Posted: 11/15/2005 6:20:03 PM EDT
My favorite part of the holiday season is the baking. I couldn't help myself - tonight I made gingerbread because I've been craving it. This is the recipe (from Cooks Illustrated) I used, and it's delish!
Here's a pumpkin cake roll which is good for dessert or a sweet at breakfast, and it gets absolutely rave reviews from everyone who's tried it:
And a recipe for whiskey balls which are definitely not safe for kids:
Oh! I'd be remiss if I didn't include this recipe for deep-dish apple pie which is to die for:
What are your favorite holiday recipes? |
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Here's my mama's fudge..... the only kind I like FIVE MINUTE FUDGE 2/3 c evaporated milk 1 2/3 c sugar 1/4 tsp salt heat in pan. Stir constantly until boiling, boil 5 minutes( make sure to time it) take off stove and add 1 1/4 c. mini marshmellows 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c. walnuts (optional) pour into buttered 8x8 pan and let cool. Here is our families favorite version of green bean casserole GREEN BEAN SUPREME 2 cans french cut green beans 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp flour 1 tsp salt dash of pepper 1/3 c chopped onion 1/2 c sour cream 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese Cook beans in small saucepan, drain and set aside. Melt butter, saute onion until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper. Carefully blend sour cream and heat throughly. Do not boil. Stir in beans. Put in casserole dish, top with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Hmmmm....... now I can't wait for Thanksgiving dinner  |
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I need a recipe for snickerdoodles. If y'all have a good one you'd be kind enough to pass on, I'd be so thankful. I found 2 on the web. But the first one wasn't so good.  IMHO it had too much butter. The cookies left butter on your fingers and were too crunchy. The recipe called for 1C of butter and 2.75C flour. I'll try the next recipe tonight. It calls for 1C butter and 3.5 C flour. I've never made them before, and I'm doing it for a gift. We is poor this year, so we is baking our Christmas gifts.  The few snickerdoodles I had were soft, and I don't recall them leaving butter on my fingers. I *think* they were like a butter or sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar. Also gonna attempt to make some elaborate Gingerbread houses too. This is the one I'll be attempting. It's got candy "stained glass" windows. Wish me luck. The first one is for my mom, she's more forgiving. 
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fruitcake For two cakes: 6 eggs 1 ½ cups sugar 2 teas. vanilla 1 ½ cups flour 1 teas. baking powder 1 teas. salt 1 cup sultanas (5 oz.) 1 cup red cherries (5 oz.) 1 cup green cherries (5 oz.) 1 1/3 cup mixed candied peel (8 oz.) 1 lb. dates 3 cups whole Brazil nuts (10 oz.) 3 cups pecan halves (10 oz.) 2 tblsp rum In a bowl with tight fitting lid, combine all fruit, pour rum over, and leave with lid on overnight or until ready to make fruitcake. Grease two 8 inch cake pans, line with greaseproof or waxed paper, spray again. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla, set aside; sift flour, baking powder and salt, and add dry ingredients to egg mixture. In a very large bowl, combine soaked fruit and nuts, then pour batter over and mix gently. Divide between two cake pans. Bake at 325 F for 85 minutes. Cool for ten minutes and remove from pans to cool on cake racks. Wrap in foil and airtight bags to store. Will store in the refrigerator for as long as it lasts! |
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Perse: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated oven of 400 degrees. I quadruple this recipe and lay the cookies out on my cookie sheet with an ice cream scoup. |
Them must be some big ass cookies.  Mmmmmm. I'll give it a whirl. Thank you, thank you! PS, good thing about cookies... even when it doesn't go quite right the kids still love being taste testers. 
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They are big but the size is what makes them so good. They're softer when you make them large. YUM..... Daisy, bravo for having such will power. You're already a knock out, feel free to flaunt your success, you've earned that right. Patty *ETA* Perse I roll the balls in cinnamon and sugar with a dash of nutmeg before baking too. |
Patty....<shaking head laughing> sometimes the things you say...... and thanks for the compliment. It's tough work, and especially this time of year, I ain't making no promises. But if I'm good all week, perhaps I can stay status quo until the New Year. |
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Easy Macarron Cookies 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour pinch of salt 2 1/2 cups dried coconut 2/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk 1 tsp. of Vanilla preheat oven to 350 degrees spray two baking sheet pans with Bakers Joy. sift flour and salt into large bowl. stir in coconut. pour in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and stir together from the center. continue stirring till a very thick batter is formed. drop by tablespoon full 1 inch apart onto prepared baking sheets. bake for 20 minutes,until a golden brown. transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 12 big ones or 24 small ones.......... ------------------------------------------------------ Apple Cake 3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon groud allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup buttermilk 1 stick of butter,melted 1 large egg 2 cups chopped,unpeeled apples 1/2 cup chopped almonds Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10 Inch Tube Pan. In a large bowl,combine flour,sugar baking soda,salt,cinnamon,allspice & nutmeg. Stir in buttermilk,butter & egg just until combined. Fold in apples and almonds. Spoon into greased pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until center springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto Serving Plate & cool completely. ----------------------------------------- Ginger Snapps Blend 1 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup Crisco,1 egg, 1/4 cup of dark karo syrup,2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roll to a size of a walnut,dip in sugar if desired and bake in a 325 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until cookies crack on top. |
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The Muffin Queen returns with a recipe for....GINGERBREAD MUFFINS!!!!!!!!! Blend these together in one bowl: 3 large eggs 1 cup molasses 1/2 cup melted butter 1 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon grated orange peel 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules In another bowl, sift together: 3.25 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ginger 2 teaspoons cinnamon half a teaspoon of cloves 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup chopped pecans or currants Combine the contents of both bowls after mixed and blend them well. Bake in prepared tins for 18 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees. YUMMMMMMMMM......... 
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So no fresh baked cookies with the rifle then? Guess you'll just have to bake some ammo instead 
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My pumpkin roll stuck to the towel when I went to re-roll it and fell apart. Either it was undercooked/too moist or the towel is too fuzzy.  It tastes great though, just looks like crap.  
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I had some problems with the cake part cracking when I went to roll it. I ended up making it anyway and wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerating it, and it held together pretty well after that. For the towel, you have to put a whole bunch of powdered sugar on it - much more than you think you'll need. And try a tea towel, cause they're less fuzzy. 
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MrsGloftoe, I'm planning to use your pumpkin roll and apple pie recipes this week! I'm assuming that your apple pie recipe should read "the next 5 ingredients" where it says "the next 4 ingredients" Am I correct? Sounds yummy! [eta: Is it okay if I used canned pumpkin?] |
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OK guys and gals...easiest recipe EVER 1 can of pumpkin 1 box Spice cake mix (any brand) Combine BOTH ingredients in a bowl and blend well by hand. Drop by spoonfulls on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until done (I dunno...roughly 15-20 minutes--when bottoms get browned) Frost with canned whipped cream cheese flavor frosting. I am making these later today for my kids' harvest lunch at school tomorrow. They inhale them...cookies that are light as cake. |
These are ADDICTIVE!!!! |
Eek, that does appear to be wrong. I guess I've just ignored my instructions all this time!  Canned pumpkin is fine. Like NimmerMehr posted just above, it can stick to the towel, so just make sure you use lots of powdered sugar to keep that from happening. Every time I made it, the roll cracked when I unrolled it to add the cream cheese, so I just spackled it thoroughly with the cream cheese and mooshed it back together, then rolled in plastic and chilled it, at which point it will be just fine. (Spackle and moosh are technical terms, don't you know.) |
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Super-secret Drunken Sweet Potato Pie recipe: 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange rind (or both) 3/4 cup white sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup dark rum 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup self-rising flour 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Mix all the top ingredients and fill the pie shell. Mix the bottom ingredients and spread it on top of the pie. 425 for 15 minutes then 350 for about a half hour. |
Will you marry me?
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Sorry...still workin' on my first marriage...go over here and read a few more yummy recipies: more good stuff from the kitchen |
You are killin me, you do know that........
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As much as I would love the cookies...I am a diabetic. Now baked ammo could be interesting! There is no end to the talents of our ARFCOM wiminz!!!!
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| So ladies- what are the best apples for pies??? I remember trying to bake apple pies a while back and they came out kind of soupy for some reason. Don't know if it was the type of apples I used or if I just screwed up. Anyway I suspect there is a type or two that lend themselves best to baking. Any suggestions?? |
I like Granny Smith apples for pies. You want something crisp and tart. They will get too sweet and mushy otherwise. |
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More info on baking apple than you ever want to know...my favorites in bold Apple info Cortland: The Cortland is juicy and slightly tart. Works great in double-crust pies, cobblers, and crisps. Golden Delicious: The Golden Delicious is sweet, with a rich, mellow flavor. An excellent all-around cooking apple. Jonathan: The Jonathan is moderately tart, with a rich, slightly spicy apple flavor. Holds its shape well. Try in open-faced tarts and pies. McIntosh: The juicy and crisp McIntosh tends to break down when cooked, so it's best suited for double-crust pies, cobblers, and crisps. Rome Beauty: The Rome Beauty is one of the best baking apples. It is a richly flavored hard apple. Perfect for all kinds of baking. Baldwin: The Baldwin is fairly tart apple that has just a touch of sweetness. A good all-purpose cooking apple. Northern Spy: Firm and sweetly tart, the Northern Spy is especially suited for open-faced pies and tarts. Granny Smith: One of the most popular apples used in baking and cooking. The Granny Smith is tart and crisp. Makes a good all-purpose cooking apple. Winesap: The Winesap is very firm and aromatic, with a spicy bite. A great combination of tart and sweet flavors. Jonagold: A blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, offering a unique tangy-sweet flavor. With a yellow-green base and a blush stripe, Jonagold is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking. Arkansas Black: A medium to large apple with a deep purplish color. Firm, coarse texture and good flavor. Good for sauce, pies and baking. Ida Red: The much under-appreciated Ida is a cross of the Jonathan and Wagener varieties. Bright red with a distinctive tangy and tart Jonathan-like flavor, the Ida is bigger than the Jonathan and can be relied on to keep its shape during baking. Empire: A red, medium sized McIntosh-type fruit. Firm-textured and slightly tart, the much underrated Empire is a fine all purpose apple good for sauce, pies, baking, salads, fresh eating and freezing. Liberty: The Liberty is a small to medium sized McIntosh type also. It is tart with a coarse texture and red over green color. It is good for sauces, pies, baking and freezing. Mutsu (Crispin): This large, yellow-green fruit is very juicy and has a mostly sweet flavor. It is great for fresh eating, salads, freezing, sauce, pies and baking. Ozark Gold: The Ozark Gold is a large, yellow fruit resistant to russetting and fine for eating fresh, baking in pies and cakes and making sauce. Spartan: Also a McIntosh type, the Spartan is a semi-firm, medium-sized, dark red fruit. It has an aromatic, fine flavor and is well suited to sauce, pies and baking as well as fresh eating. York: Firm, crispy and juicy, the shiny red York (also known as York Imperial) has a winy flavor and firm texture that make it a good candidate for baking. This apple is medium to large sized and also great for eating fresh, as well as sauce and pies. The following varieties are better suited for making applesauce or eating raw: Fuji: The Fuji was developed by crossing the Japanese Mutsu (Crispin) with a California Winesap. Its spicy, crisp sweetness makes it excellent out of hand or as applesauce. Varies from yellow-green with red highlights to very red. Gala: Has a similar shape to the Fuji, but a more polished look. Although the skin may be thicker and more leathery than that of the Fuji, the flesh is just as inviting. A crisp, sweet taste that can't be beat. Heart-shaped and medium sized, the Gala has a distinctive yellow-orange skin with red striping. Great for salads or as an 'out-of-hand' snack! Braeburn: High impact flavor. The sweet, crisp, aromatic Braeburn blends sweetness and tartness just right for snacks and salads. Its color varies from greenish-gold with red sections to nearly solid red. Red Delicious: America's favorite apple, right up there with baseball and hot dogs for all-American popularity. A five star snacking apple. Mild-flavored, sweet and juicy. Red Delicious has a deep ruby skin and a classic heart shape. |
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MrsGloftoe... You'll get a hoot outta this. My mom and I are up late tonight baking that pumpkin roll! We are discussing whether or not the nuts should be rolled to the inside or outside... as there is no instruction to flip the cake once it has been turned out, my mother, who retired from the military, says they should be on the outside. I say we flip the thing... It's hilarious, but so far (pre filling) it is still in one piece. Oh and the apple pie! What a nice crust, but my husband says there is too much cinnamon in it... took him two pieces to figure that out though. |
Actually, I took the directions for the pumpkin roll as this: You top the cake with nuts before you bake it, then you turn it out onto the towel. so the nuts are now on the bottom, towel-side. Right? You gotta add a hefty dollop of vanilla ice cream to your slice of pie, then the cinnamon level is juuuuuuuuust right.
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Well, the hubby has managed to fight off most of the family from his apple pie. The pumpkin roll is yummy, very much like a carrot cake to me. It turned out fine with no spackling. There were a few superficial cracks, we put the nuts on the inside... A scoop of vanilla bean icecream with the apple pie was an improvement.
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