December at the Ditch -- and Beyond

To be honest, this year there is little difference between December at the Ditch and November at the Ditch. Even the holiday ornaments that sprang up there a few years ago haven't yet appeared. I suspect everyone is as behind schedule as I am. 

On the 14th -- a Thursday -- we told the kids we would seen them in a "couple of weeks from tomorrow." The next day I looked at the calendar and realized we would see them only ONE WEEK from that day (the 22nd). In between that, there was insulation installation, a wedding I didn't know we were going to until a couple of days before that, cards to make, cards to send and not a speck of baking done.

All Kinds of Valentines

Hearts. Chocolate. Love notes and pretty cards. Valentine's day is one holiday that can be divinely fun or deeply depressing. Or, a day everyone, it seems, but you, seem to be celebrating.

This is a story of friendship. Back in the 1980s, there was a group of seven of us in various stages of life disrepair. Broken relationships or no relationships, unfulfilling jobs, losses. We seven were good friends -- three women, four men --  about half of whom worked together, the other half made up of people who had volunteered for our television station's fundraising events. 

Two Recipes to Make Your Valentine Swoon

If you're looking for some fun, easy desserts to share with your Valentine -- anyone from your beloved to your neighbor to your best friend -- here are a couple that are sure to melt their hearts!

Fabulous Fudge Bars

 

I didn't add nuts or fleur de sel to the top -- but you can!

Christmas Cookies, Presents and Food!

Christmas Eve. I really love the sound of those words together. The anticipation. The joy.

We spent several hours of Christmas Eve with the Toddler Twosome so their parents could go to the gym in the morning and later, to a holiday party. There was some cuddling.

And cookie decorating. This has always been a full-family thing done after dinner on Christmas Eve. But times and ages of participants changes things and so it was me and the baking assistants in the afternoon (while the other adult baking assistant in the room took the photos.)

After a near-sprinkle accident, we got our rhythm down. (lesson learned: Don't give a toddler a jar of sprinkles and say put some of these on your cookie, because they will dump the whole jar onto the cookie sheet!).

The rhythm -- I frost cookies and hand some of them off to the sprinkler. Who covers them with sprinkles and eats them.

Meanwhile, our junior assistant's purpose was more as a taste tester. He was eating cookies as fast as I could frost them. His method? Lick the frosting off, then eat the cookie. I was glad I made many the size of animal crackers so it wasn't as decadent as it sounded! (Fortunately, the clean-up crew was under the table, doing their due diligence!)

Time for Christmas Eve dinner. Kevin made perfectly grilled steaks, Molly did a terrific salad and we had mashed potatoes with it. All delicious.

There is something about dinner by candlelight. So soft and gentle.

Of course, it wasn't all soft! I love Christmas crackers! Gotta wear a crown!

This group had particularly good "presents" inside. (They were by Emma Bridgewater -- if I see her brand again, I'm getting them!)

Our Big Guy was very into blowing out the candles!

The next morning brought presents! Big Guy delivered -- and helped us all open our gifts.

Rick and I gave the boys each a tent. They were hits!

Then Big Guy got his beloved Buzz Lightyear that lit up and talked!

While the kids played...

Kevin got breakfast ready.

More candles, more blowing, more play! Grandpa was invited into the tent to share time with the Big Guy and Buzz.

While Molly got the boys ready to head to the next family Christmas, Rick took a little break! This is one of my favorite photos from the time with the kids.

And soon it was over, they were out, we were on the road home. But this is the image I will keep in my mind! The magic and joy of being a child.

We got home in time to get ready for Christmas dinner. Fortunately, I'd set the table before we left.

That tablecloth is from our blog friend Rita at Panoply. Her downsizing generosity is now part of my Christmas decor!

It was mom's china, silver and crystal with some bunny ornaments for napkin holders.

Mike and Kate arrived, Kate bringing the rest of the dinner -- a salad and peppermint stick ice cream for dessert with our Christmas cookies.

That, the prosecco and a few appetizers set us up well for dinner!

I made jambalaya. And very good. I used THIS RECIPE but if I did it again, I might cut some of the spices in cooking and add them near the end or at the table. It was super spicy!

And then it was over.

Kind of perfect, actually. I couldn't have handled more people after the Toddlers and being prepped for Christmas dinner (and Kate's contributions) made it so easy. It has been a very good season.

And now, we're ready for a nap! On to the new year!

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Five Christmas Cookie Recipes I Love!

If I wasn't dealing with a broken oven, I would be baking up a storm right now.  (Yes, less than one week after the broken furnace, and since it is a vintage '60s oven, original to the house, repair isn't easy.) Not long ago I wrote about the Southern Exposure cookie workshop I went to and said it was great fun but I still liked some of my cookie recipes better. (Hopefully by the time this posts, the oven will be back in service!)

Well, don't you love your own the most? Now and then, a super-duper new recipe pops up that becomes part of the repertoire, but there are still the favorites.

So, blogger Mae asked me about some of my favorites and I decided to share a few recipes with you. Some might feel familiar, some are variations on a theme. In any event, enjoy! (Cue the music -- this is a good one!)

My Favorite Go-To Shortbread

The photo shows it dressed for Easter. But at Christmas you might find a bit of colored sugars topping these. Or a dab of buttercream. I might add some dried cranberries or mini chocolate chips or Heath bar chips. And my favorite any-time-of-year version is just a lemon juice/powdered sugar glaze --  either dropped into the center or drizzled over the top.

This recipe makes about 3 dozen if you use a small scoop (about the size of a melon baller or a bit larger). They also freeze like a dream. Best of all, you have all the ingredients -- I bet you do!

300 degrees for 15-18 minutes, till edges are golden.

Cream 2 sticks soft butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
2 c. flour (1 c. at a time)
(You can also add cranberries, decorating sprinkles, mini-chips, or other bits for a different look)

Put in balls on cookie sheet and gently press with fingertips or flat of a spoon. Bake till edges are golden and cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack. I will sometimes glaze these, too.

Cousin Bonnie's Jingle Bells

These are Jingle Balls before they have their second dipping of powdered sugar.

You may well have your own version of these little pecan balls -- Snowballs, Italian Wedding Cake, Mexican Wedding Cookies. The names and recipes may vary slightly. What doesn't? The taste!

This recipe makes about five to eight dozen, depending on how small you make them. And the secret to making them so delicious is the double dipping in the powdered sugar -- first, right when warm from the oven and then again when they are cooled.

350 -- about 20 minutes

Combine:
2 c. flour
2 c. chopped pecans
2 softened sticks of butter
4 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla

Make into tiny balls and bake. Roll in powdered sugar while hot and again when they cool. 

Minty Clouds

My friend Carolyn Parshall would never share her recipe for what she called Melting Moments. Then one day my pal Kate found the recipe for this on the back of the cornstarch box! Kate calls them Mint Meltaways. I call them Minty Clouds. Because you've gotta claim your own!

These have limited sugar and you use powdered sugar instead of regular granulated. They're very light and indeed, they do melt away! Frost with buttercream.

350 degrees.

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. peppermint extract
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch

Mix and refrigerate a half hour. Then  do one-inch balls two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets or parchment. Bake 12-15 minutes till edges lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on sheet and remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Frosting:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T soft butter
1 to 2 T. milk (add gradually)
1/4 t. peppermint extract

Frost and if you want, add crushed peppermints or candy canes.

Drum Kickers

I shared this recipe long ago here. It came from one of my former bosses who said it was his German grandmother. It's a gently spicy brown sugar cookie that can be cut into long or short "fingers" and either served plain or with a drizzle glaze. When he brought them to the office they were gone in a flash.

As you can see from the photo, this one makes a lot. It calls for Lyle's Golden Syrup, which is common in England and not as common here. I have had luck finding it at World Market and some specialty food stores or online. You may be able to substitute Karo syrup for this -- but I haven't tried it and take no responsibility if it doesn't pan out with Karo!

I liked Kent's instructions -- they had great character (like Kent), as you shall see!

A couple of things about this recipe. It calls for vanilla powder and vanilla sugar. I'm told you can find it at World Market and I would guess at specialized food stores or possibly King Arthur. But I didn't have it. So I used a little more vanilla. It tasted fine to me.

And Kent's didn't call for icing but I think an icing glaze always looks pretty, especially at the holidays so mine is basically thinned out powdered sugar, milk, butter and vanilla to a "pouring" level.

Kent's Drumkickers

Cream 1 c. butter (softened)

(Kent's Note: I only use real butter, not margarine or Crisco. They don't turn out as well if you don't use real butter. And besides -- you're supposed to use real butter! Generation after generation of plump German Fraus can't be wrong.)

1 c. vanilla sugar (or regular if you can't find)
2 T. Lyle's Golden Syrup (OK, maybe 3 T if you like really sweet)

Beat vigorously

Add:
2 c. flour
1 t. soda
3 T. vanilla powder (you can substitute an equal amount of vanilla)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. I'd recommend parchment paper. Roll dough into a four "logs" that are about one in in diameter or square and about 12 inches long, give or take. They will flatten out, so give them room on a cookie sheet (see photo below to see how it flattens.) It works to do three lengthwise and one across the width of the pan. Bake 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 3-5 minutes on cookie sheet. Cut baked logs into strips while on cookie sheet. You could also use a deep cookie cutter but there is likely to be spoilage.

(Since I glaze them, I drizzle the glaze after they've cooled but still on the cookie sheet).

The rest of Kent's Instructions:

• Dough is thick compared to cookies like chocolate chip and log size approximate.
• I sift the flour but I don't know that this recipe really benefits from it.
• Liberal applications of Schnapps (brandy, port or riesling may be substituted) for the chef during the baking seems to help the results, I find. Or perhaps just make the results easier to accept. It easily makes a double batch or two full cookie sheets.

 The Good Old Fashioned Christmas Cookie!

I make these every year and on Christmas Eve with the kids, whichever day that falls on, we decorate them. We've been doing it since they were small, first for Santa, with the rest used for Christmas dinner dessert and given away.

I'm hoping this year we can introduce the tradition to at least one Baby Grand! 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 sticks of butter
1 c. sugar
(Cream together till fluffy and add:)

1 large egg (I used extra large and it was fine)
1 T. milk (I didn't have milk -- used water, it was fine)
2 1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. finely grated lemon zest (I just did the whole lemon because I like them lemony; this is an optional ingredient)

Add (mixed together)
3 1/4 flour (all purpose)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Mix ingredients together and divide in half.

Roll each half out flat between two sheets of waxed paper and chill a half hour.

Peel off top layer of waxed paper and cut cookies, rerolling dough scraps.

If the dough gets too soft, roll flat again between waxed paper and re-chill.

Repeat for the second half.

Bake on parchment or greased sheets at 375 for 6 to 9 minutes. (If using sugars vs. icing, put on before baking) Cool on baking sheet for a minute or two before removing.

Cool on baking rack before frosting.

You probably have your favorite buttercream or frosting recipe. I frost with my trash can version of butter cream -- about a half stick of butter, up to 1 T. of milk (depending on how much powdered sugar -- I just throw it in) and about 1 t. of vanilla or -- if desired -- another flavor. I used lemon juice with these -- about 1 T., because I like it tart! (Or peppermint or whatever you like. Maraschino cherry juice is good too, and tints the icing at the same time!)

Adjust consistency with more sugar or milk.

Note: This recipe makes a lot of cookies and the dough will freeze, so you could bake off half of it, which is probably easier than making a half-recipe. It all depends on the size of your cutters. This cutter from Rita is extra large (as are some Christmas cutters) but many are much smaller.

Add toppings. Lots of them!

And then wait for Santa!

(Miss any of my Christmas posts? Check the tab on the menu bar at the top of the blog, where Christmas 2019 is archived!)

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Southern Exposure: Cookie Class!

Kate and I decided to take on Christmas in October with a Christmas cookie workshop at Southern Exposure -- on what might have been the most glorious day of the season!

Follow us down the road, through a tunnel of trees forming a graceful canopy over us! Oh, so beautiful!

Wide fields, plowed for the season, spread out on either side of the road.

Golden trees stood as sentries.

The garden at Southern Exposure is showing its season. Blooms are more faded, leaves changing, petals dropping. Yet it was oh, so beautiful, even in the quiet time.

I'll spare a few of the many photos I took -- after all, many looked similar to ones before!

Soon it was time to enter the milking parlor for our lunch. Angie fixed us a wonderful cider cocktail with salted caramel vodka and a pineapple sage sprig for garnish.

The milking parlor looked beautiful -- I loved the swag on the metal frame that hung on the wall by our table.

Our workshop was set at four stations. Our first visit was to the Corn Crib, petals greeting us at the door. While we were there, Angie shared tiny confetti shortbread bites and a yummy hot chocolate mix. I may be passing some of this onto friends at the holidays! After that we moved into the Corn Crib's kitchen where Elizabeth had us frosting a chocolate cookie (they kept breaking!) and we did a powdered sugar stencil on a sugar cookie.

Then we went to the Hog House. It was beautifully decorated for the season.

I really loved this arrangement.

Jennifer offered us two cookies, including a delicious maple cookie. I'll be making this one!

Finally we ended up in the big tent, where Micah shared two cookies too, including a rather lovely white chocolate chip!

After, Kate and I took a few more photos. I'll be back twice, but for evening workshops and shooting in the dark doesn't always work so well for me!

I wanted to savor every last bloom...

...and every last butterfly!

 Almost time to get in the car and head home.

No, not that one!

I would be remiss if I didn't share a bit of what we did or learned at the workshop. Basically, I didn't learn a whole lot more than I knew before -- I've made a lot of cookies in my time, and most of my recipes I like better! (They're a little more diverse.) Apart from frosting a cookie and doing the powdered sugar stencil, there was no hands-on, which would have been fun, though possibly difficult with 60 people, even broken up into groups. But that said, we both agreed it was one of the most fun workshops we'd done and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I did pick up a few things worth passing on.

• Check the chip aisle in the store. There are more variations and some even mix dark and white chocolate or chocolate and peanut butter.
• A sea salt sprinkle on top of a cookie adds another dimension of flavor (before the oven or after if dipped.)
• When making a rolled cookie, roll the dough in turbinado sugar (or colored sugar) to give them a sweet and sparkling edge when baked.
• If partially dipping cookies in melted chocolate, thin the chocolate a bit with a splash of Baileys or heavy cream. 
• For shortbread or sugar cookies, add sprinkles to raw dough and mix together before baking for a confetti look. 
• Try mini M&Ms when decorating frosted Christmas tree cookies. 

Oh, I hate the idea that our workshop season is coming to an end!

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