Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookies are synonymous to Christmas to me. If Christmas had a taste, it'd be this cookie. Wouldn't you agree? These are a simple, great cookie and always a crowd pleaser.

I used a different recipe this year and think it came out soft and crunchy all at once which is always my favorite consistency.

Snickerdoodle Cookies
from food.com

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and eggs in a large bowl.

Blend dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

Chill dough + an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes.

Mix 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon together.

Create 1 inch balls of dough and roll ion the sugar mixture.

Place on the chilled cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Fudge Crinkles Cookies

It's that time of year when giving cookies makes an excellent gift! This recipe is of a new cookie, Fudge Crinkles. Quite easy to put together, though a little messy. Unfortunately I am battling a cold so I can't tell you just how good (or not) these cookies are. They look great, so maybe they are just as delicious as they look?!

Here's the recipe:

Fudge Crinkles 
from food.com

1 box devils food cake mix (use Betty Crocker's Super Moist)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs.

Dust hands with confectioners sugar and form 1 inch balls of dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until the middle is just set. Remove from oven, cool on pan for a minute, then transfer to a wire cookie rack to cool down. 

Christmas Goodness

It's my most favorite time of the year! My tree was up 2 days after Thanksgiving, carols were playing starting on noon of Turkey Day, and I've been enjoying the sights of the season throughout the city/suburbs. 

I added some new decorations to my tree/around the apartment this year: 

 

And my parents carefully hung up all the stockings when it was time to celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th:

My mother and I enjoyed a movie outing one evening then a walk over to Rock Center to check out the tree. 

As well as a walk to one of my favorite spots in the city: Lincoln Center. 

 

And what would Christmas be without a new Royal Albert tea cup to enjoy some warm tea on a chilly morning? 

This year I finally got around to the Milleridge Inn in Long Island. Talk about a winter wonderland! If that place doesn't get you in the spirit with its' carolers and decorations then I don't know what will!

Wishing everyone the merriest holiday! 

Eggnog Desserts

Last year was the first time I truly enjoyed eggnog after years of trying it and hating it. This year, I decided to try to bake with it. Below are two recipes: one for a cookie and the other for a cake. The cookie doesn't pack the eggnog punch so if you're not the biggest fan of eggnog, bake the cookie. If you want something that you can taste the eggnog, bake the cake. I prefer the cake. It's also a lot easier. And yes, I did use a boxed cake recipe (I can already hear some gasps...), but whatever. When you are busy wrapping presents and working sometimes all you want is an easy recipe! 

Eggnog Cookies

Yields 3 dozen

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup eggnog

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. In a mixer, blend sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggnog, egg yolks, and vanilla - beat until smooth.  Add the dry ingredients and beat until moistened. 

Drop onto an ungreased baking sheet by the teaspoon. Leave about 2 inches in between each. Bake for about 21 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Eggnog Cake 

1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup eggnog
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 tbsp rum 
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggnog, oil, eggs, rum and nutmeg. Beat at medium speed 3 minutes. Bake in tube pan per instructions on cake mix box.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: In small mixing bowl, beat 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened, until fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 (1 lb.) package confectioners' sugar. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons eggnog, 1/2 teaspoon at a time and a few drops of yellow food coloring. Cover top and sides of cake.

Enjoy!

Crafting: Recycling Christmas Cards Into Garland

If you're anything like me, you hate throwing out cards of any kind. It took me up until this year to throw out "new home" cards I got when I moved to my apartment five years ago. I'm part pack rack and part sentimental. You never know a rainy day you may pull those cards out to re-read them ... hmmm probably not right?

Well, for Christmas at least you can keep those cards. At least I am! I LOVE everything Christmas and especially all the cards I receive in the mail.

With just a few simple tools, you can handcraft your very own Christmas Garland!

Here's what you need:
*Christmas Cards
*A Star Cookie Cutter
*Exacto Knife
*Needle with a large eye
*Yarn

Instructions:
1 - Using the star cutter, outline the area of the card you want to keep, cut around the star.
2 - Once all pieces are assembled, thread yarn in the needle. Keep about 10 inches of thread lose at the end.
3 - Poke holes through each star cut out (make sure card faces are all facing the same direction!) and thread each star.
4 - Once all are on the yarn, pull out the yarn as long as you want your garland to be. Space each star accordingly.
5 - Tie a knot at the end & beginning to prevent the first and last card from sliding .
6 - Loop the end & beginning so you can easily attach it to branches or a hook.
7 - Enjoy your garland and all the cards you received through the years! You can easily tag on more cards after each season.

Crispy Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

Southern Living has done it again! Another delicious salad was featured in their most recent issue and I'm completely in love with it. Beyond delicious, simple enough to put together, and quite impressive. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

The recipe is below, but my one adjustment is using creamed honey, decreased by 1 teaspoon.  

Crispy Goat Cheese-Topped Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

from Southern Living, December '12

4 (4-oz.) goat cheese logs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp pepper

2 egg whites

1 cup panko 

4 tbsp olive oil

2 (5-oz.) containers baby arugula 

4 large navel oranges, peeled and sections 

Cut each goat cheese log into 6 (1/2-inch) slices. Combine flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk together egg whites and 2 Tbsp. water in another shallow dish. Place panko in a third shallow dish. Dredge goat cheese in flour mixture, dip in egg mixture, and dredge in panko. Arrange goat cheese in a single layer in an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan; cover and chill 30 minutes to 4 hours.

Cook half of goat cheese rounds in 2 Tbsp. hot olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining olive oil and goat cheese rounds.

1. Divide arugula and orange sections among 8 plates; drizzle with Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Top each salad with 3 goat cheese rounds.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice

1/3 cup olive oil

5 tsp honey

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/8 tsp salt 

Bring pomegranate juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Transfer to a small bowl. Cool completely (about 30 minutes). Whisk in olive oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, pepper, and salt.

Craft Time: Christmas Stockings

2 down, 5 more to go!

Last year, I purchased several felt stockings to put together. They were on sale and I was on a Christmas kick, as I usually am from November - January. Naturally, I forgot that I had them all buried in my closet until the hurricane hit and it occurred to me that I could be doing crafts with all the time I had off from work. So I got to work and finished two. Now cutting it so close to Christmas, I think the rest of the family will need to wait until next year to get their stockings.

I made stockings for my brother & sister-in-law since they just got a house a few months ago - seemed fitting. I like how they came out minus the names - looks like kids handwriting!