let it sit to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is smooth. With the speed on low, add in the granulated sugar. Once the sugar has been incorporated, increase the mixer speed. Beat until light and fluffy. 

Scrape the sides of the bowl down and beat in the eggs one at a time, being sure the first is fully mixed in before adding the second.

Scrape the sides down again and beat in the brown sugar.

With the mixer on low, slowly beat in the cocoa powder. Otherwise you will end up with a cocoa cloud. :)

Alternately beat in the flour mixture and coffee. 

Once both have been fully mixed in, stir in the bag of dark chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes.

Pull the baking sheet from the oven. Taking care not to burn yourself, press the peanut butter cups into the middle of each of the cookies. Let them cool a little bit more then transfer to a cooling rack.

While my cookies were cooling, I noticed my Trader Joe's grinder. And I realized that the three things in the grinder were also in my cookies. And there was melty chocolate puddles in the middle of each cookie...waiting for something to be dusted on top. How perfectly perfect! So I topped each cookie with the Trader Joe's Sugar, Chocolate & Coffee Bean Grinder. :)

25 Days of Christmas in Cookies--Day 4 Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

The girls were glad to have a distraction from the football-laden television. :)

Here is our creation for the day. You won't be able to have just one. I promise! ;)

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Yield...a lot :)

25 Days of Christmas in Cookies--Day 2

    Ahh Friday. Today seems a little off though. Kyleigh has only a half-day today. That throws the schedule Abby and I have a little off because Kyleigh gets off the bus in the middle of Abby's naptime. So we have to adjust and always end up with cranky kids. 


    Anyway, I had forgotten how tough it is to keep up with the 25 days of cookies. What makes it so tough is that I bake each cookie everyday, as well as sharing it with you guys. But it sure is a tasty endeavor. :)


For today, I wanted to make a cookie using my super yummy maple syrup from Canada--the REAL stuff. 

Mmmmm REAL maple syrup--at about $8 a can...

And, with the help of my girls, 

My helpers.

here is what I came up with:

2nd Annual 25 Days of Christmas in Cookies

It's funny. I don't know where to begin. Can you believe the last time I posted anything was September 2nd?? 


I feel like I'm re-uniting with an old high school friend and things are awkward because so much time has passed. But in this instance, I don't come empty-handed. 


Today is the first of December. Know what that means? For the second year, it means 25 Days of Christmas in Cookies! (On a side note, I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to be able to do this for a second year.) 


I have been doing some "research" and found an overwhelming number of cookie recipes for this event. But in addition to finding already created recipes, what about ones I will make as I go? And then the classics need to be taken into consideration. And then there are the hits from last year I'd like to bring back. Whew. Kind of sends the head reeling, doesn't it?


The phrase "one day at a time" comes to mind. So let's focus on today. 


Oh, and by the way. While we were on our trip in Canada, Abby accidentally broke my camera and I am now adjusting to a new one from my Mom....please bear with me while I figure it out. haha It may mean either no pictures or blurry pictures. I'll get the hang of it before the month is out...I hope. :)


I'm calling them Chocolate Covered Oranges because they really remind me of those chocolate "oranges" in the candy aisle. And this year I have a new assistant in the kitchen. You'll recall my lil helper last year.

Well somehow she ended up in Kindergarten this year. Seriously, how does time go by this quickly??? So I enlisted the help of another lil one. :)

While looking through my cupboards for inspiration, my eyes came upon a rather large container of Nutella. And then I saw the oranges sitting in a basket on my counter. And voila!


Chocolate Covered Oranges

Friday's Pizza & a Movie Night

Mini Pizzas using refrigerated biscuits and brownies with salty pretzels nestled inside!

Baby Abby's 2nd Birthday: Part 1--The Cake

 Somehow, my baby turned 2 at the end of June. It is amazing how fast the girls are growing and how much they are learning. These girls are so smart, they amaze me everyday.

    Anyway, we had to keep postponing Abigail's birthday party due to colds--yes, in the middle of summer. Weird. Now that most of us were healthy, it was time to party! 


    The party was set for Saturday. Friday's To-Do list was packed. Near the top of the list was getting started on Abby's cake. My sketches were a bit detailed and....ambitious, to say the least. So I dialed it back a bit. 

Happy Birthday to my Mommy!

    July 10th. My Mommy's birthday. Sadly though, my Mom had to work--she works weekend nights at the nearby major hospital. Since we couldn't celebrate her birthday, I decided to make a surprise trip up to the hospital. (Surprising my Mom at work over the years has become quite fun. :) ) Of course I couldn't show up empty-handed. 

    My Mom loved the White Cake Cupcakes that I made at the beginning of the month. So that gave me a starting point. For once, I followed my own recipe to the letter....except when it came time for the extracts. :) I still used vanilla extract, but just a little bit. Instead of the brandy extract, I used black walnut extract and increased the amount. As before, they turned out wonderfully moist and light. 

Fluffy egg whites used in White Cake Cupcakes.

     To mix it up a bit, I needed a new icing. I didn't have any more vanilla beans and I needed to make sure it was purple. (Purple is my Mom's favorite color.) I came up with:

Purple Espresso Frosting


        6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
        1 c. butter, softened
        2 egg yolks
        2 oz hot water with
            1 tsp, rounded, instant espresso powder
        7 c. powdered sugar
        1/4 tsp cream of tartar
        Wilton purple coloring
        Wilton Halloween sprinkles

    Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium speed until creamy, smooth and shiny.

    Turn off mixer and scrape down the sides. Add in the egg yolks. Continue beating on medium-low speed until it all comes together.

    Scrape the sides of the bowl down again. Pour in the espresso water and add 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Beat on low. With the next addition of powdered sugar, add in the cream of tartar. Go ahead and add in the coloring at this point so that it will have plenty of time to get mixed throughout all the icing without needing to over-beat. Continue beating in the powdered sugar on low. Or else you will have a plume of sugar rising up from where you stand. :)

Perhaps instead of purple, we should say lavender. :)

    Once all sugar has been added, increase speed to high for about 5 minutes. Using a piping bag fitted with the tip of choice, frost the cooled cupcakes. 

Chopped hazelnuts.

    I sprinkled some crushed hazelnuts over some of the cupcakes (because not everyone can eat nuts) and then sprinkled purple sugar over the top of all the cupcakes. I do recommend using nuts. The cupcakes and frosting are so light and airy that the nuts provide a very nice texture contrast. You could toast the hazelnuts or even use macadamia nuts.







    So I've got the cupcakes in hand, a singing balloon, and purple calla lilies--I'm ready to go.


    My Mom was thrilled with her surprise goodies at work. Turns out my sister had also stopped by earlier. :) And my Mom had 2 carrot cakes (her favorite cake), and both homemade, to her name as well. Despite being at work, it was a good birthday. :)

Here is my beautiful Mommy! Happy Birthday!!! 

And wishing you many more to come!! xoxoxox

<3 I hope to one day be at least half a good a mom and person as she is. <3

This one goes out to one of the kindest, most caring, thoughtful and STRONGEST people I know ~*~*~*~*~ Thank you for all you do for us.

Pizza & a Movie Night--and Dessert, too!

    Friday night is 'Pizza & a Movie Night' in our house. Believe me, this is a highly anticipated night--and not just because of the pizza. This is the ONLY night in which the girls get to eat in the living room AND get to watch a movie while doing it. Any reason to break one of Mommy's rules is reason enough to celebrate. ;)


    This week, I admit, we had leftover pizza. However, the girls didn't care. The movie for this week was not one that we have in our movie library. It was a completely brand new movie! The choice was actually pretty easy. Kyleigh recently spent a week at a day camp where the theme was 'Fairytales'. One of the stories they did was Chicken Little. 


    Hey, wasn't there a movie recently about that?? 


    Why, yes, I believe there was.


    So I searched on one of the 'On Demand' stations offered by our cable provider. Voila! 


    To heighten the anticipation, I didn't tell Kyleigh which movie I was searching for. Instead, I let her find out by waiting and watching. Boy, was she excited! She really enjoyed the movie, and it also held Abby's attention.


    Taking after me though, Abby was more interested in what came after the pizza--brownies!


As per my usual, I went into the kitchen and here's what I came out with. Enjoy!


        1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
        1 tsp salt
        1/2 tsp baking powder
        1/4 tsp ground ancho chile pepper
        1/4 tsp chili powder
        1 tsp ground cinnamon
        1 large whole egg
        1 egg yolk
        1/4 c. vegetable oil
        1 c. butter, softened
        1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
        1/2 c. Hershey's cocoa powder
        2 Tbsp half & half
        1/2 c. milk
        1 bag dark chocolate chunks
        1 c. Hershey's cinnamon chips


    First, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a cooking spray, grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
    
    Now, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, ancho chile pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon; set aside.

    Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the whole egg and egg yolk on high until they start getting frothy; about 2 minutes. Turn speed down to medium and add in the oil. Continue whisking until thick; about 2 minutes more.

    Take the whisk attachment off and replace it with the paddle attachment. Beat in the butter. Start on low speed and increase as the butter continues to break down. Within a couple minutes, the mixture will come together nicely.

    Beat in the dark brown sugar.

    Now add in the cocoa powder and 

the half & half; beat on low. 

Don't forget to scrape the sides down as you go!

    Alternately add in the flour mixture and milk. The milk will combine easier if you begin and end with the flour mixture. 

    Fold in the bag of dark chocolate chunks.

     We are getting closer to being done! Patience...

    Now we grab our pre-greased pan and pour in the brownie batter. Spread it around so that it is in there evenly. 


    Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes. When you pull the pan out, sprinkle the cinnamon chips evenly overtop the piping hot pan of brownies. Being very careful not to touch the hot pan, fold a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan--this is helping the cinnamon chips to melt.

    While we wait for the chips to melt, it's time for the icing.


        1/3 c. vegetable shortening
        2 oz cream cheese
        splash of evaporated milk
        1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
        2 Tbsp cherry juice (using the concentrated juice from a jar of cherries)
        roughly 2 Tbsp whole cherries


    Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the shortening and cream cheese.
    On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar and evaporated milk.
    Once combined, beat in the cherry juice. Be sure to taste at this point; adding more cherry juice is always an option. :)
    Add in the whole cherries and beat on medium-high speed for a couple minutes.

     Again being very careful not to burn yourself, remove the aluminum foil from the pan of brownies. The cinnamon chips should still have their shape, but will be beginning to melt. Now we drizzle the icing over the top of everything. Using your spatula, spread the icing around so that it covers the top. 
    Cut and enjoy!!