Christmas Cookies!

It's that time of year again! Everyone is doing their holiday baking! Honestly, I'm a bit behind. I'm taking the day off tomorrow and plan to bake ALL DAY LONG!

Looking for something new to make? Well... I'm hoping at least a couple of these will be something new to some of you. Or maybe they'll just make you remember a long forgotten favorite!

This is a mix of old favorites and newer favorites that end up on my holiday cookie trays. Click the cookie names or the pictures to take you to the recipes.

I'll start with my favorite! (I think these are Whitney's favorite too!)

Thumbprint Cookies


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These are my mom's favorite. (well... they might not be her favorite, but of the cookies I make, they are her favorite!)

Swedish Tea Cakes


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Aren't these on everyone's Christmas Cookie Trays?

Peanut Butter Blossoms


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It's not a Christmas Cookie Tray if it doesn't have Mum's Cut Out Cookies on it!

Mum's Cut Out Cookies


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These were my cousin Tami's favorite. We miss you Tami.

Peppermint Kisses


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I wish these were on my trays every year. But they only make them once in a while. They seem like a lot of work. But once you get to making them they really aren't.
They are my second favorite!

Swedish Tosca Cookies


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Is it really the holidays without these??

Rum Balls


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These are a pretty new addition, but I LOVE the Toffee ChocoChip variation!

Icebox Shortbread Cookies


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These are VERY popular with pretty much everyone who tries them. My mom has been making them for decades!

Rolo Cookies


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I also make what Mum calls Press Drop Cookies... I think they are Spritz Cookies to the rest of the world. But I've been having cookie press issues for the past couple of years. This year I have a new to me, vintage cookie press... and I might have an electric one. So stay tuned Press Drop Cookies!

What goes on your holiday trays?

Is there anything that doesn't go on your holiday trays?

Much to our friend Jeff's dismay, you will never find a chocolate chip cookie on mine. You also won't find oatmeal cookies or any other cookie that I would consider an everyday kinda cookie.

But I do try to try a new cookie every year too!

So what's baking for your trays?

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends.



I wish you were here Jon.

Love you!!

Candied Ginger Cookies

Another entry from my Spice Cookie Baking Day with Ericka.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE ginger!

What's spicier than Candied Ginger?

I wanted to try it in a cookie. I love to just snack on little pieces of it. But I've never had it 'in' anything.

So another search of the interwebs turned up this recipe!

Moxie's Crystallized Ginger Cookies from recipezaar.com.



Moxie's Crystallized Ginger Cookies
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 TBLS sesame oil
1/4 C dark molasses
1 C granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 C flour
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 ounces candied ginger, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 375F.
Cream butter& sesame oil with molasses sugar and egg.
Sift together dry ingredients (except candied ginger) and add to creamed mixture.
Blend well.
Fold in candied ginger.
Chill for one hour.
Form into 1-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar.
Put cookies about 2 inches apart from each other on a greased baking sheet (or one you have lined with parchment paper).
Bake 8-10 minutes.

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Cream butter, sesame oil, sugar, egg and molasses.


Mmmmm... the sesame oil smells AMAZING!!!

Whisk together dry ingredients (except ginger)


Chop candied ginger...


Chop it much finer than this...

My step-by-step pics are missing quite a few steps this time!

Fold in candied ginger and refrigerate for one hour.



Roll into one inch balls... and roll balls in granulated sugar.


Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.




These cookies totally ROCK!



Even Mr SpiceCookieHater like them.

The sesame oil gives them a really amazing nutty flavor that really compliments the candied ginger.

Plus these cookies are nice and chewy... and they stay that way!

Definitely a keeper!!

Eggnog French Toast

It's that time of year again.

Eggnog is in the grocery store!



Jon loves French Toast, so I decided to make him some with Eggnog!

It's wicked easy.

A few eggs...


A big splash of Eggnog...


Some freshly grated nutmeg...


Whisk it all together...


And some nice thick Texas Toast bread...



Into a hot buttered skillet...


Give it a flip...


And it's time for breakfast!


French toast is not usually my first choice for breakfast. I definitely prefer pancakes. But I have to say, this French Toast was insanely delicious!!!

This is perfect to serve to your overnight holiday guests!

Fried Chicken & Waffles

Fried Chicken & Waffles.

I think Jon and I must have seen this on FoodTV, maybe Feasting on Asphalt or Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, or maybe a History Channel show about food?

Maybe a show about Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles? I have no idea.

But Jon saw it and had to have it.

He asked me to make it at least once a week for several months or more.

I finally made it for him!

And... much to my delight... he said it was even better than he thought it would be!



I had planned to just use a recipe from the little recipe book that came with my waffle maker. But sadly, it is no longer in the box.

So first thing, I had to find a waffle recipe.

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com. It had 4.5 stars and 669 reviews.

That should work!

Waffles
2 eggs
2 C flour
1 3/4 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 TBLS white sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.


Easy enough! I decided that rather than trying to get waffles and fried chicken all cooked at the same time, I'd make the waffles ahead of time and heat them up when the chicken was ready.

Whisk up the waffle batter.


While the waffle iron is preheating.


This is only the second time I've used my waffle iron.

It took a couple of waffles to get the right amount of batter into the iron.





Ok... waffles are done... I'll pop them into the oven when the chicken is almost ready.


Now it's my understanding that Fried Chicken & Waffles are served with pancake syrup. That didn't sound very good to me. So I have pancake syrup for Jon... but I also whipped up a quick chicken gravy.





So... waffles are done... gravy is done... chicken has been soaking in buttermilk & hot sauce.

Just need to Fry the Chicken.

For Jon... drizzled with syrup...



For Tawny & I... covered with chicken gravy...



Bobby had his separate... but then did enjoy dipping his chicken in the pancake syrup.

Jon said he really liked the sweet syrup with the slightly salty fried chicken.

Nice!!

Toad in the Hole... CHECK
Fried Chicken & Waffles... CHECK

I don't think there's anything else on his list... but if he reads this, I'm sure he'll let me know!