Crock Pot Stew

Sorry I couldn't make it tonight. Greg had a meeting and I was too lazy to find a babysitter, but here's the recipe I was going to make (from my sister-in-law, Yumiko Luke):

1 can tomato soup
2 cans water
2-3 cubes beef base
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper

cubed beef
carrots
onion
potatoes
green peas
(in your preferred proportions)

Put beef in middle of crock pot and vegetables around edges and on top. Add other ingredients. Cook 8 hours on low.

January Recipe Swap Tomorrow

It's time for recipe swap again, tomorrow at Scarlett's house at 7:00pm. The theme is "Winter Comforts". Hope to see everyone there tomorrow night!

Candy Cane Cookies

This is a family tradition dating back to the early years of my grandmothers marriage. She made these every year of my childhood and my Uncle has carried on the tradition with a twist. His twist is that he makes 6 batches or more with various colors and has everyone "create" their own cookie. In the past we've had children in a snowball fight, a UPS truck, Christmas trees and Christ in a Manger. The kids have a great time eating their "play dough" as cookies. Enjoy!

Cream together:
1/2 Cup shortening (butter or original)
1/2 Cup butter/margarine
1 Cup confectioner sugar, sifted
1 egg
Add:
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, I usually don't add this.)
1 teaspoon vanilla (if I don't use almond extract I increase this by 1/2 tsp)
(I add food coloring at this stage of the "game" because adding them later makes them heavy and stiff.)
Sift together and Add:
2 1/2 Cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt

Candy Cane topping;
1/2 Cup crushed candy cane, make into a powder
1/2 Cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Let dough refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before handling. Shape dough and dough in Candy Cane topping or sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Recipe yields approximately 2 dozen 6-inch candy canes.

Pinwheel Cookies from Family Fun Magazine

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 Egg
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Using a wooden spoon, cream the butter until it's smooth (see tip below.) Stir in the sugars and vanilla extract until they're evenly blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture one third at a time, stirring after each addition, until the dough is evenly blended.

2. Set aside half of the cookie dough. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining dough and stir until it is fully incorporated.

3. Divide the chocolate dough in half. Place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap, pat it into a 1/2-inch-thick square, and then wrap it in the plastic. Repeat the process for the vanilla dough. Refrigerate the 4 squares until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

4. Unwrap one piece of the chilled vanilla dough, leaving it on the plastic. Cover it with a second piece of plastic wrap, then roll it into a rectangle measuring about 9 by 7 inches. If the dough gets too soft and difficult to roll, slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate it until it's firm again, about 5 to 10 minutes. Unwrap a piece of the chocolate dough, cover it with another piece of plastic, and roll it into an 8- by 7-inch rectangle.

5. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap from both rolled doughs and invert the chocolate dough on top of the vanilla dough, lining up 3 sides and leaving about 1 inch of vanilla dough exposed on one side. Starting at the opposite side, lift the vanilla dough by the plastic wrap underneath it and snugly roll up both layers into a log, peeling away the plastic wrap as you go. Wrap the log in the plastic and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. Repeat the process with the 2 other pieces of dough.

6. Heat the oven to 350°. Line 2 shiny, heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap one of the logs and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. (See tip below for a safe, kid-friendly way to slice dough.) Arrange the slices on the parchment about 1 inch apart and bake them for about 13 minutes. When done, they'll still be a little soft to the touch -- the cookies will have a better texture if you don't let their edges brown.

7. Leave the cookies on the sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Slice and bake the second log as the first. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

(To line up the layers, I put a piece of plastic wrap in a small cookie sheet(that has a small edge)and roll the dough out to the edges. I press the corners into the pan's shape, then lift that out and do the same with the next layer. Don't overcook. My cookie sheets are darker and it only takes about 8 min at 350. )

Hershey's Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups (1, 10 oz. bag) Hershey's mint chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, beating well. Stir in the chocolate chip by hand. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until just set; do not overbake. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen.

Nut and Orange Cookies- Cheri Meiners

Dough:
1/2 cup butter
11/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 T orange zest
1/3 cup squeezed orange or orange juice
1/4 t lemon extract
1/4 cup chopped Brazil or other nuts

Icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 T water
1 t lemon juice

3/4 cup finely chopped nuts


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Mix in orange rind, orange juice and lemon extract. Fold in Brazil nuts. Drop by spoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. To prepare icing, mix together confectioner's sugar, water and lemon juice. Spoon over hot cookies and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Let cool.

Apricot Twists

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground mace *

¼ tsp baking powder

¾ cup butter

5 to 7 Tbls ice water

¼ tsp lemon extract

¼ cup apricot preserves

milk

Stir together flour, sugar, salt, mace & baking powder. Cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine 1 Tbls ice water and the lemon extract and sprinkle over part of the mixture. Gently toss with fork & push to side of bowl. Repeat with remaining ice water, a Tbls at a time, till all is moist. Form into a ball. Cover & chill about 30 minutes or till easy to handle.

Divide dough into quarters. Roll two of the quarters into 12x4 inch rectangles & spread with preserves. Roll remaining two quarters into 12x4 rectangles and carefully place over those spread with preserves. Trim edges.

Cut each rectangle into twelve 4x1inch strips. Twist each strip twice. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375˚ oven for 15 minutes. Remove and brush with milk, then sprinkle with additional sugar. RETURN to oven and bake 5 to 8 minutes more or till done. Remove and cool. Makes 24.

* I couldn't find ground mace at the store, so I substituted ground allspice.