On the 2nd day of Christmas Cookies...

1 week left until Christmas.  I know I slacked off this weekend with my 12 days of Christmas Cookies.  However, it was time well spent with our family.  We had a wonderful weekend, baking, shopping and singing Christmas Carols.  Not to mention, our little bun in the oven is taking much of my energy and causing me to feel queasy most of the afternoon.
Not to fear though, these Palmiers are easy and quick to make.  If you don't want to wait overnight at least chill the dough for an hour before slicing and baking.  -Just enough time to get in a nap!  I've included my favorite 3 versions, but you can really fill them with almost anything you like or don't fill them at all and just sprinkle with a little sugar inside and out for a simple yet elegant cookie.

Cinnamon, Tomato & Chocolate Palmiers

Ingredients for Cinnamon Palmiers

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted

2/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tsp ground cinnamon

2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Unfold one pastry sheet and roll out to a 13 in. square on a lightly floured surface. Brush the pastry with butter. Evenly sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the pastry to cover. Gently press it in with your rolling pin. Working from the short ends, fold each end half-way to the center. Roll each side up towards the center until the rolled edges touch. Wrap the log in plastic. Repeat with the second pastry sheet. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife (non-serrated), cut the logs into 1/2-inch slices and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a little of the sanding sugar and bake until puffed and golden brown- 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen.
 

Ingredients for Sundried Tomato Palmiers

1 1/4 cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)

5 cups basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup good olive oil

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted 

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To make the paste, place the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for 15 seconds. Set aside.
Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and place it on a lightly floured board. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square. Using a offset spatula, spread the paste over the top of the puff pastry. Roll each side up towards the center until the rolled edges touch. Wrap the log in plastic. Repeat with the second pastry sheet. Refrigerate overnight.
Slice the dough into 1/2 inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush each piece with egg wash and place in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes. Turn each pastry slice over and continue baking an additional 5 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen
 
Ingredients for Chocolate Palmiers

2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 C sugar 

8 oz dark chocolate, finely grated

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted

Directions

 Sprinkle half each of the sugar and chocolate evenly over a pastry sheet.  Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and place it on a lightly floured board. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square.  Brush the pastry with butter and sprinkle half each of the sugar and chocolate evenly over the pastry sheet.  Roll each side up towards the center until the rolled edges touch. Wrap the log in plastic. Repeat with the second pastry sheet. Refrigerate overnight.
Slice the dough into 1/2 inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush each piece with egg wash and place in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes. Turn each pastry slice over and continue baking an additional 5 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


Makes 2 Doz.

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Tis the season for cookie swaps, church pitch in's, holiday parties, and edible gifts for friends, family and neighbors.  So for the rest of the month I am featuring a different cookie each day.  I have a handful of what I call my go to holiday cookies, but I have been wanting to add to this list for some time now and what a perfect opportunity.  Don't forget to share any cookies or holiday gifting ideas of your own in the comments!  Today's cookie is vrom the Barefoot Contessa and I have been making these cookies for the last 6 Christmases.  They are just about everyone's favorite.  You can use any kind of jam you like and can leave off the coconut if you wish as well.  These are a wonderfully tasty cookies.  Happy Baking.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies By Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Ingredients


3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry, apricot or your favorite jam

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve. 

Tip: I place them in a cellophane bag tied with a pretty ribbon to give as gifts.
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We had a fantastic Easter Sunday.  We heard wonderful talks about the Savior in Sacrament Meeting and our choir sang a beautiful piece, Alleluia.  It brought such a sweet spirit to the meeting. After church we had two egg hunts, thanks to my good friend Claire and her daughter Abigail, who orchestrated all of the fun!  We had a lovely dinner and everyone was quite stuffed.  We played quite a few heated rounds of BOGGLE;  who knew 15 yr. olds could be so insistent on using Latin words!  I know I say it often, but we have such awesome friends.  I hope all of you were able to share your holiday with loved ones.


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I love Valentine's Day.  I love it all: the various shades of Red and Pink that are donned on this day, the paper Valentine's for the kid's parties, flowers, chocolates, desserts, mmmm the desserts...  Even when I was single I loved this day.  Traditionally I have thrown a dessert party and invited all our friends for sweets.  This year we kept it a little more low key and my husband and I had a dear friend couple over for dinner.  They are just the cutest pair of sweethearts I know.  They have been together for almost 10 years, but only married for over a year and are still lovey-dovey and so sweet on each other.  They even have cute little pet names.  I love it!  I was making cupcakes for my son's 6th grade class and  was preparing to pipe the frosting when my husband grabs a bag, sets the piping tip and says, "here let me do it." (He managed a grocery store bakery many moons ago).  I have always been apprehensive about believing the cake decorating ability as I had never seen it, but he came through with flying colors!  He never ceases to amaze me.  I love my sweet husband dearly and am so blessed to have such a strong, spiritual, confident and loving partner.  I couldn't ask for more.  So today I hope you don't hold my mushy musings against me, i just can't help but be sickening sweet.  And speaking of sweet, I have added my Red Velvet Cupcake recipe below and it is I have to say, my best yet.  Have a wonderful day!  Love,
M

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cake Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 extra large eggs at room temperature
1 ounces red food coloring
2 heaping Tbs cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar

Frosting Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound butter at room temperature
2 pounds powdered sugar sifted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract


Instructions for Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream the shortening, sugar and eggs in a mixer with the paddle attachment.  Make a paste of the food coloring and cocoa and add to creamed mixture.  Combine buttermilk, vanilla, soda, salt and vinegar in a large bowl (It will foam, be careful).  Add buttermilk mixture to creamed mixture alternating with sifted flour. Do not over mix.  Mix just until large lumps (if any) disappear.  Pour into cupcake tins with paper inserts to a little over 1/2 full.  Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Makes about 25 cupcakes.

Bake at 350 F. for 25 minutes.

Instructions for the cream cheese frosting

Cream the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.  The frosting can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator up to a week.  Enough for about 50 cupcakes.

Frost cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting

I know this post is a bit belated, but the holidays had me hustling and bustling around.  Now that I have had time to slow down and go on with sharing the delicious recipes we used for Christmas.  This year I had an urge to connect with my ancestral roots.  Both Chad and I have branches of our family tree in Britian, so I decided to do some research and have a traditional English Christmas Eve dinner complete with Christmas Crackers (little party poppers that you let off before dessert.  It is traditional for goose to be served, however due to the lack of a fresh goose, I went with duck, close enough.  We also had roasted tenderloin with blue cheese cream sauce as a main protein as well.  We started off with appetizers of sardines with mustard and crackers, pickles, pickled onions, and a cheese board of English White Cheddar and Cotswold with green onion and chive, and to top it off a crudite of raw veg with sour cream dipping sauce.  Luckily I have always had my children try a small taste of anything before they decide whether or not they "like" it.  The sardines were a hit!  My sister, who said, "normally I don't like sardines." couldn't stop noshing on them.  We had sides of roasted potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar, and even though not an English creation we couldn't leave out the beloved green been casserole.  I have included a couple of the recipes and hopefully you'll try them, because they are delicous and can be used for any occasion a weekend dinner.  Invite a couple friends, put everything together and Bob's your uncle!

Roast Christmas Duck (adapted from Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients

2 red onions, peeled and halved
4 sticks of celery, trimmed and halved
3 carrots, peeled and halved
1 bulb garlic,  papery layers removed and sliced in half
few sprigs of rosemary
1 5-6 lb duck with 1lb with giblets, at room temperature
For Pan Gravy

3 Tablespoons plain flour
1¾ pints chicken stock



Isabella gives the duck its 5 spice massage

 Lightly oil the duck with olive oil. Rub the five-spice over the bird. Stuff the pierced clementines into the cavity.
Under the wing, on both sides, pierce fat pockets with knife to allow fat to render. Also stab the fatty parts on the back of the bird - the fat will render out and make everything delicious.
Place the duck on top of the vegetables and giblets.
Put the duck into the pre-heated oven and after 20 min turn the oven down to 375.
The cooking time depends on whether your bird is at room temperature or not and also on the size and type of oven you've got and the quality of the bird. As a guide, give your birds about to 35-40 minutes oven time per lb. So for the this size bird, about 3-3.5 hours should suffice.
After 35 minutes in the oven, wrap the legs in a single layer of tinfoil. This will protect the legs from getting dry and burnt.
When the cooking time is up, carefully lift the bird out of the tray and rest it on a board, loosely covered with tinfoil, for 20 minutes. While your bird is resting, skim most of the fat off the liquid left in the roasting tray, I like to pour it into a separating pitcher and then pour the separated stock back into the pan, but spooning it off works also.  Now whisk in the flour.
Put the tray on the heat, and keep stirring - the flour will thicken the liquid. Add the stock, then pour the gravy and the caramelized veg into a saucepan.
Scrape all the sticky bits off the bottom of the tray and add to the pan. Simmer the gravy gently for about 15 to 20 minutes, then strain into a clean saucepan and keep warm. Remember to skim any fat off the top before serving.


The Best Roasted Potatoes




Ingredients

River and Isabella peel potatoes-The actually fight over this job!


Roasted Brussel Sprouts












Ingredients

Stalk of brussel sprouts
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper



Logan removes and scores brussel sprouts

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Place a pot of water on stove and bring to a boil.  Remove sprouts from the stalk, rinse and mark an X on each stem base.  Place sprouts into boiling water and parboil for 1-2 minutes.  Drain in a colander.  Pour dry sprouts in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Place in oven and roast for 30-35 minutes occasionally tossing in the juices until they are brown on the outside and tender inside. You may not have enjoyed brussel sprouts in the past, but these are delicious.  

I love salt.  In fact, I have over 10 different types of salt in my pantry. I know, I know, but my blood pressure is just fine.  My preferences for snacks have always leaned toward the salty and savory and my newest obesession with Starbuck's Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate has now topped the list for this holiday season.  It is normally not my style to promote corporate establishments, but this is good...soooooooo good.