Let the planning for Christmas 2012 baking begin. Although, I may try these before Christmas to see if they make the cut.
1 C. butter
1/2 C. granulated sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 C sifted all purpose flour
1/3 C. granulated sugar for decoration
In a large bowl, beat butter with 1/2 C. sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon stir in the flour until smooth and well combined. Divide dough into 2 parts. Refrigerate, covered for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
On a lightly sugared surface, roll out dough one part at a time, about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. With the end of a wooden spoon, or cookie press, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges. While still warm, roll in sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Chicken Marsala
I plan to pick up some Marsala wine so I can make this a regular staple in our house. Wonder how I will disguise the mushrooms so that Chris doesn't notice them. LOL
1/4 C. butter, divided
2 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken meat, cut into 12 slices
2 slices bacon, diced
1/4 C. cold water
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 C. dry Marsala wine
Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet. Saute mushrooms until soft, remove from skillet and place in a small, covered bowl.
Mix flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow dish or bowl. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Place bacon in the same skillet and cook over low heat until cooked but not crisp. Add 2 tbsp. butter to skillet and saute coated chicken over medium heat for 2 minutes each side, adding remaining butter as needed to prevent burning.
Place chicken on a dish, cover and keep warm. In a medium bowl, slowly add water to cornstarch and mix together, then mix in wine. Pour liquid mixture into skillet, together with reserved mushrooms. Heat until mixture begins to boil and thickens. Then pour over warm chicken and serve.
1/4 C. butter, divided
2 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken meat, cut into 12 slices
2 slices bacon, diced
1/4 C. cold water
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 C. dry Marsala wine
Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet. Saute mushrooms until soft, remove from skillet and place in a small, covered bowl.
Mix flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow dish or bowl. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Place bacon in the same skillet and cook over low heat until cooked but not crisp. Add 2 tbsp. butter to skillet and saute coated chicken over medium heat for 2 minutes each side, adding remaining butter as needed to prevent burning.
Place chicken on a dish, cover and keep warm. In a medium bowl, slowly add water to cornstarch and mix together, then mix in wine. Pour liquid mixture into skillet, together with reserved mushrooms. Heat until mixture begins to boil and thickens. Then pour over warm chicken and serve.
Foolproof Rib Roast
Plan ahead for next year's holiday meal. Or make this for some random Sunday. It's your choice and this looks pretty easy. You might even find a rib roast on sale at the grocery store or butcher now that the holidays are over.
1 5lb. standing beef rib roast
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
All roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is at the bottom. Rub the seasoning onto the roast.
Roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside. Do not open the door. Leave it in there for 3 hours. 30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees to reheat the roast. The internal temperature of the roast should be at least 145 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.
1 5lb. standing beef rib roast
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
All roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is at the bottom. Rub the seasoning onto the roast.
Roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside. Do not open the door. Leave it in there for 3 hours. 30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees to reheat the roast. The internal temperature of the roast should be at least 145 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Pork Chops Italiano
OK, I made this (or kind of an ad-libbed version of this) a couple of weeks ago. Chris was flying in from AZ and I wanted something thrown in the crockpot. I wound up not having mushrooms or peppers in the house so I just threw in the other ingredients and cooked it in the crockpot and served it with spaghetti. Chris loved it. I hope it likes it when I make it the way the recipe is actually written. Time will tell.
1 tsp. olive oil
2 C. sliced mushrooms (I may go light here, Chris is not a huge fan of mushrooms)
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 (3/4 inch thick) pork loin chops
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 C. chopped onion
1 14.5oz. can diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C. water, if necessary
1 large green pepper, cut into 6 slices
Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in mushrooms, cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops, browning on both sides., 7 to 10 minutes. Place the pork chops on a plate, then drain all but 1 tbsp. of drippings from the skillet. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the tomatoes, then season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Transfer pork chops back to the skillet; cover and simmer until the pork chops are tender and no longer pink in the center, about 45 minutes. Stir in some water if the mixture becomes too dry. Place the bell pepper on top of the pork, then add the reserved mushrooms. Continue to simmer until the bell pepper is tender; 5 to 10 minutes.
1 tsp. olive oil
2 C. sliced mushrooms (I may go light here, Chris is not a huge fan of mushrooms)
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 (3/4 inch thick) pork loin chops
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 C. chopped onion
1 14.5oz. can diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C. water, if necessary
1 large green pepper, cut into 6 slices
Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in mushrooms, cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops, browning on both sides., 7 to 10 minutes. Place the pork chops on a plate, then drain all but 1 tbsp. of drippings from the skillet. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the tomatoes, then season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Transfer pork chops back to the skillet; cover and simmer until the pork chops are tender and no longer pink in the center, about 45 minutes. Stir in some water if the mixture becomes too dry. Place the bell pepper on top of the pork, then add the reserved mushrooms. Continue to simmer until the bell pepper is tender; 5 to 10 minutes.
Jam Kolaches
I don't think I have ever met a person that doesn't like kolaches...even if they are spelled kolackys. I haven't made them in eons and worked through my recipes and didn't find the one I used in the past so I did some research and came up with this one. My own person preference would be to only have apricot ones. Now I have nothing against raspberry or cherry but I am NOT a fan of prune so you probably won't ever get a prune one from me. Sorry prune lovers!
1/2 C. butter, softened
3oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 C. jam of your choice
1/4 C sifted confectioners' sugar
Beat butter and cream cheese in mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition.
Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2 inch circles. Spoon 1/4 tsp. jam into center of each circle. Fold opposite ends together; slightly overlapping edges and pinch.
Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
1/2 C. butter, softened
3oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 C. jam of your choice
1/4 C sifted confectioners' sugar
Beat butter and cream cheese in mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition.
Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2 inch circles. Spoon 1/4 tsp. jam into center of each circle. Fold opposite ends together; slightly overlapping edges and pinch.
Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
Pomegranate Chipotle Pulled Pork
I had some friends over the other night for dinner. I made pulled pork sandwiches using the Pomegranate Chipotle Grilling Sauce from Tastefully Simple and added some Jack Daniels Honey Barbecue sauce and water to the mixture. The whole mixture was just a shade over a cup. I placed a 3lb pork loin roast in the crockpot and poured the sauce mixture over the roast. I cooked it on low for 8 hours (6 hours on high). The roast actually got a crush because there wasn't too much liquid. My guests ate the sandwiches without additional barbecue sauce; the meat didn't really need it!
Always be sure to reserve your cooking liquid. I use it to re-warm the meat as I cooked it ahead of the dinner party. Warm the liquid on the stove top until boiling. Pour it over shredded meat in a baking pan and put it in a warm oven (300 degrees or so) for about 40 minutes to heat meat through. Serve on soft rolls.
Always be sure to reserve your cooking liquid. I use it to re-warm the meat as I cooked it ahead of the dinner party. Warm the liquid on the stove top until boiling. Pour it over shredded meat in a baking pan and put it in a warm oven (300 degrees or so) for about 40 minutes to heat meat through. Serve on soft rolls.
Caprese Party Picks
One of my coworkers made caprese salad for our Christmas potluck a couple of weeks ago and the flavors were so vibrant, it tasted like summertime. I wanted to do a finger food for New Years in the same theme. So, I went to the Poot...Caputos for those who aren't local or listen to stories about "the boy". Tomatoes don't really have great flavor this time of year but I was hoping to get lucky.
I used grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella (orrichette shaped). I used party picks bought at Party City that are about 3 inches long with little plastic streamer type things on the top but any party picks will do. Cheese, basil, tomato, basil, cheese, basil, tomato is how I threaded each pick. You can eat them plain or drizzle with some balsamic.
I was pleased with the flavor considering it is the middle of winter...can't wait to see how they taste during summer!
I used grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella (orrichette shaped). I used party picks bought at Party City that are about 3 inches long with little plastic streamer type things on the top but any party picks will do. Cheese, basil, tomato, basil, cheese, basil, tomato is how I threaded each pick. You can eat them plain or drizzle with some balsamic.
I was pleased with the flavor considering it is the middle of winter...can't wait to see how they taste during summer!
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