...and to all a good night

I'll spare you the blathering as a holiday present. Let's get to the point. You will definitely scream "whoopie!" and spew red and white winterfulness after taking a bite of these. A light hint of cocoa paired with the biting peppermint is pretty close to perfection. Merry, happy and peace to all.

Peppermint Red Velvet Whoopies

adapted from Paula Deen
Yield: 24 pies

INGREDIENTS
pies
3 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C shortening
One 1-ounce bottle red food coloring
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk

peppermint filling
5 T all-purpose flour
1 C milk
1/4 C sugar
3/4 C confectioner's sugar
8 T (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 C solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 t peppermint extract
crushed peppermint candies

DIRECTIONS
pies
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
1. Sift the flour, baking soda, and cocoa together. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, shortening, food coloring, and vanilla.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs together until they turn pale and double in volume.
3. Add the oil mixture and beat to combine.
4. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in five small additions, starting and ending with the flour.
5. Drop the batter by teaspoons onto the baking sheets, allowing 1 inch between drops, as the cookies will spread. You’ll be making 48 cookies. Bake until the cookies are firm but not crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer immediately to racks to cool.

filling
1. Put the flour into a medium saucepan and slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until very thick, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
2. Cream the sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla and peppermint extracts with an electric mixer.
3. Add the cooled flour mixture and whip until fluffy.
4. Spread onto one cookie and top it with another to make a sandwich; repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Roll edges in crushed peppermint. Cover the filled whoopie pies with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition: 297 cal, 17g fat, 74mg sod, 34g carb, 20g sugar, .3g fiber, 2.5g protein

spinning my pinwheels

This is a recipe I have been eying for a good chunk of my life as we combed through recipes in this cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens®.  This book has provided the basis for my dad's awesome biscotti and one of my all-time favorite cookies, Coconut Jumbles.  I remember looking through the book as a kid after my dad told me to pick a favorite and how could I deny a pink-fluffy confection with coconut on top?!  Those have been a cookie plate standard every since.  Thank you Father Fartknocker, tee-hee.  Now that I am happily contributing to the family diabetes plate, I thought it time to attempt these pretty (and also pinkish) pinwheel cookies.  They always looked to be difficult but thankfully it is more in the design and less in the actual work.  I hope to make them again next year but with perhaps a few edits.  These are scrumptious but fragile even with the edition of shortening.  I can't have fragile cookies when they travel through three states and over 350 miles.  The dough also warmed up very quickly after sitting in the fridge well over twenty-four hours and stuck bit during the rolling process so be a little generous with the "lightly flour surface."  Regardless though, I was happy with the outcome and intend to try the fluted edge next year to make them super fanciful. 

Cherry Cheese Pinwheels

from Cookies, Cookies, Cookies and Any-Day Treats
Yield: 36

INGREDIENTS
dough
1/3 C butter, softened
1/3 C shortening
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 egg
2 T milk
1 t vanilla
2 C all-purpose flour

cherry cheese filling
4 oz cream cheese or neufchatel cheese, softened
2 T sugar
1/4-1/2 C chopped dried cherries

DIRECTIONS
dough
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
3. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat in the flour on low speed. Divide dough into fourths. Cover; chill about 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

cherry cheese filling
1. Combine cream cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir in dried cherries. Makes about 3/4 cup.

assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. On a lightly floured surface, roll a portion of the dough into a 10x5-inch rectangle. Using a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut dough into eight 2 1/2-inch squares. Place squares 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
2. Cut 1 inch slits from each corner toward the center of each square. Spoon a level teaspoon of filling onto center of each square. Fold every other tip in corners to center of squares to form a pinwheel; press gently to seal. If desired, sprinkle tops with flaked coconut.
3. Repeat with remaining dough, and filling. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire racks and let cookies cool.

Nutrition: 84 cal, 4g fat, 52mg sod, 11g carb, 6g sugar, 1g fiber, 1g protein

lend me an ear and i'll sing you a song...

Inundated. That is a good way to describe how I feel at this time of year. I wasn't feeling super cheerful due to the endless list of things I wanted/needed (I'm very OCD, they are practically the same thing to me) to do this season. However, I found myself exclaiming "I LOVE CHRISTMAS!" after several sweet fourth graders deposited presents on my desk. Now, that sounds materialistic but the stuff had nothing to do with it. These sweet children thought of me when I am not even their teacher. I am merely an adult in their classroom that helps take care of one of their friends on a daily basis. Over seventy percent of children in this city live in the "low-income" or below bracket. Many receive free school lunch. The fact that they took time and family money to show they cared is beyond comprehension. Several more students started lamenting that they needed to run out and get me a gift after seeing a few peers do so. Over an over I pleaded that they save their money and just the thought to care was more than a present to me. So thankfully, some agreed and cute little handmade cards made their way to my desk and I will treasure them always. How can working in an elementary school not be the most fulfilling thing ever? I am already plotting my end-of-school-year present to them in hopes of showing them a fraction of how they make me feel. I have never felt more "holiday cheer" than at this school this week.

Thank you for letting me chat your ear off. Now I will share my ears, these yummy-scrumbo Elephant Ears, with you. Hopefully you can take a minute to savor and enjoy and let the rush melt around you.

Almond Elephant Ears

adapted from Big Fat Cookies
Yield: 24

INGREDIENTS
dough
2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pcs
1/2 C sour cream

filling
7 oz almond paste, broken into pieces
2 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C confectioner's sugar
2 t heavy cream or milk
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 t almond extract
1 C granulated sugar, for rolling
1/2 C dried fruit optional

DIRECTIONS
dough
1. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until the largest of the butter pieces are the size of peas. The butter pieces will be different sizes and there will still be some loose flour.
2. A the sour cream and mix until large clumps of dough form that pull away from the sides of the bowl.about 15 seconds(or use a pastry blender to combine the flour mixture and butter.
3. Form the dough into a smooth ball and flatten it into an 8x15-inch rectangle. Small pieces of butter will remain in the dough, contributing to the flaky texture.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to rest and firm the dough.

filling
1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the almond paste and butter until smooth.
2. Mix in the confectioner's sugar, cream or milk, vanilla and almond extract until blended to a smooth soft mixture. Stir in dried fruit if desired.
3. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, cover and set aside at room temperature for up to 1 hour or refrigerate if leaving overnight.

assembly
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare to roll the dough by sprinkling flour and sugar on a work surface and rolling pin.
1. Remove dough from refrigerator, unwrap and roll the dough to a 14x12-inch rectangle. Don't flip the dough over while rolling, but lift and turn it several times as you roll it to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface, sprinkling sugar generously on the rolling surface.
2. Use a thin spatula to spread the filling in a thin layer over the dough.
3. Turn the dough if necessary so a short side faces you. Measuring along the 14-inch sides, mark the center of the dough. Rolling from the shorter 12-inch edge that is closer to you, roll up the dough like a jelly roll just to the marked center then roll the far side toward the center until the two rolls meet. You will have a double log of filled dough that is smoothly attached on the bottom side.
4. Turn the double log over for easier cutting and press in the ends of the log to smooth them. Use a large sharp knife to cut the log into 12 1" thick slices.
5. Dip both sides of each slice in sugar, sprinkle the rolling pin with sugar. Roll out each slice of dough to a large butterfly shape about 2x4-inches and about 1/16 of an inch thick, sprinkling the rolling pin as necessary with sugar. The cookies will not all be exactly the same size.
6. Use a large spatula to place the cookies at least 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with about 1/2 t sugar.
7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops are evenly light brown, about 15 minutes. The cookies will spread about 1 inch and rise slightly and the filling may bubble up on some of the cookies and have a few darker spots. Cool the cookies for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition: 184 cal, 11g fat, 114mg sod, 36g carb, 23g sugar, 1g fiber, 7g protein

twelve cookies of christmas

Actually, it's more like seventeen- I made ten varieties and my mother made seven.  If you are receiving a cookie plate from us, I hope you like to shake it up a bit.  I am going to do my best to post the cookies I made to contribute to our annual plates before the stockings are hung by the chimney with care.  For the most part, I went a little crazy this year and tried out six new recipes. The only negative was that they were not original concoctions of my own. Maybe next year I will get it together and invent some new cookies. Overall, I was pretty happy with the majority and will decide which will reappear in the future after the initial cookie plate attack occurs at Grandma Suedy's house after Christmas dinner.  Now, I do not want to see another cookie for at least three months.  Maybe I'll make ice cream (my other love) instead...

Let's start this madness with something really akin to wintry flavors and colors.

Peppermint Crescents

from Southern Living Incredible Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen

INGREDIENTS
1 C unsalted butter, softened
2/3 C sifted confectioner's sugar
1 t peppermint extract
1/8 t salt
2 1/2 C flour
2 C sifted confectioner's sugar, divided
2 1/2 T milk
1/4 t peppermint extract
coarsely crushed hard peppermint candy

DIRECTIONS
1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, and salt; beat well. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Divide dough into thirds; cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, divide each portion into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 2-inch log; curve ends of each log to form a crescent. Place crescents 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
3. Bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets. Carefully roll warm cookies in 1 cup confectioner's sugar, and then cool completely on wire racks. After speaking to wise Mommy Dearest about this, she said that the confectioner's sugar may have a more consistent appearance if I wait to let the cookies cool completely.
4. Combine remaining cup of confectioner's sugar, milk and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, stirring until smooth. Drizzle icing over cookies; sprinkle with crushed peppermint, pressing gently. Let icing set before serving. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Nutrition: 117 cal, 5g fat, 13mg sod, 17g carb, 10g sugar, 0g fiber, 1g protein

the calm before the storm

Christmas cookie baking is looming and I hope to post the majority of what I make over the next couple of weeks.  I have made some bars and cookies already but everything else should be confections that I have not posted before. It will definitely be interesting because I plan on shaking up the cookie routine I have managed to form over the past few years of being a homeowner.

If you haven't noticed my family is the "go big or go home" type. Thanksgiving was nuts with its three days of feasting and Christmas will be just as crazy with its twelve days (at least) of cookies. My Mommy Dearest and I were going to combine cookie plates and stick to making five types each for ten scrumptious options. Believe it or not, that is cutting back on what we have done in the past. However, she informed me that there were certain cookies she couldn't part with and has since upped her five to six plus a pie and cinnamon rolls. Considering she only needs to give plates to three groups of people and Torren and I need to give away NINE plates for all of our work and family-related obligations, I need to up the ante. I have a couple of cookies up my sleeve but I would really like to shake it up this year. Does anyone have any funful options that are not your run-of-the-mill nut or rum ball? I am even more likely to love it if it ISN'T red and green because, well, I just harbor fugly feelings for that color combo.

In the mean time, I thought I would share a recipe for something that was NOT oven-baked or resembled a circle or square. With that, I bring you pudding. I avoided rice pudding like the plague because I assumed it was similar to tapioca (blech, no thank you) but when Torren professed his love for it after meeting him in college, I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to stick my finger in someone else's food. Yes, I am that person. If I love you enough, I will enjoy your dinner off of your plate. Consider it a compliment and move on. I discovered that, I, too could definitely down a bowl of Kozy Shack® (why the cutesy "K?") and have since used up much left over rice thanks to sugar, milk and an extra hour or so on my hands. This version is maple-fied (still have that jug of syrup) and I added nuts and dried fruit because that sounds enchantingly rustic, doesn't it? Did I just hear Martha call?

Maple Rice Pudding

Yield: 8 half-cup servings

INGREDIENTS
1 C uncooked white or brown rice, rinsed
5 C milk I use skim
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
3/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 C almonds, pecans and/or walnuts
1/4 C dried fruit I used cranberries and cherries

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and spices in a small bowl refrigerate until needed.
2. Place rinsed rice in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, barely cover with water and bring to a boil.
3. Immediately add the milk to the rice. Let the milk scald, then reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Let the pot simmer on low for about 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Watch the pot, and stir frequently. If the rice and milk thicken, or if the rice begins to stick, add more milk.
4. Turn up the heat to medium high, and stir the egg mixture into the rice. Continue stirring the rice until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in nuts and dried fruit. can be served both warm and cold.

Nutrition: 287 cal, 4g fat, 107mg sod, 53g carb, 31g sugar, 1g fiber, 10g protein