I'm a...

two steppin into some holiday bread

Hey there and how do you do?? 
This holiday season has just been flying by, i can hardly believe we are less than three weeks out!! 
With all of the cookies and sweets getting made and handed out.. it's not a time to forget about the breads!! 
and nothing says holiday season like cranberries and nuts... heh nuts!! Big shout out to Ocean Spray for this beauty!! The original recipe calls for pecans... but i like walnuts! 

Cranberry Walnut Bread
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp shortening
3/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 egg
1 1/2 cup cranberries
3/4 cups walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/4 cup demerera sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 (or 10) x 5 loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans).

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in the bowl of your stand mixer. Turn on medium and add shortening until combined. Add orange juice, orange zest, and egg. Mix until well-blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Spread demerera sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly with plastic wrap or foil to keep it moist.

sending you cranberry xoxo's

Let's make WHOOPIE!!

Whoopie Pies that is!! Pumpkin Whoopie Pies to be more exact!! 
Now, i'm gonna tell you a secret. Are you Ready? ok. 
I've never made or had a whoopie pie before!! *collective gasp* 
I know I know I know... but i'm here to remedy that!! so this weekend's project will include a menagerie of whoopie pies... starting with this one;

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
(photo and recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com)
Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups canned cooked pumpkin
• FILLING:
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Dash salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
2.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger; add to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin.
3. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets; flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. 
4. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-11 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
5. For filling, combine the flour and salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth; cook and stir over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.
6. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Add chilled milk mixture; beat for 7 minutes or until fluffy. 
7. Spread on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Store in the refrigerator.

Super can't wait to enjoy these lovelies and you shouldn't either!!

xoxo

Neiman Marcus tastes on a Kmart Budget!

I'm not talking about shoes or handbags.... both things i'd rather get from Neimans lol.. nope. I'm talking about the Lemon bar!! Yes, i know this is not a cookie.... but as a semi-lemon fan.. i have to say.. it's YUMMY!! 

Give it a try, expand your horizons!! 

(photo courtesy of cookeatshare.com) 

NEIMAN MARCUS BARS

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon peel (optional)
2 tbls. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract (if you like a lot of lemon flavor - but optional)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Mix flour, butter, and powdered sugar together and press into 8x8x2 pan (or 9x9x2 pan) making sure to build up edges to about 1/2 inch. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients together until creamy and light (about 3-4 minutes). 

4. Pour over hot crust and return to oven for about 25 minutes or until center of bars do not leave an indention when lightly touched and sides begin to pull away from pan. 

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Dust with a bit of powdered sugar and cut into squares. 

xoxo

Hey Shortie... it's your birthday...

Good shortbread is like a shot in the ass by Cupid,let me just tell you. 

A sneaky cookie... shortbread's simplicity is the key to it's delicious success!! 

Using simple but quality ingredients (no imitation extract please) will give your holiday SHORTbread a serious LONGevity!! lol

(photo courtesy of fine cooking.com)

Basic Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1        Cup Butter

1/2   Cup of sugar

2 1/4 Cups Flour

1 Tsp Almond Extract

Directions

1. Cream butter and add sugar gradually 

2. Mix in Almond Extract and cream all ingredients thoroughly.

3. Add flour 1/4 cup at a time, making sure to incorporate well. 

4. Divide dough into several portions

5. Flatten one portion at a time on a POWDERED SUGARED board. or flour. 

6. Roll out each sectioned with lightly sugared (or floured) rolling pin.

7. cut into desired shapes (triangles or wedges) and place on ungreased cookie sheet pans. 

8. Bake at 325°for 10-14 min. or golden brown around the edges.

9. cool on wire racks

And again, shortbread is the type of cookie that has many possible variations.

Orange Chocolate, Almond Cherry, Caraway Seeded... just go with what you love!!

xoxo

  20   20

*snicker* at the snickerdoodle

 All in all the Snickerdoodle is pretty amazing!! I mean you get that nice soft middle with just a HINT of cinnamon sugar on top.. YUMMY!! Unfortunately for me, I tend to forget about the darn Snicker D.. but not this Christmas!!! 
No Sir-ee, so here's my fave recipe for the doodle..

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tspp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tblsp white sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
3. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend well. 
4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. 
5. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. 
6. Roll dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. 
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. 
8. Remove cookies right awaycookie sheets.

For a little something different, add butterscotch chips, or crystalized ginger... the options are endless. 

Be creative with Everything you create!!  

xoxo

ENJOY THE FOOD YOU EAT!!

Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.  ~Jim Davis

After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps.  ~Miss Piggy

There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't, and that's a wife who can't cook and will.  ~Robert Frost

To go with that....

To go with the Chicken and Dumplings (prior post) ... and in keeping in the 'holiday' spirit.. I decided to go ahead with sweet potato latkes.
Word to the wise... after mixing them... make the latkes and place them i the fridge for a lil bit so they set and don't fall apart once they hit the pan!!

Sweet Potato Latkes

• 2 cups peeled and shredded sweet potatoes
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sour cream for garnish

• Directions;

  1. Place the shredded potatoes in a cloth, and wring as much of the moisture out as possible. Place the potatoes into a bowl, and stir in the garlic, eggs, flour, Cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper until well mixed.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers
  3. Drop the potato mixture by heaping tablespoons into the hot oil. Press down on the patties to flatten them to about 1/3 inch thick. Fry the patties until golden brown and crisp on the bottoms, 5 to 8 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until crisp and golden. 
  4. Remove the latkes to paper towels to drain, and serve hot, sprinkled with green onion and a small dollop of sour cream.
  (next time around i'd probably make a ginger sour cream dip to accompany this... i'll let you know) 
  xoxo

Side Stepping the Cookies for just a MINUTE !!

I'm gonna postpone my cookie recipe for the day for just a second while i tell share a recipe i tried last night!!
Chicken n Dumplings, in my opinion, has to be one of the top ten favorite comfort foods of mine!!
I never really see it on too many menus of the places i frequents, so as i was watching food network the other day.. i felt the light bulb flash above my head as to what the first thing i should make in my new crock pot should be......

• Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can of bream of celery soup
  • 1 onion, finely diced or shredded

  2 tsp garlic powder

  1/4 cup of peas (for color) 

  salt and pepper

  biscuit dough (recipe below) 

  Directions

  1. Place the chicken, butter, garlic powder, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
  2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. 
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste
  4. About 30 minutes before serving, drop pieces of the biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.
  5. Serve in a bowl and 

  Biscuit Recipe
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•