Merry Christmas from North Carolina

 The snow started late Christmas night and this is what we woke up to this morning! 

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

The inspiration for these cookies came from a visit to a new spice store in our area Penzeys Spices.  What a fun store with so many great smelling spices.  I bought a couple different Cinnamon spices.  The one I used in my Snickerdoodle cookies was Indonesia Korintje Cinnamon.  They say this cinnamon is perfect for baking, especially for coffee cake, muffins and banana bread. 
I also bought Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon.  I plan on using this next week to make Cinnamon Rolls -- I think I am going to use the Pioneer Womans recipe.  Has anyone tried it?

I love holiday baking season...brings all those great holiday memories back! 

Makes 4 dozen



2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed

2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week

The Twelve Days of Christmas

 I love my collection of the Twelve Days of Christmas Byer's Choice Carolers.  I have 1 thru 10; 11 and 12 come out next year.  The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" has always been of favorite of mine.  Only recently did I realize the song had another interpretation.

The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas Day, December 25th, the birth of Jesus, and the Epiphany, January 6th, the day Christians celebrate the arrival of the Magi (wise Men) and the revelation of Christ as the light of the world.
The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" may sound silly and contrived to many of us.  But it actually had its origins in religious symbolism - and with a serious purpose.
It dates from a time of religious persecution.  The song was written as a kind of secret catechism that could sing in public without fear of arrest - a learning or memory aid to Christians in fact.
The song can be taken at two levels of interpretation - the surface meaning, or the hidden meaning known only to the Christians involved.  Each element is a code word for a religious truth.

1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
2. The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
5. The five gold rings recall the Hebrew Torah (Law), or the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
7. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed. 

The "true love" in the song refers to God Himself. 

The "me" receiving the gifts is every Christian.

So that "silly" song we sing at Christmas time has more meaning than we thought!

Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

I am sure you are all getting ready with your menus for Thanksgiving.  This year I am not hosting Thanksgiving (and I am kinda excited about it).  Instead I am bringing a couple of dishes.  The first thing I will be making is Pumpkin Crescent Rolls.  This is a recipe my sister Kelly has always included with her Thanksgiving menu.  I did a trial run last night with the recipe.  I don't usually do "trial" runs on recipes, but I became a little paranoid this year with every magazine saying NEVER do a recipe for the first time for a special meal.  These rolls turned out so well...the dough was easy to work with and they looked beautiful, and tasted yummy!! Kelly always makes them the day of Thanksgiving, and I will too, but....I did freeze the ones I made yesterday and heated a couple of them tonight for dinner and they were just as good. 

 Divide into 4 parts.

 Roll each into a 12 inch circle.

Aren't they beautiful!!

Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

Makes 32 rolls


2 (.25 oz.) packages active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

1 cup canned pumpkin

7 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened (optional)

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and stir in sugar, salt, 1/2 cup butter, pumpkin and eggs. Add 3 cups of the flour and beat well. Stir in enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, covered, and allow to double in size.

2. Punch down and divide into 4 parts, rolling each into a 12-inch circle. Spread with 1/4 cup butter if desired. Cut into 8 wedges. Roll up each wedge beginning at wide edge. Place on greased sheet and allow to rise.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

4. Serve with Harvest-Spiced Butter.


Harvest-Spiced Butter

4 tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine ingredients with mixer or in food processor until well blended. Serve at room temperature.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

FFwD - Roast Chicken for les paresseux

 This could possibly be one of the tastiest roast chickens I have ever made!  And talk about easy---Les Paresseux are lazy people, but we all need a "lazy" kind of recipe now and then!  All you are doing is adding fresh herbs - I used rosemary, thyme, and oregano 1/2 inside the bird, the other half outside.  The chicken is roasted in a Dutch oven for 45 minutes at 450.  Add vegetables, I used potatoes, carrots and shallots, Bake for another 45 minutes.  That's it!

 Dori starts the chicken on what she calls "the bread trick".  The chicken sits on top of the bread and as the chicken roasts the bread will imbibe its juices and after a while will get crisp and become the "cooks treat."  I was having a hard time imagining what this would really be like...

 O my gosh...it was a treat! Think of the best crouton you ever had and that is what this was like!

This recipe is from the new Dorie Greenspan cookbook - Around my French Table.  This cookbook is really worth adding to a cookbook collection! 

I am also joining Foodie Friday hosted by Michael at http://www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ , make sure you stop by for some great recipes and inspiration!

Mexican Monkey Bread

This is a great bread to serve as a "party starter" or I served it with a great Mexican Chicken Soup!  Everybody loves a version of Monkey Bread!  This one has a great "kick" to it!

 Dip 1/3 of the biscuit pieces in butter; place in a pan.

 Top with 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup peppers and 1/4 tsp. parsley.  Repeat layers.

 Top with combined mozzarella and remaining cheddar cheese.

Serve bread warm and "pull" a piece off!


Mexican Monkey Bread
Ingredients:
1 can (16.3 oz) refrigerated biscuits, quartered
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/4 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup drained canned sliced jalapeno peppers
3/4 tsp. parsley flakes
1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 350.
Spray 9X5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  Dip 1/3 of the biscuit pieces in butter; place in prepared pan.  Top with 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup peppers and 1/4 tsp. parsley; repeat layers.
Cover with remaining dipped biscuit pieces, peppers and parsley; top with combined mozzarella and remaining cheddar.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Invert bread onto plate; remove pan.  Serve bread warm.

FFwD - Marie-Helene's Apple Cake

This is our 5th week of French Friday's with Dorie out of her new cookbook Around My French Table.  This apple cake was so easy to make and so impressive to look at!  It was like eating a great apple pie without the fattening crust (I almost forgot I used 1 stick of butter - ha ha).  I did have to bake my cake almost 20 minutes longer than the 60 minutes; it could be that my apples where a little bigger than the average large apple!  I used 3 Honeycrisp apples and 1 Granny Smith. 

Here are my apples with the batter ready for the oven.

Great Autumn dessert -- I even enjoyed it for breakfast!

Playing Catch Up!

 I was a little under the weather last week and was not able to make my French Fridays with Dorie recipe.  Our next recipe was Hachis Parmentier, which is a well-seasoned meat-and-mashed-potato pie.  I was so looking forward to this recipe and happy that I made it today!  It really is YUM YUM YUM!
To start out you make a beef and bouillon mixture with cube steak, onion, carrots, celery, garlic and parsley.  Next you make of filling of sweet sausage and tomato paste.  The last step is the topping (my favorite) potatoes, milk, heavy cream.  You first boil the potatoes and then run them through a food mill -- running them through a food mill makes the creamiest mashed potatoes!!  Then top off the dish with Gruyere cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 It should have been the perfect Fall day meal; maybe after a day of racking leaves... But here in Cary, NC it  was 85 degrees and most of the trees have not even thought of dropping leaves!!  But we both still enjoyed this recipe of Hachis Parmentier...aka Shepard's Pie.  We really liked the sweet sausage addition, and anything topped with Gruyere cheese would be a hit in our house!

Cooking the beef and vegetables made the whole house smell good!

We are not posting recipes with this group, but I really encourage you to buy the book Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan!  I have not been disappointed with any of the recipes!!

Popovers with the Barefoot Bloggers

 Our second recipe with the Barefoot Bloggers this month was POPOVERS!  Popovers are a real treat to me, I associate them from my childhood when my Mother would make them when she made a Standing Rib Roast!  I very yummy combination.  I have not made them myself in a couple of years...I had to do a little "digging" in my pantry to find my popover pan, but I found it and a couple of other items I hadn't seen in awhile.  As Ina says in the recipe, they are easier to make than you expect and a fun treat to any meal.  I did make the whole recipe, which makes twelve...wondering if anyone halved the recipe; since the popover pan only makes 6 at a time!

 Tomorrow is the BIG day....Ina's new book will be out!!  Looking forward to many more great recipes!

Popovers from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for greasing pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups whole milk at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Generously grease aluminum popover pans or custard cups with softened butter.  You'll need enough pans to make 12 popovers.  Place the pans in the oven for 2 minutes to preheat.  Meanwhile, whisk together the four, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth.  The batter will be thin.  Fill the popover pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes.  DO NOT PEEK :)

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Apples

This was a new recipe for me...yes, another Ina Garten recipe :)  I had these with a pork roast and they tasted great, they would also be great on a Thanksgiving menu.  Loved the apples on top!  However, it is not the most beautiful dish I have ever made! 

Can't wait to see what everyone else has been cooking this week!  Thanks to Michael at Designs by Gollum for hosting  Foodie Friday ! 

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Apples

• 4 pounds sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Topping

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375.

Scrub the potatoes, prick them several times with a knife or fork, and bake them for 1 hour, or until very soft when pierced with a knife.  Remove from the oven and scoop out the insides as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Mix together until combined but not smooth, and pour into a baking dish.

For the topping, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the apple wedges and brown sugar and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.  Place on top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake the potatoes and apples for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.

FFwD - Gerard Mustard Tart

This is our Second recipe with FFwD!  I loved the way this tart turned out; just like the picture in the book!  I loved the tart dough recipe.  It came together very nice, and the tip on rolling out the dough between pieces of plastic wrap really worked!  The tart filling was so yummy and don't you love the beautiful colors of the carrots!  Great dish to put on your Fall menu!

Bon Appetit!

French Fridays with Dorie is a cooking group at http://frenchfridayswithdorie.com/

We are cooking and baking from Dorie's new cookbook Around My French Table.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

I am busy making soup at my house!  I love to have a freezer full of homemade soups for the busy Fall season!  This recipe comes from Ina Garten...so do you get a feeling that I really like her recipes!! :)  It makes a lot 10 to 12 servings.  Sometimes I half a recipe this size, but I wanted to have plenty to freeze!  Owning my own gift shop the next few months are very busy for me, so it helps to have my freezer full of easy things to pull out and make.

 Ingredients:

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
• 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese grated

Directions:
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water.  Drain.  (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.)  Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar.  Cook for 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted.  Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.  Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

 I am joining other foodies for FOODIE FRIDAY at http://www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ to share what we have been cooking this week.  Thanks to Michael Lee West who hosts this fun event!

French Fridays with Dorie - gougeres

This is our first French Friday with Dorie!  I look forward to baking with this group out of Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook around my french table, which is a very beautiful and large cookbook (more than 300 recipes)!  Our first recipe is also the first recipe in the book - gougeres!  We won't be posting recipes, but I encourage you to purchase this absolutely beautiful book.  This recipe was easy to make and the end result made me think I just might be good at this french cooking!!  Another plus with this recipe is that you can freeze the mounds on a baking sheet and then when they are solid you can pack them in a airtight container and bake them as you need them!  I love when you can make things in advance!  I have one of my sister's visiting in a few weeks and can't wait to take these out of the freezer and enjoy with a little bubbly!  I did bake up a half dozen and enjoyed them very much!

Add the flour all at once, lower the heat and stir with vigor, the dough will become very smooth.

Turn the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add eggs one at a time.

Using about 1 tablespoon for each gougere.

gougeres 
Bon Appetit

Prosciutto Roasted Halibut with Autumn Vegetables

This is one of those dishes after you made it you say... I can't believe I made that!!!  This recipe comes again from one of my very favorite chef's Ina Garten.   This is from her Back to Basics cookbook; she states that this dish was similar to one she had at Spago in Beverly Hills.  I love that even Ina goes home and tries to re-create a meal that she had, I too do the same thing often!  I haven't had Halibut in awhile...I think I like it better than lobster!!  I bought my halibut from Whole Foods...good thing I am a "empty nester" because halibut is expensive...but so worth every penny.  DH and I would rather eat fish than beef any day!!  This recipe gets 5 Stars from us!!



Diced butternut squash, Yukon Gold potatoes, parsnips and carrots!

Melted butter with rosemary sprigs and lemon juice.

Halibut wrapped with prosciutto di Parma and ready for the oven!

Prosciutto Roasted Halibut with Autumn Vegetables

• 2 cups peeled, seeded, and (1/2 inch) diced butternut squash
• 2 cups peeled and (1/2 inch) diced Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 cups peeled and (1/2 inch) diced parsnips
• 2 cups peeled and (1/2 inch) diced carrots
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 6 (8-ounce) skinless fish fillets such as striped bass or halibut
• 6 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

For the vegetables, place the butternut squash, potatoes, parsnips, and carrots on a sheet pan and drizzle with 1/3 cup olive oil.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss together.  Spread out in a single layer and roast for 30 minutes, turning once during cooking.  After 30 minutes, toss with the garlic and roast for another 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and starting to brown.

Meanwhile, line another sheet pan with aluminum foil, and place a baking rack on top of the foil.  Brush the fish fillets on both sides with olive oil and season them liberally with salt and pepper.  Wrap each fillet with a slice of prosciutto to form a wide bank around the center of the fillet, overlapping the ends on the skin side.  Arrange the fillets on the rack with the prosciutto seam side down and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until barely cooked.

While the vegetables and fish are roasting, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium-size saute pan.  Add the rosemary sprigs and cook over low heat until the rosemary leaves are crisp and the butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes.  Discard the rosemary, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside.

To serve, place the fish on a platter or individual plates, spoon the rosemary butter on top, and surround with the vegetables.

Garnish with lemon wedges and serve hot.

I am a lucky girl!!



This was on my front porch when I got home today!!


I won this beautiful KitchenAid Mixer from Michael Lee at http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ !!

Now I have to decide what I want to make first in my new mixer...  I have a few ideas, check back soon!

Lemon Pepper Parmesan-Crusted Salmon

I found this recipe on the back of Progresso Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs.  They are Lemon Pepper flavored...not sure if they are new or not, but I just discovered them.  The recipe was on the back of the box!!  These were easy to make and very delicious.  You can also the panko bread crumbs to bread chicken, I am sure that would taste great too!

This is the box -- sorry for the glare!



Mixing up the crumb mixture.



Salmon with crumb mixture.



Lemon Pepper Parmesan-Crusted Salmon

• 1 Salmon fillet, 1 1/4 lb
• 3 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1/2 cup Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onions

1. Heat oven to 375.  Place salmon skin side down and brush with 1 tablespoon butter.
2. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, onions and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter press evenly on salmon.
3. Bake 15 - 25 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork.