These pretty cookies are super easy to make and go well dipped in vanilla ice cream or served with tea. They have a delicious chewy caramel crunch and they come out as see-through cookies with a delicate lacy look (thus, the name).
Ingredients:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 T. unsalted butter
3 T. honey
1 T. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup regular rolled oats
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil and grease. In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter, honey, cream, salt, cloves, and ginger. Heat over medium heat until bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in flour and oats. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 4 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for about 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cook for 1 minute. The slip foil, along with cookies, onto a counter to cool completely. Peel cookies from foil.
Makes about 4 dozen.
Source: The Christmas Cookie Deck (Chronicle Books)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sugar Cookies for Every Season
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla (you can also use almond extract)
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, baking powder; add to wet mixture. Chill at least one hour. The dough is easier to cut into shapes when cold. Bake at 375º` for about 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them so as not to burn. Makes 3 dozen cookies. Dough freezes really well.
White Chocolate Frosting
4 two-ounce squares of white chocolate
1/4 cup of whipping cream
Food coloring (I used red to make red and pink frosting and then kept some of it white for our Valentine's Day cookies.)
Microwave chocolate and whipping cream in glass bow at 50% for about 3 minutes, stirring once. Add food coloring to achieve desired color. Warm in microwave if frosting hardens.
1 stick butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla (you can also use almond extract)
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, baking powder; add to wet mixture. Chill at least one hour. The dough is easier to cut into shapes when cold. Bake at 375º` for about 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them so as not to burn. Makes 3 dozen cookies. Dough freezes really well.
White Chocolate Frosting
4 two-ounce squares of white chocolate
1/4 cup of whipping cream
Food coloring (I used red to make red and pink frosting and then kept some of it white for our Valentine's Day cookies.)
Microwave chocolate and whipping cream in glass bow at 50% for about 3 minutes, stirring once. Add food coloring to achieve desired color. Warm in microwave if frosting hardens.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Ginger Chocolate Chip Bars
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350º. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and line it with 2 criss-crossed pieces or parchment paper, leaving and overhang on all sides. In large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in the pan. Lift out by paper and cut into 32 bars (8 rows by 4 rows).
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350º. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and line it with 2 criss-crossed pieces or parchment paper, leaving and overhang on all sides. In large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in the pan. Lift out by paper and cut into 32 bars (8 rows by 4 rows).
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Whole Wheat Cranberry Nut Bread
Ever since my mom-in-law introduced me to this recipe, we make this bread every Christmas. We sometimes make mini loaves to share with neighbors and friends. The bread is tasty and healthy and makes for a nutritious breakfast when served with milk and a piece of fruit.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons canola oil
Hot water
1 egg, beaten
1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Mix dry ingredients together. Combine OJ, orange rind, oil, and enough hot water to make 3/4 cup liquid. Add to dry ingredients. Add honey and egg, and mix well. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Pour into loaf pan and bake at 325º for one hour. If you're using three mini loaf pans instead of one standard pan, cut cooking time in half and check bread by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread's ready. Allow to cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons canola oil
Hot water
1 egg, beaten
1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Mix dry ingredients together. Combine OJ, orange rind, oil, and enough hot water to make 3/4 cup liquid. Add to dry ingredients. Add honey and egg, and mix well. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Pour into loaf pan and bake at 325º for one hour. If you're using three mini loaf pans instead of one standard pan, cut cooking time in half and check bread by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread's ready. Allow to cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
German Crescent Cookies
My mom has been making these cookies (courtesy of her German grandmother) every Christmas for as long as I can remember, and they're always big hit. They freeze well and are the perfect addition to a cup of coffee or cocoa.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
2 cups of flour
2 cups of chopped pecans
5 tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 tablespoon of water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients except for powdered sugar. Divide dough up and roll into small crescents. Bake for 20 minutes at 325º (cookies should be a golden brown). Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
2 cups of flour
2 cups of chopped pecans
5 tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 tablespoon of water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients except for powdered sugar. Divide dough up and roll into small crescents. Bake for 20 minutes at 325º (cookies should be a golden brown). Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.
Baby Jesus Birthday Cake
1 cup of canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 small (or 1 large) jars of plum with tapioca baby food (this type of baby food has become increasingly more difficult to find, so we've successfully substituted other kinds of baby food with plum in it such as plum-apple as well as prune baby food.)
Optional: Add 1/2 cup raisins or dates and/or 1 cup chopped pecans. You can also dust the cake with powdered sugar.
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients together.
3. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan.
4. Bake for 60-65 minutes.
We sing " Happy Birthday" to Jesus and enjoy this following Christmas Eve dinner. It's even better the next morning with a cup of coffee.
2 cups sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 small (or 1 large) jars of plum with tapioca baby food (this type of baby food has become increasingly more difficult to find, so we've successfully substituted other kinds of baby food with plum in it such as plum-apple as well as prune baby food.)
Optional: Add 1/2 cup raisins or dates and/or 1 cup chopped pecans. You can also dust the cake with powdered sugar.
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients together.
3. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan.
4. Bake for 60-65 minutes.
We sing " Happy Birthday" to Jesus and enjoy this following Christmas Eve dinner. It's even better the next morning with a cup of coffee.
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