Russian Tea Cakes

Also known as "Wedding Cookies". This is my mother-in-laws recipe and my first attempt at baking them. A co-worker and friend gathered on Sunday to bake and put together Christmas goodie boxes for fellow physicians and their staff members. We made a variety of treats, including these Russian Tea Cakes. They looked great in the boxes and tasted like the ones we had as children. Enjoy!

The Ingredients:
1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pecans chopped fine in a chopper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cream together the first two ingredients, add the vanilla and then stir in the flour and salt. Add the nuts and mix well. Roll into 1" balls and place on a cookie sheet. (These will not expand so they can be placed close together). Bake for 12 minutes. After removing from oven roll each ball into the powdered sugar while hot. Set aside and let them completely cool and then roll each ball in the powdered sugar again.

Yields approximately 4 dozen.

Russian Tea Cakes

White Chocolate Candy Cane Martini

'Tis The Season...for fabulous holiday drinks!  Recently at a local restaurant I was served a Candy Cane Martini.  Instantly, I was hooked and searching for a recipe so that I could enjoy this drink in the comfort of my own home.  The recipe I am using originated from One Martini At A Time.  I am actually sipping on one as I blog...yum!  Sit back, relax, and enjoy this Ridiculously Delicious Holiday Drink.  You deserve it!

Makes Two Drinks

The Spirits:
2 ounces of Vodka
1 ounce of Peppermint Schnapps
4 ounces of a White Chocolate Liqueur
3 ounces of half and half
Mini candy cane for garnish
Red sugar sprinkles for cuteness

In a cocktail shaker combine the spirits and half and half with ice, shake and strain into a martini glass.  Garnish your glass with the miniature candy cane and sprinkle in some red sugar sprinkles for a little extra Christmas.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Martini

The Great Food Blogger Swap 2012: Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This year I was excited to be able to participate in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  Money collected by each participate went to support Kid's Cancer through the organization Cookies For Kids Cancer.  The cookie swap was a really fun event in that I received names and addresses of three fellow bloggers, and three bloggers received all of my information.  No one knew who got who's name until you received your packages of cookies in the mail.  As the deadline grew closer my boys waited patiently for our cookies to arrive and once they did we were treated to some delicious tasting treats and I have been introduced to some pretty amazing bloggers.

The cookies I made, packaged and mailed were Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  The recipe I used was a new to me recipe that I discovered from the blog Six Sisters' Stuff.  Not only are they the easiest cookies to make, they are very yummy too!

For these cookies you will need:
1 (18.25 oz) box cake mix, any flavor
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix and baking powder.  Add the eggs and oil.  Mix until blended well and then stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Be sure to check out these fabulous blogs that have been introduced to me through The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap:

Meet Claire at www.claireknudsen.wordpress.com (your chocolate-peppermint cookies are delicious!)
Carrie can be found at  www.kissmywhisk.com (the Chewy Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate and Caramel were AMAZING!)
Kelli blogs at www.thecornerkitchen.blogspot.com (the Snickerdoodles with White Chocolate Chunks instantly disappeared!)
Say Hi to Toni at www.atasteofalaska.blogspot.com
Laura's blog is www.ringfingertanline.com
Stephanie can be found at www.munchimunch.blogspot.com 

A HUGE Thank You to Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen for organizing the event!  Now, what to bake next year...

The Great Food Blogger Swap 2012: Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Raspberry Santa Hats

So once again it was time for our family to provide snack to 35 little munchkins at Jaxon's pre-school. Since it was December I decided to make a basic chex mix with rice cereal, goldfish, pretzels and M&M's along with some precious little raspberry Santa hats! Strawberries would work beautifully, but in December in Wyoming those are impossible to find.

To make these cute little hats I pipped a small amount of Pillsbury peppermint icing into the bottom of mini silver cupcake papers, placed a fresh red raspberry on the top of the icing and then pipped a small ball on the top to the raspberry to finish off the hat. I placed them in the refrigerator over night so the icing would firm up a bit and to keep the raspberries cold and fresh.

Raspberry Santa Hats

Cranberry & Orange Relish

This cranberry relish is a perfect side dish for any holiday meal. I have been using this recipe for a couple of years and it has been a huge hit with my family. It is especially good on those left-over turkey sandwiches! Yum!

You will need:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
12 ounces cranberries
1 pinch cinnamon, ground
2 tablespoons orange zest
1/2 cup orange segments

1. Rinse cranberries with cold water. In a medium saucepan add sugar, orange juice, and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

2. Bring to a boil and add cranberries, cinnamon and orange zest. Return to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cook until cranberries start to burst, about ten minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add orange segments.

4. Let cool to room temperature. Pour sauce into a serving bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Serve chilled.

Cranberry & Orange Relish

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Earlier this week I baked these cookies for a cookie swap I was invited to by a large group of woman from my husband's company.  It was my very first cookie swap and it was SO MUCH FUN!  We had a wonderful white chicken chili prepared by the host and had a fabulous time eating cookies and chatting.  To top it off at the end of the night we filled our bags full of each others cookies to bring home and I can't wait to get my copy of all the recipes that the host is in the process of compiling.  For the swap I decided to try a new cookie.  This one caught my eye because it was minty and green, a perfect cookie for a Christmas get together.  These cookies were so moist, minty and chocolatey, I have decided to make them for my neighbors and am including the recipe in with my Christmas cards!

PRINTABLE VERSION
The Ingredients:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
8 drops green food coloring
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color, and egg until soft dough forms.  Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
2.  Using a small cookie scoop drop dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.  Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
4.  Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Makes 36 cookies  

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peppermint Pound Cake

i made this Christmas eve for my family and it was absolutely fabulous! such a great festive flavor that everyone seemed to enjoy!

a few facts:
Prep: about 35 minutes.     Bake: 1 hour + cooling     Yield:  12 servings

ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup cutter-flavored shortening
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies

GLAZE:
1-1/2 cups confectoners' sugar
1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
4-5 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Additional crushed peppermint candies

How to make it!
In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in extracts.  Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with whipping cream.  Fold in candies.

Transfer to a well-greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 to 1/4 hours or until a tootpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and salt.  Stir in enough cream to achieve a drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over cake.  Sprinkle with additional candies.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Beautiful, festive, and delicious!!

Peppermint Pound Cake