Hey, we haven't updated since, uh...September!
Krista has a great excu-SHE'S PREGNANT, Y'ALL. I'm gonna be an aunt! EEEE.
In the meantime, let's talk Christmas. After three years of momming it up my ownself, I have nailed down a pretty solid set of Christmas traditions for my little family. After Santa comes to our house, we spend one whole day together, just the three of us, before we pack up and head out to spend time with the extended family.
My Christmas spread is simple - there's no point in making a big meal when we're just going to leave the next day. I have already blogged most of the recipes:
Natchitoches Meat Pies - I start my holiday season off (usually a week or two beforehand, since it's an all-day process) by making up a double batch of these, and freezing them. On Christmas day, I take out as many as we'll eat, and fry them up for lunch/dinner. The rest, I pack up and give to family and friends (and keep some extra on hand in my freezer, BECAUSE THEY ARE DELICIOUS).
Christmas Eve is spent making an insane amount of Nestle Toll House Cookies. The recipe is on the bag of Nestle chocolate chips, and everyone in the world loves these cookies. I bring some to the neighbors. I pack some up as gifts for friends. I eat about 50 of them myself. Santa Claus gets a heaping plate of them. I use real butter, and pecans from my grandparents' farm, and I like to think that makes them taste extra nice.
My oven works overtime Christmas Eve, because I also make batches and batches of Sausage Balls. For snacking, for gifting, and just because. They also make great breakfast munchies for Christmas morning!
Speaking of breakfast, I like to start Christmas morning off with a Breakfast Quiche. It's easy to make and tastes good all day long. It does not last all day long, however.
When it's time for lunch/dinner (I cook Christmas lunch around 1:00 pm and everyone eats whenever they want, as often as they want, as late into the evening as they can stand), I fry up some meat pies, and serve it alongside Potatoes and Green Beans. Which I only make once a year because of how terrible this is for people to consume. And because it goes really, really well with meat pies.
This year, I'm planning to introduce a new tradition to the mix. The last time I talked to my sister on the phone, we discussed this. I thought I might have been the only one who remembered this, but I was so happy that she does too!
One year, when we were little kids, my family discovered Dairy Queen's newest product: the Blizzard. (Internet research tells me this was probably 1986. I was 8 years old. Krista was 5.) My parents, being awesome, figured they could make Oreo Blizzards at home and save us both a trip into town (COUNTRY LIVING, Y'ALL) and some cash. The result was my whole family sitting around the Christmas tree, lapping up homemade Oreo Blizzards and feeling sugary joy together. I remember this so vividly, and so fondly, that I'm going to treat myself this year and possibly every year from now until I die of diabetes-related illness.
It's such an easy recipe, I'll just link you to it - Oreo Blizzards
And that's it. Have a great holiday season, whoever you are, reading this, and I love you! Krista probably loves you, too! I'm sure we'll post more in 2012 (we might even post more in 2011 if we feel like it), because neither of us can go very long without cooking. Or talking. Mostly talking.
Best buttery wishes,
Kendra
Showing posts with label seasonal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seasonal. Show all posts
Natchitoches Meat Pies
Instead of writing an introduction to this recipe (which you do not need, you already know), I will just direct interested parties to this link:
Natchitoches Meat Pie History
The history above explains why Natchitoches meat pies are linked with Christmas, and the recipe below (given to my mother by a Natchitoches native) will explain why we only make them once a year (for, let's say, Christmas). There's kind of a lot of work involved.
But the payoff is great. I made a huge batch this year, and gave plenty away, but actually kept some for myself this time! I meant to post this recipe around Christmas, but hey. People get busy. Aaaand then they stay busy. For months! Anyway, I took the last of my frozen ones out last week and fried them up, and they are just as delicious as they were in December.
So, sorry for the out of season post, but I have meat pies on my mind. They were SO good that I'm thinking of making some again soon. I know, right? Meat pies in spring? THAT'S CRAZY.
Get a big ol' pot and a rolling pin ready, commit yourself to an entire Saturday in the kitchen, and you can make some too!
_______________________________________________
Adjust this recipe to meet your needs - halve it, or triple it. It's up to you! This version makes around 24 pies.
Natchitoches Meat Pies
• 1 ½ lbs ground pork
• 1 ½ lbs ground beef
• 1 ½ tbs flour
• 2 medium onions (ground - use a food processor or blender)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tbs cold water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup well chopped parsley
* Salt, pepper and Tony's (or seasoning blend of choice) to taste
In a big pot, cook the meat down a little, then add flour, onions, and baking powder. Stir and cook down a little more, then add water and parsley. Stir, then add salt and pepper, and continue cooking until done. Taste and adjust as you go until the seasoning is where you want it.
There's no set amount of time to cook the meat, just keep stirring and cooking until there's no pink left anywhere. I tend to freak out a little when working with ground pork...because it doesn't brown like beef. So I err on the safe side and cook the everliving crap out of the meat until I'm sure it's not going to give anyone I love trichinosis.
I don't remember if you drain the meat or not...the flour absorbs some of the meat juices, but you may have to drain the pot some as you go. Use your judgement on that one!
NOW,
Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down a little (at least until it's warm-but-not-hot to the touch), then put it in the fridge to chill while you work on the crust:
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup shortening
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 whole beaten eggs
Mix everything together – the dough should be very gooey and stick to your fingers. You can add more milk if it's too dry.
Dust a clean, flat counter surface with flour to roll your dough out on. Make a ball of dough and knead it just a little, so it’s manageable. Roll it out as thin as possible. Cut out rounds about the size of a saucer. (I guess you could buy a pastry cutter in the right size, but I literally use a saucer and trace around it with a knife.)
I cut out all my dough circles at once. I flour them each lightly and stack them on a cookie sheet. This year I learned that you can even cover and refrigerate the dough you've cut out for a few hours, and take a break while your meat is chilling. BEST THING I EVER LEARNED.
Rolling out dough is not my favorite thing to do, just FYI.
When you're ready to make some pies, add a spoonful of the chilled meat mixture to the center of each round, and fold over to form a half-moon shaped pie. Seal all around the edges with a fork. If the dough is dried out from sitting too long, dip your finger in a little water and trace around the inside edges, that should help them stick and seal.
a visual aid
To cook them, fry in hot oil, or bake them about 20 minutes at 350.
To freeze them, place them in single layers on baking sheets (not touching each other), and stick them in the freezer for about an hour. Then you can transfer them to Ziploc bags, and they won't stick together.
To cook them from the frozen state - straight up drop whole frozen pies into deep oil and fry until they're a deep golden brown (you want them dark, or the middles will still be cold - or just microwave them for a bit after frying!)
I'm going to confess: I don't know the particulars on baking them from frozen. I haven't tried that in a long time. I can guess 350, but I don't know how long, or if you thaw them first. Do you know?
IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW KNOWS, LET ME KNOW, OKAY?
Natchitoches Meat Pie History
The history above explains why Natchitoches meat pies are linked with Christmas, and the recipe below (given to my mother by a Natchitoches native) will explain why we only make them once a year (for, let's say, Christmas). There's kind of a lot of work involved.
But the payoff is great. I made a huge batch this year, and gave plenty away, but actually kept some for myself this time! I meant to post this recipe around Christmas, but hey. People get busy. Aaaand then they stay busy. For months! Anyway, I took the last of my frozen ones out last week and fried them up, and they are just as delicious as they were in December.
So, sorry for the out of season post, but I have meat pies on my mind. They were SO good that I'm thinking of making some again soon. I know, right? Meat pies in spring? THAT'S CRAZY.
Get a big ol' pot and a rolling pin ready, commit yourself to an entire Saturday in the kitchen, and you can make some too!
_______________________________________________
Adjust this recipe to meet your needs - halve it, or triple it. It's up to you! This version makes around 24 pies.
Natchitoches Meat Pies
• 1 ½ lbs ground pork
• 1 ½ lbs ground beef
• 1 ½ tbs flour
• 2 medium onions (ground - use a food processor or blender)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tbs cold water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup well chopped parsley
* Salt, pepper and Tony's (or seasoning blend of choice) to taste
In a big pot, cook the meat down a little, then add flour, onions, and baking powder. Stir and cook down a little more, then add water and parsley. Stir, then add salt and pepper, and continue cooking until done. Taste and adjust as you go until the seasoning is where you want it.
There's no set amount of time to cook the meat, just keep stirring and cooking until there's no pink left anywhere. I tend to freak out a little when working with ground pork...because it doesn't brown like beef. So I err on the safe side and cook the everliving crap out of the meat until I'm sure it's not going to give anyone I love trichinosis.
I don't remember if you drain the meat or not...the flour absorbs some of the meat juices, but you may have to drain the pot some as you go. Use your judgement on that one!
NOW,
Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down a little (at least until it's warm-but-not-hot to the touch), then put it in the fridge to chill while you work on the crust:
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup shortening
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 whole beaten eggs
Mix everything together – the dough should be very gooey and stick to your fingers. You can add more milk if it's too dry.
Dust a clean, flat counter surface with flour to roll your dough out on. Make a ball of dough and knead it just a little, so it’s manageable. Roll it out as thin as possible. Cut out rounds about the size of a saucer. (I guess you could buy a pastry cutter in the right size, but I literally use a saucer and trace around it with a knife.)
I cut out all my dough circles at once. I flour them each lightly and stack them on a cookie sheet. This year I learned that you can even cover and refrigerate the dough you've cut out for a few hours, and take a break while your meat is chilling. BEST THING I EVER LEARNED.
Rolling out dough is not my favorite thing to do, just FYI.
When you're ready to make some pies, add a spoonful of the chilled meat mixture to the center of each round, and fold over to form a half-moon shaped pie. Seal all around the edges with a fork. If the dough is dried out from sitting too long, dip your finger in a little water and trace around the inside edges, that should help them stick and seal.
a visual aid
To cook them, fry in hot oil, or bake them about 20 minutes at 350.
To freeze them, place them in single layers on baking sheets (not touching each other), and stick them in the freezer for about an hour. Then you can transfer them to Ziploc bags, and they won't stick together.
To cook them from the frozen state - straight up drop whole frozen pies into deep oil and fry until they're a deep golden brown (you want them dark, or the middles will still be cold - or just microwave them for a bit after frying!)
I'm going to confess: I don't know the particulars on baking them from frozen. I haven't tried that in a long time. I can guess 350, but I don't know how long, or if you thaw them first. Do you know?
IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW KNOWS, LET ME KNOW, OKAY?
Maple Pecan Thumbprints and Lemon Pecan Snowdrops
Merry Christmas! Hope everyone had a great one, full of fun and family and, of course, food!
Here are the two things I make every year without fail:
Lemon Pecan Snowdrops (more commonly known to us as Lemon Balls; these are my MIL's favorite!)
Cookie
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon, softened
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 to 3 tablespoons milk
Topping
Coarse grain white sugar
Heat oven to 325°F. Combine 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, pecans and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Beat until dough forms.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1-inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, combine all glaze ingredients except milk in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, gradually adding enough milk for desired dipping consistency. Pour glaze into small bowl.
Dip tops of cooled cookies into glaze; shake off excess glaze. Place onto waxed paper; sprinkle tops with coarse grain sugar. Let stand until glaze is set (about 1 hour). Store in loosely covered container between sheets of waxed paper.
Maple Pecan Thumbprints (MY favorite!)
Cookie:
1 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Heat oven to 375.
Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat at med speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and salt and beat until dough forms.
Put pecans in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch round balls. Dip each ball into egg white and then roll in pecans. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Make indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or back of teaspoon. Bake 11-13 minutes or until very light browned and set. Cool completely.
Frosting:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
3 T. butter, melted
2 T. Milk
3/4 tsp maple extract
Combine all in small mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until smooth. Fill centers of each cooled cookie.
Here are the two things I make every year without fail:
Lemon Pecan Snowdrops (more commonly known to us as Lemon Balls; these are my MIL's favorite!)
Cookie
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon, softened
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 to 3 tablespoons milk
Topping
Coarse grain white sugar
Heat oven to 325°F. Combine 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, pecans and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Beat until dough forms.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1-inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, combine all glaze ingredients except milk in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, gradually adding enough milk for desired dipping consistency. Pour glaze into small bowl.
Dip tops of cooled cookies into glaze; shake off excess glaze. Place onto waxed paper; sprinkle tops with coarse grain sugar. Let stand until glaze is set (about 1 hour). Store in loosely covered container between sheets of waxed paper.
Maple Pecan Thumbprints (MY favorite!)
Cookie:
1 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Heat oven to 375.
Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat at med speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and salt and beat until dough forms.
Put pecans in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch round balls. Dip each ball into egg white and then roll in pecans. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Make indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or back of teaspoon. Bake 11-13 minutes or until very light browned and set. Cool completely.
Frosting:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
3 T. butter, melted
2 T. Milk
3/4 tsp maple extract
Combine all in small mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until smooth. Fill centers of each cooled cookie.
(Both of these recipes come from some magazine Land O'Lakes put out - this is in tiny print because the magazine is REALLY OBNOXIOUS, putting their brand name in every ingredient list. But I ain't no thief! Except for the part where I stole their pictures.)
Creamed Spinach Casserole, Corn Pudding, Cherry Cream Crumble Pie
Holy shit, you guys.
Holy shit.
Kendra, I bet when you signed in to write your own last couple blog posts you noticed I had this draft up. I was totally preparing to write this big spectacular post about what I make at Christmas time - and then I was going to post a recipe for every day leading up to Christmas.
Awesome, right?
Yeah, well. The internet was down at work ALLLLL WEEEEEEKKKKKK and when I get home I am too busy actually cooking these things to write about them, or stirring Hamburger Helper, or trying to take the frozen pizza out without putting down my Jack-and-Coke.
So I'm going to cram it all into two posts - one dedicated to our Christmas supper at Christy and Jay's, and one for the desserts I brought to my in-laws' house this past weekend.
Christy is not a cook. Seriously. She will straight up tell you, let me clean up your mess, but you do the cooking. So, alright. We sat down the Wednesday before our Saturday night dinner to plan what we were going to cook. A lot of our menu came from my cookbooks - including The Book, which if anyone asks, I'll let Kendra handle that particular question. The Book is overwhelming, to say the least.
Here is our menu:
Garlic Studded Pot Roast (only difference here is we do ours on the stove-top)
Creamed Spinach Casserole (pg 83 of the birthday edition of The Book)
Corn Pudding
Mashed Potatoes
Cherry Cream Crumble Pie (pg 266)
We also had rolls and old fashioned sweet potato casserole, which Christy did make. Good job, Christy!
Creamed Spinach Casserole
2 boxes or bags frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup crumbled bacon bits
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp fresh shredded Parmesan
Mix all ingredients (except 2 tbsp cheese) in a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until bubbly.
(this was really, really good - but is GREASY. like when we took it out of the oven i was dubious. reheated, it smells really bad...but i'm not the biggest fan of cream cheese outside of desserts, or when i can straight up smell it. also: you had better like spinach)
Corn Pudding
30 oz frozen corn (changed from two 15 oz cans)
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c. egg substitute (this was initially a low fat/low cholesterol recipe that I revised - this is the only part I wasn't sure about. We ended up using like 4 eggs)
1 1/2 c. milk
Combine corn, flour, sugar, and salt. Pour into greased baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix egg and milk. Pour over corn but do not stir. Bake 45-50 min, stirring gently a few times during baking.
(This is really good, but VERY BLAND. Add salt and pepper and Tony's. Add some more.)
Cherry Cream Crumble Pie
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 15 oz. cans pitted tart cherries, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 unbaked pie crust
Topping:
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cherries, sour cream, egg, and extract. Spoon into the pie crust, and bake for 20 minutes.
While pie is cooking, assemble ingredients for topping. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar,and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Fold in chopped pecans.
After the pie has baked 20 minutes, remove from foil and crumble the mixture on top. Cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent over-browning, and return to oven. Bake another 25-30 minutes, or until the topping has slightly browned.
Allow to cool for 1 hour before serving.
(ok - this is awesome. it's ugly at first because it's PINK but it comes out great. bring ice cream.)
Holy shit.
Kendra, I bet when you signed in to write your own last couple blog posts you noticed I had this draft up. I was totally preparing to write this big spectacular post about what I make at Christmas time - and then I was going to post a recipe for every day leading up to Christmas.
Awesome, right?
Yeah, well. The internet was down at work ALLLLL WEEEEEEKKKKKK and when I get home I am too busy actually cooking these things to write about them, or stirring Hamburger Helper, or trying to take the frozen pizza out without putting down my Jack-and-Coke.
So I'm going to cram it all into two posts - one dedicated to our Christmas supper at Christy and Jay's, and one for the desserts I brought to my in-laws' house this past weekend.
Christy is not a cook. Seriously. She will straight up tell you, let me clean up your mess, but you do the cooking. So, alright. We sat down the Wednesday before our Saturday night dinner to plan what we were going to cook. A lot of our menu came from my cookbooks - including The Book, which if anyone asks, I'll let Kendra handle that particular question. The Book is overwhelming, to say the least.
Here is our menu:
Garlic Studded Pot Roast (only difference here is we do ours on the stove-top)
Creamed Spinach Casserole (pg 83 of the birthday edition of The Book)
Corn Pudding
Mashed Potatoes
Cherry Cream Crumble Pie (pg 266)
We also had rolls and old fashioned sweet potato casserole, which Christy did make. Good job, Christy!
Creamed Spinach Casserole
2 boxes or bags frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup crumbled bacon bits
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp fresh shredded Parmesan
Mix all ingredients (except 2 tbsp cheese) in a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until bubbly.
(this was really, really good - but is GREASY. like when we took it out of the oven i was dubious. reheated, it smells really bad...but i'm not the biggest fan of cream cheese outside of desserts, or when i can straight up smell it. also: you had better like spinach)
Corn Pudding
30 oz frozen corn (changed from two 15 oz cans)
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c. egg substitute (this was initially a low fat/low cholesterol recipe that I revised - this is the only part I wasn't sure about. We ended up using like 4 eggs)
1 1/2 c. milk
Combine corn, flour, sugar, and salt. Pour into greased baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix egg and milk. Pour over corn but do not stir. Bake 45-50 min, stirring gently a few times during baking.
(This is really good, but VERY BLAND. Add salt and pepper and Tony's. Add some more.)
Cherry Cream Crumble Pie
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 15 oz. cans pitted tart cherries, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 unbaked pie crust
Topping:
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cherries, sour cream, egg, and extract. Spoon into the pie crust, and bake for 20 minutes.
While pie is cooking, assemble ingredients for topping. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar,and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Fold in chopped pecans.
After the pie has baked 20 minutes, remove from foil and crumble the mixture on top. Cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent over-browning, and return to oven. Bake another 25-30 minutes, or until the topping has slightly browned.
Allow to cool for 1 hour before serving.
(ok - this is awesome. it's ugly at first because it's PINK but it comes out great. bring ice cream.)
MERRY CHRISTMAS from some people who don't know how to use a self timer!
Sausage Balls
"WHY HAVEN'T YOU UPDATED?!" absolutely no one is demanding to know. Eh...it's a busy time of year. And stuff. Right? Sure!
I think both of us are gearing up for some holiday cooking, so maybe we'll be blogging about that soon. The menu at my house this year will be very low-key. The plan is to make and freeze some meat pies well in advance, so all I have to do is bake them Christmas day and be done with it. They will likely be served with a quick side of Potatoes & Green Beans and a dessert of some kind. Maybe a cheesecake? My mom gifted me her springform pan, and I've been very excited about that.
In the meantime, here is my go-to Christmas recipe. I make these every year - they are super easy, delicious, and big crowd pleasers! They're just kind of pain-in-the-butt messy to deal with, which is why I only bother with them once a year.
_________________________________________
SAUSAGE BALLS
• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• ½ lb hot breakfast sausage (if you don't like hot stuff, go all mild)
• ½ lb mild breakfast sausage (if you ain't a wimp, go all hot)
• 12 oz shredded sharp cheddar (definitely use sharp)
Oven temp: 350
In a large bowl, mix everything together well until a gooey dough is formed. It will be very sticky at first – like, totally gross, ew, it won't come off my fingers, what have I done?! Let it sit a few minutes to firm up before rolling. Wash your hands while you wait. Gah. Ugh.
Pinch off a little dough at a time and roll into small balls - I aim for somewhere between the size of a nickle and quarter. Line them up in a single layer – not touching each other - on an ungreased cookie sheet. You can fit many on the sheet, since they will plump up a little when cooked, but not much. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
I usually have about three cookies sheets in rotation while I make batch after batch after batch of these things. If you're making them for gifts or party trays, you'll want to make more than you think you'll need. This is to account for any that might, uh...go missing during the cooking process. Lock your kitchen down. Some people do not understand the meaning of "those are for the office party."
(And honestly, I thought I only ate like three of them, but I'm missing about two dozen. It must have been the dog.)
________________________________
Also, before I go...next time you make Sweet Potato Fries, sprinkle on some chili powder and rosemary along with the salt and pepper. DO IT.
I think both of us are gearing up for some holiday cooking, so maybe we'll be blogging about that soon. The menu at my house this year will be very low-key. The plan is to make and freeze some meat pies well in advance, so all I have to do is bake them Christmas day and be done with it. They will likely be served with a quick side of Potatoes & Green Beans and a dessert of some kind. Maybe a cheesecake? My mom gifted me her springform pan, and I've been very excited about that.
In the meantime, here is my go-to Christmas recipe. I make these every year - they are super easy, delicious, and big crowd pleasers! They're just kind of pain-in-the-butt messy to deal with, which is why I only bother with them once a year.
_________________________________________
SAUSAGE BALLS
• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• ½ lb hot breakfast sausage (if you don't like hot stuff, go all mild)
• ½ lb mild breakfast sausage (if you ain't a wimp, go all hot)
• 12 oz shredded sharp cheddar (definitely use sharp)
Oven temp: 350
In a large bowl, mix everything together well until a gooey dough is formed. It will be very sticky at first – like, totally gross, ew, it won't come off my fingers, what have I done?! Let it sit a few minutes to firm up before rolling. Wash your hands while you wait. Gah. Ugh.
Pinch off a little dough at a time and roll into small balls - I aim for somewhere between the size of a nickle and quarter. Line them up in a single layer – not touching each other - on an ungreased cookie sheet. You can fit many on the sheet, since they will plump up a little when cooked, but not much. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
I usually have about three cookies sheets in rotation while I make batch after batch after batch of these things. If you're making them for gifts or party trays, you'll want to make more than you think you'll need. This is to account for any that might, uh...go missing during the cooking process. Lock your kitchen down. Some people do not understand the meaning of "those are for the office party."
(And honestly, I thought I only ate like three of them, but I'm missing about two dozen. It must have been the dog.)
________________________________
Also, before I go...next time you make Sweet Potato Fries, sprinkle on some chili powder and rosemary along with the salt and pepper. DO IT.
Maple Bundt Cake
Not that you actually made the pumpkin maple bread pudding, but let's pretend for a moment you did, and so then let's pretend you had loads and loads of maple syrup left and then let's pretend your husband doesn't like real maple syrup, he's very loyal to the overly sweet, processed taste of some Aunt Jemima.
Good.
What are you going to do with all of that maple syrup, Kendra? Are you going to eat hundreds of pancakes? Well, that's an option, sure. But make this instead. I know you liked that fig cake, so I'm guessing you'll like this, too. This is one of my favorite cakes ever, and it's so good for when the weather gets a bit colder.
Maple Bundt Cake
Cake:
2 ¾ cups cake flour
1 ¾ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
½ cup milk
¾ cup maple syrup
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 sticks of unsalted butter (16 tbsp)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Glaze:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
4 tsp bourbon
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325. Grease and flour your cake pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside. (I have a feeling I am not the only person who just stirs this stuff up instead of sifting. Does anyone enjoy SIFTING? No.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Set aside.
(It says to do this part with a flat beater, just in case you have one – I do not and a regular old beater works just lovely, thank you very much) Beat butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile (back at the ranch), make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the ingredients and simmer until the mixture has reduced slightly and is a bit tacky, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Tap the cake gently on a work surface to loosen the cake. Remove from pan and using a pastry brush, brush the cake with the glaze. Let the cake cook completely, at least 2 hours, before serving (this part is bullshit – eat it while it’s warm).
(This recipe is from Williams-Sonoma, and came with their autumn leaf bundt pan, should anyone like to know. I think it was last year's collection. It's a gorgeous pan, but I prefer just a regular old bundt pan, because the leaves have never come out crisp or clear for me, especially after the glaze.)
Oh, here is the pan:
Good.
What are you going to do with all of that maple syrup, Kendra? Are you going to eat hundreds of pancakes? Well, that's an option, sure. But make this instead. I know you liked that fig cake, so I'm guessing you'll like this, too. This is one of my favorite cakes ever, and it's so good for when the weather gets a bit colder.
Maple Bundt Cake
Cake:
2 ¾ cups cake flour
1 ¾ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
½ cup milk
¾ cup maple syrup
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 sticks of unsalted butter (16 tbsp)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Glaze:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
4 tsp bourbon
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325. Grease and flour your cake pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside. (I have a feeling I am not the only person who just stirs this stuff up instead of sifting. Does anyone enjoy SIFTING? No.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Set aside.
(It says to do this part with a flat beater, just in case you have one – I do not and a regular old beater works just lovely, thank you very much) Beat butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile (back at the ranch), make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the ingredients and simmer until the mixture has reduced slightly and is a bit tacky, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Tap the cake gently on a work surface to loosen the cake. Remove from pan and using a pastry brush, brush the cake with the glaze. Let the cake cook completely, at least 2 hours, before serving (this part is bullshit – eat it while it’s warm).
(This recipe is from Williams-Sonoma, and came with their autumn leaf bundt pan, should anyone like to know. I think it was last year's collection. It's a gorgeous pan, but I prefer just a regular old bundt pan, because the leaves have never come out crisp or clear for me, especially after the glaze.)
Oh, here is the pan:
Can I Just...Real Quick...
I hate summer. I loathe it. The heat, the humidity, the bugs, the horror. Summertime has ONE redeeming factor. Let me show you it.
This is my lunch today. I'm posting it here to make myself jealous later, when I'm having something less fresh and beautiful:
Tomatoes from Mom's garden, with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, from your garden. I love you.
Cucumbers from my neighbor's garden (notice how everyone has a garden but me, because I am terrible) - I put a little salt, some dill, and yes more basil. Then I squeezed a lemon over the whole thing. So nice.
LOOK AT THAT. Mom gave me all this fruit, can you stand it?
I can't. I can't get over the variety of fruits and vegetables available to me in this miraculous modern age, and how I didn't grow or buy any of it myself (because I am terrible), it just CAME TO MY HOUSE, asking me to please eat it.
And that is why I won't complain about summer for at least several hours this afternoon.
This is my lunch today. I'm posting it here to make myself jealous later, when I'm having something less fresh and beautiful:
Tomatoes from Mom's garden, with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, from your garden. I love you.
Cucumbers from my neighbor's garden (notice how everyone has a garden but me, because I am terrible) - I put a little salt, some dill, and yes more basil. Then I squeezed a lemon over the whole thing. So nice.
LOOK AT THAT. Mom gave me all this fruit, can you stand it?
I can't. I can't get over the variety of fruits and vegetables available to me in this miraculous modern age, and how I didn't grow or buy any of it myself (because I am terrible), it just CAME TO MY HOUSE, asking me to please eat it.
And that is why I won't complain about summer for at least several hours this afternoon.
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