UnTracked

Pecan Shortbread

Every holiday season I make cookies.  Lots and lots of cookies.  Thankfully, for my waistline anyways, I give away  most of them.  I have my go-to recipes for biscotti and a few faves (chocolate and ginger reign at Christmas).  Also, not to get stale on my baking prowess, I like to add a recipe or two to keep things interesting.  And I found two keepers this year!

Pecan Shortbread with Demerara Sugar

(Demerara sugar is less refined than white sugar and it gives these cookies a cruchy, almost molasses-like flavour)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup demerara sugar

1 Tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup pecans, halves or pieces

Place the butter, sugars and salt into your Kitchen Aid (or other mixer, stand or hand) and mix until creamy, light and fluffy.  Mix flour and powder together and slowly add to a slow mixer (otherwise you will be wearing most of it).  Once mixed, add the pecans and mix until incorporated.

You can make drop cookies out of these with a couple of teaspoons, place in a parchement lined cake tin (one that the bottom lifts out) and score into wedges, or do what I did, roll them into cylinders and chill/freeze until you are ready to bake.

I rolled mine quite small, about the diameter of a silver dollar, and pressed them into a little more demerara sugar for prettiness and an extra crunch before baking in a 325 F oven for about 8 10 minutes, just when they start to turn golden.  Obviously the wedge ones will take longer, more like 45 minutes but the same rules apply, remove when they start to change color.

These freeze exceptionally well as dough or baked cookies.  And they make beautiful, thoughful gifts.

 

Christmas Mayhem 2010

The day dawned with bright sun shining through the last of the morning mist in the valley.  All was quiet and we even got a bit of a lie-in.  In fact, Harry slept through the whirring coffe grinder, espresso machine and the milk steamer!

Then the mayhem ensued.

I'm pleased to say that it was the little things Harry was most pleased with; the stickers were the biggest hits, much to the chagrins of the grandparent trying to get Harry to open more presents.  That likely will not be the case next year.  Whoever heard of forcing a kid to open prezzies on Christmas?

Ahhh, and then it was nap time and all was quiet again.

Hoping your Christmas was as fun and laughter-filled as mine was and wishing you joy and happiness in the coming year.

 

Gingerbread Biscotti

... And here's the other cookie selection for the 2010 holiday season...

Gingerbread Biscotti

2 1/4 flour

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

2 - 4 Tbsp ground ginger (I like more)

1 1/4 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup molasses

2 eggs

Add all of the dry ingredients to your mixer bowl.  Start the mixer going on low and then start adding the molasses and then the eggs.  Mix until well combined.  If you are not using a mixer, you may want to use your hands as this dough in very heavy.  Divide the dough in half and form each half into a log about a foot long.  Place on Silpat- or parchement-lined cookie sheets and bake in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes.

 

Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes (or cool completely and place entire log in freezer to bake and a later date).  Slice logs diagonally about 1/2" thick.  Lay on cookie sheet and put into 300F oven for 8 - 10 minutes, flip cookies then bake an additional 8 - 10 minutes (longer equals crunchier).

 

Yum yum.  Reminiscent of those gingersnaps you used to be able to buy in the big brown bag, which I loved and reminds me of my childhood.  Perfect with your afternoon tea or hot chocolate.  Also an excellent gift.

 

Cheers!

Birthday Dinos

I am such an awesome Mom.  Your kids wish they could have as cool a birthday cake as Harry had.

 

Oh yeah!  A dino diorama.

 

Sweet!

 

But, if I am completely honest, I did it as much for me as for Harrison.  Maybe more.  I laughed the entire time I was putting it together.  And for a dino cake, it was easy as pie.  (But who wants a dino pie?  That's just weird...)

 

I made two cakes from the "Best Chocolate Cake Ever" recipe, one batch of "21 minute frosting" with cocoa, and raspberry jam.  Then I raided the dollar store for dinos, dino candles, sparklers and chocolate rocks.

I used my circle cookie cutters in graduated sizes for the volcano, and stuck it together with raspberry jam "magma".  I even put a hole in the top and drizzled some "lava" down the sides.  Unfortunately, a triceratops did not make it...

Brilliant!

 

 

Happy birthday, Harrison!

 

After all the ooohs and aaaaahs, and a second lighting of the candles, Harry couldn't stop talking about the ....

chocolate rocks.

 

Really?

 

Me:  "Harry, what about the dinos?"

Harry:  "You can eat the rocks, Mommy."

Me:  "Well, what about the volcano?  You can eat that, too."

Harry:  "The rocks are CHOCOLATE!  And you can eat them!"

 

Fine.  The moral of the story is, just buy chocolate rocks.

 

(Click for dino-sizing)

Prickly Cashews

One of my favorite cocktail snacks is spiced nuts.  And these cashews are no exception.  Crunchy with a little heat and so easy to make a three year old can do it.

Harry is such a help in the kitchen.

Originally these cashew was adapted from a recipe book borrowed from the library with the inane name of "Cha Cha Cashews".  I like my version of the nuts better.  And Harry's name for them better too!

 

Prickly Cashews

1 egg white

1 Tbsp water

MIx these two together until the egg white if frothy and holds a soft peak.  A hand blender gets the job done in a flash.

To this add:

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp salt

2 tsp paprika (your favorite kind, I've used sweet Hungarian and smoked Spanish)

1-2tsp cayenne

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground corriander

Mix well before adding:

3 1/2 cups of cashews

 

Place in a 300 F oven on a Silpat lined (or parchement lined) cookie sheet and spread them out.  Bake for a total of 1 hour, mixing them every 20 minutes.

Let cool and place in an airtight container.  They should last weeks, but they never make it that long at my house.

Look at this face!  This is what I get when I say not to bash them. 

I didn't think the recipients would appreciate cashew dust. 

Some people's children...

 

Bobblitos in Cabo

Do you like mice and beans?

 

Do you know what I'm talking about???

 

It is El Skippito, the Siamese cat who thinks he's a chihuahua.  And for kid's books, they are worth reading.  Again and again.  And again.

 

 

 

One of his books is "Skippyjon Jones and the Doghouse".  His chihuahua amigo's house has been attacked by a "Bobblito"  (bobblehead) and Skippyjon has to save the day.  Anyways... since I read these stories so many times, certain phrases and rhymes stick with me (I mentioned they are pretty funny too, so it's not as bad as say, the Berenstein Bears.)

Harry was so pleased to see the row upon row of bobblitos when we were in Mexico.  He'd start quoting the book too!    And he would sit there (usually without touching them) and watch them nod in the breeze. Cheap entertainment.  We brought a few home, they can't have too much lead paint, can they?

 

To further quote Ms. Schachner:

 

"Cavorting in the cupboards"

 

 

"And splashing in the sink!"

 

"Chilling in the ice cube trays"

 

And melting into drinks!"

 

It pretty much sums up our week in Mexico.

Mucho Photos Aqui...