December 24, 2008
Ginger Spice Cookies (Soft)
(Note: This recipe requires crystallized ginger. You can usually buy this at a specialty store or online, but if you'd like to make it, there are recipies online you can follow easily enough. DO NOT replace the crystalized ginger with ground ginger.)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped crystalized ginger
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup mild (light) molasses
Sugar
Directions:
Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets. Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using wet hands, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
Recipe taken from Bon Apetite, March 2000
Posted by Kelli Little at 09:13 AM
April 23, 2008
Dill Garlic Roasted Red Potatoes
Ingredients:
8 med. to large red potatoes, cut into small wedges
1 medium red onion, cut into small wedges
2 tbl olive oil
2 tsp. butter
3 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried dill
2 tbl chopped basil, fresh
2 tsp parsley, dried
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a shallow baking pan (or two, depending on how big it is. You want to make certain the potatoes are all leveled out, and not piled on top of one another.)
Place potato and onion wedges in a big bowl. Mix all other seasonings and olive oil in a smaller bowl; drizzle over wedges, and toss to combine and coat completely. Transfer potatoes into the prepared pan. Bake/roast for approximately 40 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the potatoes are tender and golden.
Serves approximately 4-6.
Posted by Kelli Little at 06:42 AM
December 25, 2007
Simple, Awesome Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 pound multi-grain bread
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbl thyme
1 tbl sage
1 clove garlic, minced (or to taste)
6 tbl butter
1 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 3/4 cups turkey stock or chicken stock
Directions:
Without using the heals of the bread, cut bread with crust into 1" cubes. This should yield approximately 10 cups, loosely packed. Place these cubes in a large pan and let sit overnight to dry. If you don't have that kind of time, toast the bread to golden in the toaster before cutting. After toasting and cutting into cubes, place in oven for approximately 30 min at 200 degrees F, until almost the consistency of croutons. (Not as hard though.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and parsley. (You can always add more vegetables to this mixture. This recipe was made for someone who doesn't much like veggies in his stuffing.) Saute vegetables until they are soft, approximately 10 minutes. (You can also prepare the veggies one day before hand and refrigerate until use.)
In a small bowl, mix together oil, thyme, sage, and garlic. Once the bread cubes are sufficiently prepared, place them in a big bowl, drizzle with the oil mixture, and toss. Toss in the veggie mixture.
Butter 11X7X2" glas baking dish. Place final mixture into the pan and spread throughout evenly. Gradually add hot broth throughout the entire dish, making certain to cover all areas. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing until heated throughout, 20-25 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is brown, 20-25 minutes longer, and serve.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:41 AM
December 21, 2007
Chocolate Orange Fudge
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 tsp pure orange extract
Directions:
Line an 8X8" square pan with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate chips with condensed milk in the top of a double broiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. (If microwaving, microwave for a minute, stir, and stir every 30 seconds afterwards until melted.) Remove from heat if on the burner, and stir in pecans, grated orange peel, and pure orange extract.
Pour chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, or until firm, and cut into squares. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Posted by Kelli Little at 10:09 AM
Mini Pecan Delights
Ingredients:
Tart Shells:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
Filling:
2 tbl butter, melted
1and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup pecan halves, finely chopped
Powdered sugar (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. For tart shells, beat butter and cream cheese in a bowl until well blended. Add flour, and mix until a soft dough forms.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place within the ungreased cups of a mini muffin pan. (There should be 24 cups for this pan.) Dip a tart shaper into flour, and press into the dough with even pressure until the dough rises slightly above the rim of pan. Don't let the tart shell become too thin, or the filling will seep out and make it impossible to get the tart out of the pan once cooked.
For the filling, place the butter in a bowl and microwave on high for 30 econds or until melted. Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Finely chop pecans and add to the batter bowl and mix well.
Using a small spoon, fill each tart shell with a level scoop of filling. Do not overfill. Bake at 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool in the pan for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan to the counter or a cooling rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
Creates 24 tarts.
(This recipe modified from its original, which was provided by Pampered Chef.)
*** A couple of notes:
1. This recipe isn't as sweet as other desserts, so if you have a crowd of sugar-fiends, go with something else.
2. Make certain you are softening the butter and cheese for the tart shells, or the conglomeration with the flour will turn out far stickier and less manageable than it should be.
Posted by Kelli Little at 09:59 AM