Eggnog Cupcakes

I found out this Christmas season that Alex likes eggnog, like a lot. This surprised me because we’ve been married now for 2.5 years and together for almost 5. In all that time I never knew he loved eggnog. I didn’t even know he liked it. These cupcakes were a spur of the moment decision to make.  I figured that I would combine a flavor Alex loves with cupcakes and see how it turned out.With such a divisive flavor I received mixed reviews on these cupcakes, but the general consensus was that if you like eggnog, you’ll like these.  I hate eggnog flavor so I didn’t try them. However, Alex did give them high marks, especially the frosting.I also had mixed reviews on the inclusion of the candied fruit. Some people absolutely loved it, other could have done without it. It is entirely up to you if you want to include it. The candied fruit adds another dimension to the cake so its not quite so bland. I found these in the baking section of my local grocery. They were under the fruitcake baking section. You should be able to find them at any normal sized market in the baking aisle.Not only have I included eggnog in the cupcakes I have also created a frosting full of eggnoggy goodness. I actually did these two different ways, one was with the buttercream frosting as shown in the recipe below. The other was with an eggnog glaze that I accidentally added too much imitation rum extract to (see above photo). I got better reviews with the buttercream which is why I decided to post that version of the recipe. If you’re interested in just a simple topping you can combine small amounts of eggnog, powdered sugar and imitation rum extract to make a glaze you generously drizzle over top the cupcakes.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:158]Source: Cake adapted from SprinkleBakes

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

I know I’ve said this before, but when I cook a large meal I tend to run out of oven and/or stove burner space. I also don’t seem to have time for futzy-putzy dishes. I decided this last time around to try making mashed potatoes in a crockpot. This not only saved me time, it kept me from using a burner on the stove and they turned out amazing!These were fantastic mashed potatoes. Since they cook for such a long time with a ton of moisture they are amazingly soft and smushy when you go to mash them. I highly suggest using a potato masher or a hand mixer to mash these. It will save you a lot of time and energy when you probably don’t have much to spare.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:157]

Gluten Free Crockpot Apple and Sausage Stuffing

When you’re cooking a giant meal the last thing you need is to run out of space in the oven. I always run into this problem with a big meal so I decided to try and make as many things in the crockpot as I could the last time we had family over. We have two different sized crockpots and a large roaster so this is a viable option for us.Stuffing is a huge part of any family holiday celebration and since I was trying to make an entirely gluten free Christmas feast the stuffing had to be included. I had two loaves of Udi’s bread that had been sitting in my freezer for several months and I decided it was time to make use of them. I find Udi’s too dry to eat by itself so I was saving it for an occasion such as this.The other large alteration I made to this stuffing recipe was to cook it in a crockpot. Although this didn’t give the crispy crust some people love it did work well. If you’re really concerned about a crispy top you can always stick the finished product under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up right before you serve it.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:155]Source: Adapted from: Food Network Magazine, November 2015

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Wow! The last week and a half have been crazy for me! I had several wonderful Christmas themed posts that I never got around to posting because I was out of town and then I got sick. But I’m back home and life is WAY less crazy and I think I may be on the mend.  So here’s to regularly posting again!!!I made these cupcakes for Alex’s Holiday potluck at work a few weeks ago. I really wanted a cupcake that embraced the flavors of the season and since I’d already done peppermint I decided gingerbread was the perfect idea. I paired these cupcakes with a very plain vanilla cream cheese frosting. I didn’t want the frosting to overwhelm the cupcakes in any way.These all received overwhelmingly positive reviews! Alex said he even had trouble getting one of these, and when he did it was the last one. These would be a fantastic idea for a Christmas, Holiday or New Year’s Eve party.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:147]Source: Adapted from Le Crème De La Crumb

Peppermint White Chocolate Cupcakes

I decided it was high time to make some Christmas flavored cupcakes. I settled on making two different types of peppermint cupcakes both with white chocolate icing. Today’s cupcakes are peppermint cupcakes with crushed peppermint candies with white chocolate peppermint buttercream.I took these to a board meeting and everyone loved them! They are chock full of lovely peppermint flavor and the buttercream on top is super light and fluffy. These cupcakes would be the absolute perfect complement to any Christmas celebration.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:146]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Nana’s Pink Stuff

This recipe is a holiday tradition in my family. As long as I can remember this has been served at every single family holiday gathering. I have no idea where this recipe originated, Mom or an Aunt, any idea who introduced this recipe? I have to admit to you, I actually can’t stand this recipe. However, I’ve started making it for Alex’s family gatherings because it doesn’t feel like a holiday if this isn’t on the table.The nuts in the recipe are completely optional. My Mom makes it both ways when she brings it to a family gathering since one of my cousins doesn’t like it with the nuts. It is entirely up to you if you want to add them. I had maple candied pecans on hand so that’s what I used, you can use walnuts too if you like.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:145]

How To: Blind Bake a Pie Crust

With Thanksgiving fast approaching you may see pie recipes that call for “blind-baking” or “pre-baking” your pie crust. This is a very simple step that may be highly confusing to some cooks, especially if you don’t often bake pies.The first thing you need to realize is that blind-baking is VERY easy. You are simply prebaking the pie crust before you add the filling. This is most commonly called for when you have a cream filling or anything else that you don’t need to bake. Here are a few steps you can follow if you need to blind-bake your crust.First, you will want to use pie weights. This is key, in that if you don’t you will end up with a shrunken pie crust. If there is no filling inside the crust will slide down the sides while baking and you will end up with something that is unusable.If you don’t have pie weights on hand, you can simply use rice! I know, it’s a cool little hack that will save you a bunch of time searching for pie weights and money. You can reuse the rice over and over again since it never actually touches the pie. I keep mine in a ziplock bag after I use it and it has cooled. I just make sure to clearly label the bag so I don’t accidentally use this rice for cooking.You want to fill the pie crust as full as possible with rice. This will prevent any sliding of the crust what so ever. Make certain to put a piece of foil or baking parchment down first or else you will never get all the rice out of the crust.Bake your pie crust at the temp called for on the box or in the recipe. You typically will blind-bake a crust for 15 minutes with the pie weights, then remove the weights and bake for another 10 minutes. This will ensure your crust is crispy and cooked all the way through. Make certain it does not brown too much though as that can throw the taste of the finished pie off.Once you’ve cooled your crust you can add any type of filling you like to it. I hope this clears up some of the confusion you may have around holiday pie baking. (Keep an eye on the blog next week for this amazing Maple-Pecan Cream Pie recipe!)

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2: 1-20 NIVIn those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Merry Christmas from all of us!

Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

For the last few years I have been obsessed with bundt cakes. I love how elegant they are without being horribly time consuming. I found the most amazing bundt cake recipe book called “Kiss by Bundt”.  This is a great cookbook that gives great base recipes that you can combine and change to suit whatever flavor you are trying to achieve. This cake would be a great last minute addition to any Christmas or Christmas Eve celebration.I decorated the top with holly leaves for a festive feel to the cake. Since I didn’t want to get out all of my icing paraphernalia I simply used snack sized baggies and cut and end off. You will want to mix a small amount of icing with red or green food coloring to get the detail for the cake. I used a toothpick to pull the icing out to make the decoration.I always keep dry buttermilk on hand for baking. I have not found that this effects the taste of the cake any.

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Red Velvet Bundt Cake:1 ¼ Cup Oil1 Cup Buttermilk2 Eggs2 Tablespoons Red Food Coloring1 Teaspoon White Vinegar1 Teaspoon Vanilla2 ½ Cup Flour1 ¾ Cup Sugar1 Teaspoon Baking Soda2/4 Teaspoon salt1 Tablespoon Dutch Process Cocoa Powder Chocolate Ganache:¼ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream¾ Cup Chocolate Chips1 Teaspoon Vanilla Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:2oz Unsalted Butter4oz Softened Cream Cheese1 Cup Powdered Sugar¼ Teaspoon Vanilla To make the cake:Preheat the oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, combine oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.With your mixer on low slowly add your dry ingredients.Transfer your batter to a large bundt pan that has been generously coated in cooking spray or flour.Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.Invert the cake onto a cooling rack. It should just fall right out. If it resists let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting. Cool completely before frosting (about 1 hour). To make ganache:Heat the heavy cream over medium heat until boiling.Remove from the heat and add chocolate chips and vanilla.Stir until smooth.When it is cool pour evenly over the top of the cake and let harden. For the frosting:Cream together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.Slowly add powdered sugar until well combined.Add vanilla and combine well.Spread over the top of the cake with a spatula. To Decorate:Fill baggies with small amounts of frosting and mix with red or green food coloring. Cut an edge of baggie and use to apply frosting.Make small lines of frosting on the cake.Use a toothpick to pull the frosting out into the design.Make small red dots for holly berries.

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Red Velvet Bundt Cake Source: Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Twelve Days of Cookies: Molasses Sugar Cookies

These are Alex’s favorite cookies. They were originally made by his Grandmother and now his Mother makes them.  They taste very similar to a gingerbread or gingersnap cookie but they are far softer than either of those.  These are definitely the best smelling cookies that I made this year. My whole house smelled like Christmas while they were baking. If you are looking for a last minute cookie to take to your celebration this is an amazing choice.

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Molasses Sugar Cookies:1 ½ c. shortening2 c. sugar½ c. molasses2 eggs4 c. flour4 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. cloves1 tsp. ginger2 tsp. cinnamon1 tsp. saltAdditional Sugar for rolling Preheat the oven to 350. In a separate bowl, melt shortening.Remove from heat and let cool a bit (so eggs don’t cook when added!).Add sugar, molasses, and eggs.Beat well with electric mixer.Add dry ingredients and mix well.Chill dough for several hours (or overnight).Roll in 1” balls and then roll in sugar.Bake 8-10 minutes.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Gingerbread Men

I have tried several gingerbread recipes over the years. This is by far my favorite recipe. With the other recipes I have tried they have never truly turned out.  These cookies are deliciously spicy and are especially fantastic when decorated with royal icing. This year I didn’t really have time to add any icing to these, but I have done it in the past and they turn out amazing.

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Gingerbread Men:1 Cup Butter1 Cup Sugar1 Cup Molasses1 Egg4 Cups Flour1 Teaspoon Salt1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder½ Teaspoon Baking Soda½ Teaspoon Vanilla1 Teaspoon Cinnamon1 ½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves2 Teaspoons Ginger1 Teaspoon NutmegPreheat the oven to 350. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.Mix in molasses and egg until well combined.Add the vanilla, soda, powder and spices. Combine well.Add the flour and mix until incorporated.Cover the bowl and chill for at least one hour.Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately a ¼ inch thickness.Cut into the desired shapes. Place cookies onto a prepared baking sheet.Bake for 10 minutes. Decorate as desired.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Snowballs

These are my personal favorite cookies that I made this Christmas season. I love the chocolaty flavor combined with the powdered sugar coating.  Surprisingly this was the only chocolate cookie I made this season. These cookies will be quite popular at any Christmas gathering you might take them to.I strongly urge you to invest in a quality Dutch Process Cocoa powder. You can really taste the difference between the natural cocoa and dutch process cocoa. You will get a richer, more complex chocolaty taste if you use the dutch process. I hear a saying once, “once you go dutch, you don’t go back!” and it is very true! I only use dutch process cocoa powder now to bake. I prefer to get my cocoa powder from Penzey's Spices in Minneapolis. I find they have excellent quality cocoa for a decent price. You can also find dutch process cocoa online if you prefer

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Chocolate Snowballs:½ Cup Butter1 ¼ Brown Sugar1 Egg1 Teaspoon Vanilla1 ½ Cup Flour½ Cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder¾ Teaspoon Salt¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda Preheat the oven to 350. Cream together the butter and brown sugar.Add the egg and vanilla.Slowly combine the dry ingredients.Cover and chill for 30 minutes.Roll into balls and roll in powdered sugar.Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Raspberry Jam Thumbprints

These are the most versatile cookies I make during the Christmas season. Each year they turn out differently depending what jam I use. This year I used raspberry jam. Last year was strawberry jam. These would also be excellent with a homemade jam on top!One thing I have noticed is that people tend to enjoy the cookies more then there is a mound of jam on top of these cookies. I had one person remark that they hadn’t ever seen cookies this large and jam filled before. I’ve found that these cookies tend to spread out so make sure that you top them with plenty of jam so that each bite has a lot of flavor.

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Raspberry Jam Thumbprints:1 Cup Butter2/3 Cup Sugar2 Eggs1 Teaspoon Vanilla2 Cups Flour½ Teaspoon SaltApproximately 6oz of JamPreheat the oven to 375. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.Beat in the eggs and vanilla.Add the flour and salt and mix until well incorporated and the dough comes together in a ball.Form the dough into 1 inch balls.Flatten the balls slightly with your thumb or the back of a spoon leaving an indentation in the center.Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are just barely golden.Remove the baking sheet from the oven and redefine the indentations. Fill the indentation with a healthy scoop of jam.Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the jam is slightly melted and the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Snickerdoodles

This classic cookie is one of my Mother’s favorites. I have very fond memories of making these cookies as a child. These cookies have a crunchy, sugary taste that pairs well with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa. It flattens a lot while baking so you want to make sure that you space them out far enough. If you use a baker’s half sheet you can fit about a dozen cookies per sheet.You want to make sure that you coat these generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture. This mixture provides much of the flavor for the cookie so don’t skimp!

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Snickerdoodles:2 ¾ Cup Flour½ Teaspoon Salt2 Teaspoons Baking Powder1 ½ Cup Sugar2 Eggs1 Teaspoon VanillaCoating:1/3 Cup Sugar2 Teaspoons CinnamonPreheat oven to 400. Cream together the butter and sugar until smoothAdd the eggs and vanilla.Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until the dough is smooth.Wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm (one or two hours).When the dough is firm enough to handle, roll into 1 inch balls.Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a cookie sheet.Gently flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass.Bake 8-10 minutes.(Best if stores in an airtight container at room temperature, and eaten within 10 days.)

Twelve Days of Cookies: Sugar Cookies

These are a great classic sugar cookie.  While you can’t roll these out they have great flavor and are quite chewy. These are a fantastic addition to any Christmas cookie platter and are appropriate throughout the year.  If you wanted to give these an extra special kick they would be great paired with a buttercream frosting.

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Sugar Cookies:1 Cup Butter1 ½ Cup Sugar1 Egg1 Teaspoon Vanilla2 ¾ Cup Flour1 Teaspoon Baking Soda½ Teaspoon Baking PowderPreheat the oven to 375. Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth.Beat in the egg and vanilla.Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.Roll rounded teaspoonful’s of dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Coconut Shortbreads

These cookies were a surprise hit. They were the other new cookie I tried this year, and to be honest I didn’t have high hopes for them. Looking at the ingredient list they looked like they would be pretty bland and nutty. Two things that I don’t enjoy in a cookie!These cookies are surprising flavorful and they don’t taste like coconut. When I first saw the recipe I was especially concerned about that since I don’t really enjoy that flavor. These simply taste like a really nutty sugar cookie. You can use any type of chopped nut that you like, I simply had chopped walnuts on hand. I baked mine for the full 12 minutes suggested. This ended with a great crunchy cookie. If you prefer a softer cookie you may want to bake for less time.I picked up this recipe when we were cleaning up Hubby’s grandparent’s house. The recipe was an old newspaper clipping from the Star Tribune. Unfortunately there is no date or edition number on my small clipping.

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Coconut Shortbread Cookies:1 Cup Shortening½ Cup Sugar½ Cup Brown Sugar1 Egg1 Teaspoon Vanilla2 Cups Flour1 Teaspoon Salt½ Teaspoon Baking Soda¾ Cup Chopped Walnuts½ Cup Shredded CoconutAdditional Sugar for rollingPreheat oven to 350. Cream Shorting and both sugars togetherAdd the egg, vanilla, flour, salt, soda, nuts and coconut.Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls, and then roll in the granulated sugar.Place on a cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.Bake 10-12 minutes.

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Source: The Minneapolis Star Tribune

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Twelve Days of Cookies: Peanut Butter Cookies

These are classic Christmas cookies. I have great memories of making these when I was a kid. These have a great peanut butter flavor and are a great crispy cookie. They are very easy to make and are a must for a well-rounded cookie platter.Make sure that you use creamy peanut butter to make these. They spread out quite well and will be lumpy if you use crunchy peanut butter.These cookies would be great to make a cookie butter with if you have leftovers!

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Peanut Butter Cookies1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter1 Cup Butter1 Cup Sugar1 Cup Brown Sugar2 Eggs2 ½ Cups Flour1 Teaspoon Baking Powder1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda½ Teaspoon Salt Preheat the oven to 375.Beat together the first four ingredients until they are creamy.Beat in the eggs.Stir in the dry ingredients.Refrigerate for at least one hour.Roll into one inch balls and place on a lined baking sheet.Flatten each ball with a fork with a criss-cross on top.Bake for 10 minutes.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Scotcheroos

This recipe I received from an elderly lady at Church when I was in High School. It is the absolute best Scotcheroo Recipe I have found to date. This recipe has a fantastic blend of peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch. These are best within the first week after you make them, although in our house they never last more than a few days!

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Scotcheroos1 Cup Corn Syrup1 Cup Sugar1 Cup Peanut Butter6 Cups Rice Krispies6oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips6oz Butterscotch Chips Bring the corn syrup and the sugar to a boil.When the sugar has dissolved mix in the peanut butter until smooth.Pour over the rice krispies in a large bowl. Mix.Press into a greased 13x9 pan.In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips. Spread over the top of the rice krispies.Chill until firm.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Spicy Pretzels

This is one of Hubby’s favorite treats! He loves it so much I had to ask his Mother to give me the recipe. She makes it for special occasions and I figured it would be a unique addition to my Christmas cookie platters. This recipe tends to be on the spicy side so beware! You may need to adjust the seasoning amounts to suit your families' tastes.

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Spicy Pretzels½ Pound Pretzels¼ Cup Vegetable Oil1 (1oz) Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Put the pretzels in a 13x9 pan.Mix together the oil, dressing, garlic salt and pepper.Pour over the pretzels and toss thoroughly.Bake at 200 for 1.5-2 hours stirring every 30 minutes.

Twelve Days of Cookies: Chocolate Fudge

This fudge recipe was one of the first recipes that I tried adapting. I wasn’t content with the flavor of the fudge recipe I had found so I decided to attempt to make it more what I liked. This recipe always turns out beautifully! It has a delicious complex chocolaty flavor that comes from using both milk and semi-sweet chips.

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Chocolate Fudge7oz Milk Chocolate Chips11oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips14oz Can Sweetened Condensed Milk1tsp Vanilla ExtractLine a pan with foil and butter. I used a silicone baking pan and this made for far easier removal than plain foil.In a double boiler heat the milk and chocolate chips.As soon as the chocolate is melted remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Pour into a pan and refrigerate until firm. Cut into bite sized pieces before serving.