Gingerbread Granola {Christmas Tray 2012}

As you can tell, I kind of have a thing for granola (and I have passed it on to Noah). We got addicted to all of Trader Joe’s granola but since we had never had a TJ’s in town (until now, mwhahaha) I always liked to make it homemade to snack on. We like it plain, vanilla flavored and especially this holiday gingerbread granola.

I made so many cookies and candies this year that I thought it would be nice to include something really different. Breakfast was the perfect solution and granola automatically popped into my head. And what says Christmas more than gingerbread?

The maple syrup, molasses and ginger all combine to create the perfect gingerbread taste. The crystallized ginger added a nice chewiness to the crunchy texture of the oats and nuts. A totally yummy treat for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Gingerbread Granola
recipe from Disney Family

4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup blanched, slivered almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup molasses
1/3 cup oil
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Mix oats and almonds together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, molasses and oil.

3. Pour sugar and oil mixture over the oats and stir well, making sure everything is evenly coated.

4. Pour into a greased 13×9 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

5. Let cool completely, stir in crystallized ginger and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Creamy Cheesy Potatoes

Life has been hectic around here but good. We painted rooms this past weekend. I should post before and after pictures….Noah’s room used to be camouflage sponge painted…NOT.GOOD. We are working on a navy blue and white chevron feature wall instead. Much better.

I’m going to keep this short so I can get back to business. These potatoes are simply the best, most delicious and easy side dish. They only require 4 ingredients (not counting the salt and pepper). You couldn’t really ask for more in a holiday side dish (or any time of the year).

I was a little skeptical when I tried this recipe because it just didn’t seem like there was enough to it but I was totally wrong. The cream gets thick and bubbly while the cheese gets ooey gooey delicious. I could pretty much eat them every day if my pants would allow it.

Creamy Cheesy Potatoes
recipe from Get Off Your Butt and Bake

About 5 – large potatoes (or enough to fill a 9×13 glass baking dish)

1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. parsley flakes

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1. Cut your potatoes into thin french fry strips and then lay them in a 9×13 glass pan.

2. Pour all of the cream over the top of the potatoes then salt and pepper them generously. Sprinkle at least 2 cups grated cheddar cheese over the top and sprinkle parsley flakes on top of the cheese.  Cover with foil, and poke a fork through the top of the foil 2 or 3 times to allow a little steam to escape.

3. Cook at 400 degrees for about 1 hour, 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies {Christmas Tray 2012}

We are closing on our new home today and I will officially be a Nebraska resident again! I don’t think you understand how much this excites me! Especially after the week we just had. Of course, Fargo had to send us off with one last bit of nasty weather. I was feeling all sad and everything about packing and leaving and getting mail for the new owners when it was still MY house but that weather put it into perspective and left me saying “adios suckers, I’m out.” Well, I try to talk big and bad but it was still incredibly hard to leave. Shutting the door for the last time, ugh. I was not a pretty sight.

I have been having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year with all that we have had going on with the move but when I whipped up these cookies I felt a little bit more cheery. The smell of peppermint filled the house while these are baking which always reminds me of Christmas. And now that we are officially in Nebraska, we get to decorate a tree (my parents waited to put theirs up so that Noah and I could help) so that will totally fix me. I was majorly bummed that we didn’t get to put ours up this year.

Although I loved these cookies (they taste like a white chocolate version of thin mints), they were a bit to crispy for me but I prefer a soft, chewy cookie. The flavors of peppermint, cocoa and white chocolate were pretty heavenly together making this recipe a huge keeper. I may roll out the dough a little less next time so that they have a bit of chew to them but that’s really the only change I would make. Not only are they delish but they are really festive and pretty! Try them….you will like them!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
recipe from My Madison Bistro

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup fine sugar
1 large whole egg, plus 1 large yolk
3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
4 large candy canes, crushed (or Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips)
1 pound white chocolate or confectioners’ coating, coarsely chopped

1. In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients.

2. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium until fluffy, about 4 minutes. On medium-low, add egg, then yolk, until blended. Beat in peppermint extract. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just mixed.

3. Divide dough into 2 and place dough on sheets of plastic wrap. Shape dough into disks, wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour (up to 2 days).

4. Lightly flour surface and roll out one disk to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2 inch circle (I used 3 inch because my other cutters were already packed), cut into rounds and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Reroll dough scraps and cut remaining rounds.

5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 9-12 minutes. Transfer parchment to cooling rack; cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. Place candy canes in a plastic bag and bang away with a kitchen mallet until the candy is crushed. Or if you are lazy like me, use Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.

7. Melt white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Dunk cookies half way into chocolate. Use a fork to brush excess from cookie bottom, then transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the cookies with the candy cane chunks.

8, Refrigerate baking sheets until set (3 hours). Serve immediately, or freeze.

Cake Batter Sugar Cookies {Christmas Tray 2012}

I love me some sugar cookies. Whether they are rolled, cut and frosted or simple dropped on a sheet and baked they are my absolute favorite type of cookie. So sugar cookies combined with a cake batter flavor are right up my alley of course.

I also love sprinkles…they make everything happy and much cuter. Am I right? And the cookies are mini too so it’s double the adorableness.

These cookies were easy to whip up and as they came together, I totally got whiffs of cake batter heaven. The cake batter flavor comes from the butter extract rather than a cake mix which is nice for a change. Not that I have anything against store-bought cake mixes because I do love using them as a starting point in recipes.

I had a big variety of Christmas sprinkles so I dumped in a little bit of everything (nonpareils, jimmies and colored sugars) and they turned out perfect and incredibly festive!

Cake Batter Sugar Cookies
recipe from Sally Baking Addiction

4 tbsp (1/4 cup) butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp butter extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup colorful sprinkles
1/4 cup sprinkles, for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat.  Set aside. Pour 1/4 cup sprinkles onto a plate to use for rolling.  Set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment.  Beat in egg yolk, butter extract, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.  Dough will be thick. Gently mix in sprinkles.

3. Roll dough in teaspoon size balls.  Make sure that the balls are tall, rather than wide.  The taller the cookie dough ball, the thicker the cookie will be.  Roll the dough balls into the reserved sprinkles and bake for 9-10 minutes. Watch them closely at the 9 minute mark to assure they do not brown.

4. Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely.

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies {Christmas Tray 2012}

So red velvet just screams Christmas to me and these cookies are the perfect for the holidays. They start with a cake mix so they are very simple to whip up. I seem to always reach for cake mix whenever it comes to red velvet.  I think it’s because on one of Joel’s birthdays when we were still dating, I tried to make a homemade red velvet cake. It didn’t end well. It had a weird tang and texture so I really don’t know how I messed it up but I haven’t tried to make it from scratch since. I probably should try since I have a food blog and all. We shall see.

These cookies are rich, dense and of course, gooey. I’m really glad I was giving them away to our friends because I really couldn’t have had these sitting around my house. I’m totally a stress eater and I’m starting to feel a tad overwhelmed with the move so I probably would have eaten the whole batch. Not so good for the dieting.

If you aren’t up for cookies, these cake balls are one of my favorite treats ever and were featured as a great Christmas treat last year with funfetti cake mix but my personal favorite is red velvet.

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
recipe from Taste and Tell

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box red velvet cake mix
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1, In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and the butter.  Beat in the egg, then the vanilla.  Beat in the cake mix until completely combined.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls.  Roll in confectioners’ sugar, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark {Christmas Tray 2012}

If you are on Pinterest, I’m sure you have seen this recipe floating around. The second I saw it, I knew it would have to be featured here for the Christmas Tray series! What is more perfect than pretzels, chocolate and salted caramel for Christmas?

I know this is the second salted caramel recipe I have shared for Christmas this year but it’s a huge favorite in our family (as well as pretzels) so I knew it would be a big hit. My parents watched Noah recently so I whipped this up for them as a thank you. I sampled it before giving it all to them. I had to be able to tell you all what it tasted like. Oh, the sacrifices I make for this blog.

This is another simple and quick recipe to whip up at Christmastime. It seriously only took about 15 minutes from start to finish (not counting the freezing time). Throw a big handful in a cute cellophane bag, tie it up with a ribbon and hand out the happiness.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark
recipe from Mama Say What?

½  bag of mini pretzel twists
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 bag of chocolate chips
Sea salt or table salt (I used coarse sea salt)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then line a large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and lay a single layer of pretzels down.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and the brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil gently just until it starts to stick to the bottom and it forms a nice smooth caramel. You’ll want to let it bubble a little and get really thick. Remove from heat and pour evenly over the top of the pretzels (don’t worry if every single pretzel isn’t covered).

3. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for five minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. You can let the caramel melt the chips, but I prefer to put it back in the oven for one minute. Spread the chocolate chips around with a spatula until mostly melted. Sprinkle generously with salt.

4. Let cool on the counter top for a few minutes and then pop in the freezer for at least two to three hours. When it comes out of the freezer, break it up into uneven chunks with your hands and serve.

Jello Cookies {Christmas Tray 2012}

When I saw these, I thought Noah would love making and playing with the dough. Turns out, he just wanted to eat the dough.


And do this.

And this too.

He did enjoy rolling them in the jello powder and flattening them on the baking sheet. There was a whole lot of “Noah do it” going on in our kitchen. He is totally at that stage. I’m glad he wants some independence but man, it’s annoying sometimes.

I guess these weren’t the best cookies to make for Christmas. I literally stood in front of the jello for like 5 minutes trying to decide what flavors to use. None of them were particularly Christmas-y but I was dying to make these so I had to make it work. I thought cranberry could work but who likes cranberry jello? Not me. I finally settled on lemon and black cherry…yellow and dark red seemed to say holiday to me.

I think the colors turned out for Christmas. Not typical green and red but still festive. They taste like zingy sugar cookies covered in the sour sugar from gummy worms. Yum!

Jello Cookies
recipe from I {Heart} Naptime

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
4 (3 oz) pkg. jello (any flavors)*
Gel food coloring

1. Beat butter in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

2. Divide dough into 4 sections. Sprinkle 2 Tb of jello onto each section. Knead together with dough. You may want to add a bit of food coloring to make the dough more vibrant (I had to, especially with the lemon).

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in the extra jello from the packets. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten with bottom of bowl.

4. Bake 8 to 10 min at 350 on lined baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets 2 min. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

*I only used 2 jello flavors so I doubled the amount of powder in each half (rather than fourths).

Crock Pot Peanut Clusters {Christmas Tray 2012} + An Announcement

I have a very exciting announcement to FINALLY make. After a lot of thought, prayer and consideration we decided to move to Nebraska. Joel accepted a position at a sports software company in Lincoln, Nebraska (where we both graduated from college). We are so unbelievably excited to be moving so close to our families. We will be 1 hour from my parents and brother (vs. 6 hours) and 3 hours from Joel’s parents (vs. 9 hours). We were incredibly lucky to sell our house in about 3 weeks and we found a new house in Lincoln.

Although we are ecstatic about moving, we are really going to miss this place that has become our home. We have made some amazing friends and found a great church family that we are going to be so sad to leave. This is where we started our married lives and it’s the only place we have called home together…it’s the only home Noah has ever known.

It really hasn’t hit me yet. We have started packing things here and there, set up mail forwarding and gotten moving estimates but it still doesn’t seem real. It’s less than a month away! I think the week before is when it will finally set in and when I close that door for the last time. Eeee, when I think of it that way then it gets emotional.

So, I’m sorry if this little piece of the internet that I rule has been lacking. I wrote a bunch of posts and set them to autopost so that you wouldn’t feel abandoned but it still feels lacking to me somewhat. I haven’t been cooking and experimenting as much; I’ve been trying to use up all the crap in my pantry and freezer that we don’t want to move. What that really means is that our meals have been easy and weird and boring and totally not blog-worthy. And I’ve been using a lot of shortcut and store-bought ingredients so that I don’t go and re-stock the pantry by accident. It’s been really hard and I’m really looking forward to getting settled into our new home so I can get back to my cooking routine. Plus my new kitchen is way better, yay! Well, except for the appliances and builders grade cabinets and ugly 90s light fixture. But that is all going to be fixed with stainless steel appliances (I just squealed a little, I’m so excited), painting of the cabinets (thanks mom in advance *wink wink*) and recessed lighting.

The month of December is going to be totally crazy for us, so you might not see as much of me. But please don’t worry, things will be back to normal very soon. I promise!

Now onto the recipe. I’ve had my eye on this recipe for awhile now and knew it would be perfect to try for Christmas this year. I have really been trying to provide a variety of Christmas treats this year so that you all have great options and aren’t bombarded with cookies (not that there is anything wrong with lots of cookies…they are our favorite around here).

These peanut clusters couldn’t have been easier. Noah dumped all the ingredients into the crock pot and turned it on. So, if a two year old can do it so can you! The only problem with the recipe was the waiting. Once he had dumped, he was ready for candy and didn’t understand why he couldn’t have candy NOW. Oh, the joys of toddlers! I finished them up while he napped so they could harden and would be ready when he woke up. What’s better than a little bit of chocolate after waking up? For him, nothing.

While it was great and classic with the peanuts, I personally prefer almonds with chocolate so next time I may do half peanuts, half almonds to mix it up. It would be great with some cashews or pecans thrown in there too.

Crock Pot Peanut Clusters
recipe from Trisha Yearwood via Redbook

2 lbs (36 oz) salted dry-roasted peanuts
4 oz (4 squares) German’s sweet  chocolate
1 12-oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2  cups)
2½ lbs white almond bark (I cut this along the perforated squares, doesn’t need to be small)

1. Put the peanuts in  the bottom of a 4-quart slow-cooker. Layer the chocolate over the peanuts,  beginning with the sweet chocolate, followed by the chocolate chips, and then  the almond bark. Set the temperature on low and cook for 3 hours. Do not stir  the mixture.

2. After 3 hours, stir the mixture with a wooden  spoon until smooth. Drop the candy into cupcake pan liners, using about 2  tablespoons per liner. Allow the candy to cool completely before removing the  cupcake liners. Makes 30 to 40 pieces.

Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies {Christmas Tray 2012}

Joel’s favorite cookie is the humble chocolate chip. I totally get it but as a food blogger it sometimes pains me to make them for him. They are just so plain and I am always trying to find ways to jazz them up because I just can’t leave well enough alone. I give in sometimes and simply make our old standby but for the Christmas tray, I just couldn’t do the standard ole’ thing. But because they are a favorite in our house, we had to have some kind of chocolate chip studded cookie. I searched through my millions of saved recipes and found these. The perfect compromise.

I love pistachios and since they are green, they are totally Christmas-y. Got it? Now if only I could find a way to make broccoli all Christmas-y, then we would be in business…but it wouldn’t be as much fun or nearly as delicious. Who needs veggies anyway?

The recipe uses a pistachio pudding mix to impart the delicious flavor and in addition, it adds an undeniable moist, chewy texture to the cookies. I can absolutely get behind chocolate chip cookies of this variety. And I know at Christmastime, I get all worked up trying be all fancy pants so it’s nice to have a simple and tasty recipe that can be whipped together in minutes to fill in the holes on that lovely tray!

Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe from The Baking Pan

3¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 small package (3.4 ounces) pistachio flavored instant pudding mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I used butter flavored shortening)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets: lightly grease with shortening or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and pudding mix; whisk together to mix. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar and butter; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add eggs; beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in milk and vanilla. Add sifted flour mixture; stir until mixed. Add walnuts and chocolate chips; stir to mix.

4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until cookies are set and edges are very lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Salted Caramel Thumbprints {Christmas Tray 2012}

I know I’m starting the Christmas baking a little later this year but don’t worry, there will be lots of ideas for your Christmas cookie trays. Like these delicious gems. Joel’s very favorite Christmas cookie is the traditional jam thumbprint cookie. I have never been a big fan of them but always make them for him, they just seem like a requirement at Christmastime for our family. Last year I decided to try an updated version and they were a huge hit. So why not continue with the unique updates and fill them with caramel instead?

When I stumbled across this recipe, I knew it was one that I would have to try when my dad was around. He is a caramel lover and I immediately thought of him when I saw these. My mom loves shortbread and tried one before they were filled with caramel and loved them. I think I will use the cookie recipe to make shortbread cookies in the future.

Needless to say, they were absolutely amazing and we devoured them rather quickly. The dough is a bit crumbly and it’s hard to not have cracks in the cookies so they aren’t super attractive but the taste totally makes up for their bumpy, lumpy appearance.

Have you noticed that my photos took a turn for the worse? Yep, my external flash is not working with my umbrella at the moment so the quality of lighting has become questionable…because I still don’t know how to perfectly work that darn camera. So, sorry about that.

Salted Caramel Thumbprints
recipe from This Week for Dinner

Cookies:
1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Caramel:
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. ream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla (if you have a stand mixer, use paddle attachment). In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a log, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take out the fridge and cut into 16 equal slices.

2. Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Hold the cookie steady with one hand and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Jane note: again, the dough was pretty crumbly, even when I had them shaped into balls. I had to sort of press each cookie down and shape it into a circle, then press the indentations in. A note on the indentations – I thought the cracked edges would be pretty, but the caramel oozed out of the cracks, so try not to have too many of cracks. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until they’re just a little golden brown on the sides. Let cookies cool. While they’re cooling, make the caramel.

3. Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat to a dark caramel, swirling as it begins to brown to distribute the sugar. While the sugar and water are going at it, heat up the cream in a saucepan or microwave just until warm. Take off the heat and add your room temperature butter. Whisk the butter in, being sure it’s totally combined. Add your warmed cream and whisk vigorously.

4. Spoon a teaspoon of warm caramel into the indentations of your cookies and top with sea salt. You can eat right away or let sit for 2 hours so the caramel sets.

Makes 16 cookies