A Mixed Bag of Nuts, Hopes & Dreams for the New Year©

SPICY MIXED NUTS AND SPINACH CON QUESO WITH WARM TORTILLA CHIPS

New Year's Eve Spicy Mixed Nuts

It's almost time to wrap up the holidays for this year. I hope that each of you celebrated with loved ones and that you've all maintained good health. It seems that every year they (the holidays, not the loved ones) sneak up on us more quickly than the last. But I guess that’s part of the aging process. Time passes more and more quickly, or at least it seems like it. The weeks and months fly by, and before you know it, another year is behind you. I think that is why I am a firm believer in making every minute count—you never know how many more you have left. When I turned fifty, I told my sons and their families that the extravagant Christmases were over. The best gift I could give to them, and that they could give to me was time. Time spent together is not something you can buy. It is not something that will break and be discarded with yesterday’s trash. It is, however, something that can live on in memories and photographs, and cherished forever.

They say that there is nothing more permanent than change, and that nothing else meets with more resistance. I’ve often wondered why that is. As a child, change is met with mixed emotions. Most children can’t wait to grow up as it seems that adults have all the privileges. “When I grow up, I’m going to . . . .” Yet children need the security of knowing that their world is safe. When we’re adults, we’re hesitant to see the boat rocked by change. Many times change in the workplace signals downsizing, rightsizing, and loss of jobs. Too often we become comfortable with the status quo; it’s predictable, secure. There’s comfort in knowing what to expect. But change is inevitable; it is the only thing that brings progress.

Big changes happened for me in 2012. After suffering a slight stroke several years ago, and as is typical of many people as we age and lose loved ones, I've come to realize that my family is more important than a career, and that relationships are more important than possessions. For those reasons, I moved from Ohio to Florida. For the first time since I was 12, I'm not working at a "real job." At this point in my life, I'm fortunate that I can kick back, enjoy life and do what I want to do. My children are grown, there are no more orthodontist payments to make, college educations to finance, pensions to fund, or mortgages to pay. But because I'm not old enough or ready yet to retire, I'm evaluating the coming year and what it might have in store for me. My “past life” included jobs ranging from clerical staff in our church office at the age of 12 to litigation attorney, from college professor to private investigator and from catering and teaching cooking classes to freelance writing. It may sound like a diversity of careers, but what they all have in common is that they're all service oriented positions. I love working with, and helping people. As I've gotten older, I've narrowed the area of service, however, to things I really enjoy, i.e., teaching, cooking and writing. I don't miss the rat race, the stress or the overhead. I do miss the people. But with the audience I'm reaching with my little articles, I couldn't be happier. I envision a classroom out there and an audience that is interested in what I have to say. That makes my day, everyday, and I thank you for following my blog postings.

So what will 2013 bring? What hopes and dreams do I have for the coming year? Aside from the standard ones like good health to everyone, peace in the world, freedom from debilitating illnesses and diseases, safety in all you do, and success in all your endeavors, I have a few more. We have a new baby coming in our family. In February, my first Great-Grandchild will be born. Yes, you don't have to say it, but I know you're thinking it: I'm really too young to be a Great-Grandmother. But since no one asked me my opinion as to whether I thought I was old enough to have a Great-Grandson, I'm just going with it! I hope that he is healthy, has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and is not a difficult birth for his mother. To his parents, I wish joy as parents, and in enlarging their family. May they continue to provide a loving, supportive home for their children and for each other. To his half-sister, I wish a loving sibling relationship. There will be the typical sibling rivalry, but in the end, most of us would admit that it is wonderful to have siblings.

For my Grandson who is graduating in May, I wish success in pursuing his degree and in acceptance to Graduate School in Psychology, and in all that he does. I am sure that he will go far in whatever career he eventually chooses, but it can't hurt to wish him success and hope that he will meet and surpass even his highest dreams. To my Granddaughters, I wish continued success in their schooling and in their musical and athletic ambitions. I wish them a smooth road through puberty and into adulthood. I wish all my Grandchildren happiness in whatever and however they decide to live their lives. I hope that they will not have to suffer disappointments, failures, and hardships; but on the other hand, these experiences build strong character, and if it has to be, so be it.

For my two Sons and their Wives, I wish continued success, happiness, love and joy in their relationships with each other and their families. Although my Sons live across the country from each other, I hope that they will continue to build and maintain a close, loving relationship with each other. I think that as parents all we really want to see for our children is their happiness and contentment in their lives. Any expectations that I might have had when they were young were only that: my expectations. Those fell by the wayside years ago when I realized that I had two beautiful, intelligent Sons who were fully capable of knowing what they wanted, and how they were going to achieve it. As their Mother, I couldn't ask for any more. I am very blessed.

The recipes I'm providing today wrap up my holiday series for this year. Next month we're going to start tackling some Classic Comfort Foods--winter selections like Soups and Breads. However, the recipes I am sharing with you today bring the year's entertainment season to a close. And what better way than by ending the year with a New Year's Eve party ushering out the old and bringing in the new. Hence, the mixed bag of nuts in the recipe for Spicy Mixed Nuts below. Now, some of you who know me may think I'm referring to myself, as I've been told on more than one occasion that I'm nuts, and frankly, to me that's a compliment! In reality, I'm referring to the variety of nuts you'll want to choose when making this nibble to place by your bar or beverage station. I must confess, this is not my recipe. However, it is one that I swear by, as I have been serving it seemingly since forever during the holidays, and at parties all year round. I've adapted it simply by adding less salt than the original recipe calls for. In fact, if I use already-salted nuts and salted butter, I do not use the Kosher Salt at all. The basic recipe (only 1/4 the quantity of the one I've given you below) is from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins ©1984, 1985 by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins (one of my go-to books for entertaining and recipes for years).¹ I believe I've served these nuts every Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year since I first bought the Cookbook in 1985. They have just enough spice to make a perfect accompaniment to beverages and whet the appetite, and just enough protein to soothe your guilt. As for the Queso Recipe, this is also a knock off that I've tweaked over the years. Because one of my very favorite appetizers of all time is J Alexander's Spinach con Queso with fresh, warm tortilla chips, I've worked at trying to duplicate it. I think the one I'm giving you today is pretty close. If you're like I am, I could make a meal from these two hors'd oeuvres. Add to them the Antipasti platter and Cheese Straws from my previous posting and you've got an easy party for at least 25 guests!

And finally, for you and your loved ones in the coming year, I wish you good health, happiness, and great success in all you do. May all your hopes and dreams be realized in 2013! Happy New Year and Thank You for reading!

©2012 A Mixed Bag of Nuts, Hopes and Dreams for the New Year by Kathy Striggow

NEW YEAR'S EVE SPICY MIXED NUTS¹

Spicy Mixed Nuts--A  Perfect Accompaniment
to your Bar or Beverage Station!

Yield: 6 cups   
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes


Ingredients

½ cup Unsalted Butter

¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

2 tsp. Celery Salt

2 tsp. Garlic Powder

½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp. Seasoned Salt

6 cup Roasted Mixed Nuts (Whole Cashews, Whole Almonds, Pecan Halves, English Walnut Halves, Whole Hazelnuts)², Unsalted

3 Tbsp. Coarse Kosher Salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line 2 baking sheets with Parchment Paper.

2. Melt the butter in Dutch oven over low heat.

3. All the Worcestershire, spices and seasoned salt (NOT the Kosher salt).

4.Simmer over low heat so that the flavors combine, approximately 5-10 minutes.

5.Add the nuts and stir until evenly coated.

Stir the Nuts Occasionally Throughout the
Baking Process

6. Spread the coated nuts evenly on the parchment paper lined baking sheets in a single layer and bake for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan or turning the nuts occasionally. Watch the nuts so that they do NOT burn.



7. Remove the nuts from the oven and coat with the kosher salt.

8. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

9. If desired, warm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.

¹Courtesy of the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julie Rosso & Sheila Lukins ©1984, 1985 by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins

²I personally do not like peanuts, so I don't use them. But if you do, feel free to add whole peanuts to the mix!

Spinach con Queso with Warm Tortilla Chips

Spinach con Queso with Warm Tortilla Chips

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 tsp. Olive Oil

2-3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

1 bunch Scallions, including Green Tops, finely sliced

1 large or 2 small Jalapeno Peppers, seeds removed and finely minced

1 lb. Velveeta Mexican Cheese (cubed)

12 ounces Cream Cheese, cubed then softened

2 packages (10 oz.) Frozen Creamed Spinach

3 Ripe Tomatoes, finely diced³

1/2 cup fresh Cilantro OR Parsley (or a combination of both), finely snipped (I Prefer parsley)

White Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

¼ to ½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper or to taste (optional)

Thin, Salted Tortilla Chips, Warmed for Serving

Fresh Pico de Gallo, if desired, as an accompaniment to the Queso

Directions

1.         Heat olive over medium heat.  Add garlic, scallions and pepper and sauté until soft, not browned.  Set aside.

2.         Place cheeses in a Microwave-safe Bowl and Microwave for 2 minutes, or until cheeses begin to melt.

3.         Stir the cheeses, then return to the Microwave and continue heating for another minute.  Stir the cheeses again.

4.         Repeat this process until the cheeses have completely melted.Stir to make sure cheeses are completely incorporated into each other.

5.         When the cheeses are completely melted, place spinach in the Microwave and cook according to the package directions for 2 packages.

6.         When the spinach is completely heated through, add to the mixture of cheeses.

7.         Return to the Microwave and cook for another minute.

8.         Remove from Microwave and stir in tomatoes, cilantro, parsley or mixture of both, and seasonings, making sure to adjust seasoning to taste.

9.         Transfer the Queso to a chafing dish that has been warmed with hot water, and keep warm over a low flame.

10.       Serve the Queso with Thin, Salted Tortilla Chips that have been warmed, and fresh Pico de Gallo, if desired.

11.       Think of a New Year's dream with every bite!

³If you're running short on time and want to take a shortcut, 2 cans of canned diced tomatoes with chiles well in place of the fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, etc. It's not a bad substitute.

©2012 A Mixed Bag of Nuts, Hopes and Dreams for the New Year by Kathy Striggow

©2012 A Mixed Bag of Nuts, Hopes and Dreams for the New Year by Kathy Striggow

©Spinach con Queso with Warm Tortilla Chips by Kathy Striggow

 



Don't Get Tart with Me! Alma's Miniature Pecan Pies©

For some reason I associate Pecans with the holidays. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps because when I was a little girl Santa always left whole nuts (Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Almonds, and Pecans) in our Stockings, and Pecans were my favorite. Maybe it is because when I held those Pecans I liked feeling the smooth texture of their shells. Or it could be that as I grew older and Thanksgiving time drew near, I anticipated the Pecan Pie more than the Pumpkin Pie. And once I started doing my own holiday baking, I found that I preferred the flavor of Pecans in my recipes over any other nut. Granted, some recipes just don't taste right without Walnuts or Hazelnuts; and I love eating Walnuts, Almonds, and Cashews, especially whole. But for baking, Pecans win the prize. And since I do more baking during the month of December than any other month of the year, I purchase more Pecans at that time.

The first year I was married, I was introduced to an entire new world of what I classify simply as "Christmas Cookies." I was familiar with the cookies my Mother and Grandmothers made as they rarely varied their selections from year to year. Once in a while my Mother tried a new recipe that she saw in a magazine or was given by a friend. But there was no guarantee that we'd see it again the next year. So when I was invited to do Christmas Cookie baking with my Mother-in-Law (Alma) and her mother (Annie), I jumped at the chance to learn some new recipes. In my opinion, baking Christmas Cookies is one of those comforting activities that really help get you in the Christmas spirit. I always have the Christmas Tree and decorations up by then so before I get started, I make sure the tree is lit and the Christmas Carols are playing.   If I have a fireplace, I start a fire, then turn on the oven, pull out the butter, sugar, flour, and eggs and open my recipe file to begin.  Both Alma and Annie were of pure German descent, so I assumed that the cookies we were going to make were from German recipes. But that was not so. I found that some were English, some American, and there was even one that I recently learned was a popular Danish Christmas Cut-out Cookie. And many of them called for Pecans!

 

Each cookie has its own flavor and attributes, so I can't really say that I have a favorite. I make the ones that my family expects to see from year to year and always throw in a few new ones for variety. If my family really likes the new ones, I'll add them to the list for the following year. I make some that have been in my family for generations, some of Alma's and some that were from Annie's family.   I don't make nearly as many cookies as my Mother made when I was growing up. My family is not as large, and storage is a problem. And I tend to make the ones that are not as labor intensive and yield a good number of cookies rather than the more time-consuming varieties so that we have a nice selection. My Mother did not work outside our home until I was in college, so she had more time to devote to her holiday baking than I do. My Mother also had 8 willing little hands to help her (probably more than she really wanted at times), whereas once my boys reached a certain age, they had no interest in Christmas Cookie baking.  They did, however, like the fact that during December there was almost always something baking when they arrived home from school, and after I started working, while they were doing their homework at the kitchen table in the evening.  When I took a few days' vacation time right before Christmas to finish all the baking, our kitchen looked like a bakery and smelled heavenly. Today both my sons enjoy baking Christmas Cookies, and I have passed my recipes collected from various sources on to them. I know that whether I'm making a recipe that was my Mother's, Alma's or Annie's, I am drawn back to my childhood and young adult years and the times we shared when we gathered together for baking days. I remember my boys in their playpens watching the baking activity in wide-eyed amazement as we produced batch after batch of the delicious treats.  And I long to return to the years when they stood on stools helping me make and decorate their favorite cut-out varieties. Those are an integral part of my Christmas memories and I treasure them.

Today I'm sharing Alma's recipe for Miniature Pecan Pies. I've seen them called Pecan Tarts and Pecan Tassies, but really I think they are all pretty much the same.  The first time I had one of these flaky crusted sweet treats I remember thinking that it was wonderful that the essence of Pecan Pie was captured in a two-bite treat. It was also wonderful that they had fewer calories and were not as sweet as an entire piece of Pecan Pie. When we baked these for the first time in 1972 and for many years thereafter, I never saw anything like them in bakeries, stores or specialty food shops.    I didn't even know anyone who had a similar recipe.  Then in the 1980s they began springing up everywhere. I don't know if those other recipes are similar, because I've never really checked.  I like this recipe because it has a cream cheese crust that makes it flakier than regular pie crust.  I have always used Alma's recipe.  In fact, I have used it so much that the ink has faded on the index card where I wrote the recipe forty years ago this month. And some of the words have smeared from butter and the filling mixture.  It doesn't really matter since I long ago memorized the ingredients. But just in case, I recorded it on my computer so that my Grandchildren will have it even when my memory starts diminishing more than it has already. 

 

I have a few suggestions about your technique for this recipe. First, don't make the crust or shell too thick. You should have no trouble achieving the indicated yield if you stick to a crust that isn't too thick.  If you make the crust too thick, the bottoms will not bake thoroughly in the stated baking time and you will end up with a bottom crust that is soggy and slimy. If you extend the baking time, the tops will become too brown or will burn. 

Second, there is now a kitchen tool available for forming the crust in the miniature muffin tins, whereas for many years I formed them by hand. I purchased my miniature-tart shaper from The Pampered Chef® [www.pamperedchef.com], although I am sure you can find them in other stores that carry baking and pastry utensils (see photo below).  It is an invaluable tool. You can still make them by hand, but you will achieve a more uniform end product and save yourself unnecessary grief, time and elbow grease by using a tool like this. 

 

My third suggestion is critical for achieving a beautiful little pastry and a perfect tasting miniature pie.  Do NOT mix the filling with a mixer. When you use a mixer (stand, hand or egg-beater) the filling forms tiny air bubbles.  Then, when the filling is poured into the crust, although it may look like it is full, in reality it is mostly air, not filling.  It's sort of the soda pop in a Styrofoam cup effect. There are lots of bubbles at the top of the cup, but not much soda below. The same principle applies here; when you fill the crust with the filling, most of it is only air bubbles.  Then, when you bite into the pastry, there will be a "sinkhole" between the crusty looking top and the actual filling. All those air bubbles pop during the baking process, and the filling shrinks, leaving the crusted foam on the top.  It does not give you the desired result of scrumptious little pecan pies but rather leaves the filling with a gritty taste.  You can see from the photo above how the top is foamy looking and the filling has shrunk.

Fourth, if you seem to be running out of filling before you have filled all the crusts, simply add a little more melted butter, vanilla and dark corn syrup to the remaining filling mixture. You will not be able to tell the difference in the finished miniature pies. 

Finally, there is an art to putting the right amount of filling into each crust. When they are finished baking, you should be able to easily remove each little pie from the tin. If you over fill the crust, the filling will run over and cause the little pie to stick to the tin;  it may even burn.  You will end up digging its crumbling goodness out of the tin with a knife.  Fill the crust to a point just below the rolled top of the crust.   Each pastry should release easily from its cup.  I have never used non-stick cooking spray in the tins, and if the crusts are filled properly you shouldn't have to either.  

These really are a breeze to make if you follow through with my suggestions. And don't think these reserved just for a holiday treat. I make them all year round. They travel well to picnics, potlucks and just about anywhere.  I can guarantee they will be a hit where ever you serve them.  I hope you will give them a try if you've never before made them. I think you will be glad you did. 
 

©2012 The Cook in Me: Don't Get Tart with Me! by Kathy Striggow

Alma's Miniature Pecan Pies

Yield:  24 individual miniature pies
 

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup unsalted Butter, at room temperature
8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
2¼ cups All-Purpose Flour

For the Filling: 3 cups Light Brown Sugar 4 Large Eggs (Make sure they're at least large—today what are marked as large are really medium, and if they're too small you won't yield the right amount of filling) 2 Tbsps. Unsalted Butter, melted 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 Tbsp. Flour 2 cups Pecans, halved (or chopped into rough pieces, your preference) Confectioners' Sugar for dusting Directions For the Dough: 1. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese. 2. Add the flour and mix on low until all the flour is incorporated. 3. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour or overnight. 4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 5. Roll the dough into large walnut-sized balls. 6. Place the balls into the miniature muffin cups and working one at a time, press the ball down in the center with a mini-tart shaper. Or, if you don't have one, flatten the ball in the palm of your hand until it is large enough to fit in a muffin cup. 7. Gently press the dough into the muffin cup and either roll the top edge or pinch the top to create a fluted edge. 8. Repeat with the remaining balls. For the Filling: 1. Mix together the brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, flour and pecans. Pour evenly into crusts. 2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are set. 3. Cool for a few minutes in the muffin cups and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. 4. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. 5. Store the miniature pies in an airtight container. ©2012 The Cook in Me: Don't Get Tart with Me!  Alma's Miniature Pecan Pies by Kathy Striggow

Pecans Roasting on an Open Fire: Thumbprints©

I married into a family that had two amazing cooks. One was my husband's mother, and the other was his maternal grandmother. Because my father-in-law's mother, Nellie, was quite elderly when we started dating, and moved to a nursing home shortly after we married, I never had the opportunity to taste her cooking. One of her legacies to me however, and that I still have to this day, was her 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book©¹. Of course, the metal center is rusted, the pages are now disintegrating and pulling out of the loose leaf binding, and some of the index pages have disappeared. But I treasure that book and know that I will never throw it away. Written on the pages of the recipes she had made are her handwritten notes: "Ed didn't like," and "needs more salt" or "too much marjoram." I can visualize her in her little ruffled apron jotting down her suggestions for additions or changes to the recipes, and critiques of the dishes she made. Those notes make me smile whenever I see them, and keep her alive in my memories.

Nellie was a small woman. She stood about 5 feet tall with heels on, and she weighed about 95 pounds soaking wet. This always amazed me because the story goes that my father-in-law was a very large baby (over 12 pounds) and that the only way they could weigh him was on a meat scale! We'll never know whether that was a true story or not, but it hurts me just to think about how she got that big baby out of such a small body! She was always immaculately dressed, and regardless of the season, she never went anywhere without wearing a hat and gloves. Not a hat and gloves for the weather but rather fancy, stylish ones. I grew up during the 1950s and 1960s, and it wasn't that common to see women wearing hats and gloves unless they were going to church. My mother never wore a hat or gloves. I remember my sisters and me wearing them only to church on Easter Sunday, but that was about the only time I had the need for a bonnet or a pair of white gloves. Even before I knew who she was, I can recall Nellie standing on the corner of the block where I grew up waiting to take the bus downtown. She was always all dressed up and wore her hat and gloves. This was in an age when it was considered a special occasion to go "downtown," and people dressed up for the trip. These are about the only memories I actually have of Nellie; the rest I learned through stories from my husband and in-laws.

I love that old Betty Crocker Cook Book©. It has old fashioned pictures and "How-to" instructions for beginners. It also has a dictionary of special and foreign terms like, "éclair" and "ravioli;" terms that we don't even think of being foreign words anymore. It was a great book for a beginning cook like I was when I inherited it from Nellie. I considered it my bible for home cooking. I found a lot of recipes in that book that I still make today. I also made a lot of the recipes that she did; many times I would try something just because she had made it. That's probably one of the reasons that the pages started disintegrating. Sadly, one day I noticed that the pages were crumbling in my hands. I began to worry that the cookbook would eventually turn to dust and I wouldn't be able to pass it on to my daughters-in-law or my grandchildren. That was heartbreaking to me. If it disappeared, those constant reminders of Nellie would eventually disappear as well. So I curtailed some of my use of the book, and began copying the recipes onto my computer instead. If I didn't have the actual cookbook, perhaps I could still save the recipes.

But, alas! In the summer of 2003 when my family and I were driving to White Birch Lodge in Elk Rapids, Michigan for our annual pilgrimage to the lake, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Monroe, Michigan for breakfast. Lo and behold, when I looked through the glass as I approached the entrance, I saw what looked like the same cookbook on display. Could it be? I couldn't get through that door fast enough! Forget about breakfast—there was something more important in that restaurant than food! After I nearly knocked down everyone in front of me, I made it to the display. The book looked exactly the same (well, except that the cover on mine had faded and the binding was falling apart). I picked up the book and held my breath as I opened it. Sure enough, it was a reprint of the first edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book©²! I can't tell you what I had for breakfast that day. And I can't tell you how the weather was at the lake that week. I can't even tell you whether we took any guests with us that year. But I can tell you that I bought that cookbook and it, together with Nellie's original, shares a place of honor in my kitchen on my cookbook shelves.

One of the recipes from the book that I make at this time every year is Thumbprint Cookies. And as with almost every recipe that I've made over the years, I've altered it from the original version. Not because there was anything wrong with original; it's just that I've adapted it to my own taste. I prefer finely ground pecans mixed into the dough instead of rolling the balls of dough into the nuts before baking. And I add the whole egg to the dough because you don't need to roll the balls in the egg white if you're not going to roll them in the nuts. And I add about ¼ tsp. almond extract to the dough in addition to the vanilla extract. I also prefer filling the 'thumbprint" with tinted Buttercream Icing flavored with almond extract because that is the way I have made them since the first Christmas I was married. These cookies are so simple to make that you might find you'll want to put them on your Christmas Cookie list every year. In fact, I make them in quadruple batches because they're small and they disappear very quickly at our house. Because after all, It just isn't Christmas without Thumbprints!

¹Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book ©1950, General Mills, Inc.

²Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book ©1950, General Mills, Inc., reprinted 1998 by Wiley Publishing, Inc. and General Mills.

© 2012 The Cook in Me: Pecans Roasting on an Open Fire by Kathy Striggow

Thumbprints

Yield:  About 2 dozen 1-1/2 inch cookies             

Ingredients         

For Cookies:

½ cup soft Shortening (half butter)³

¼ cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp. Almond Extract
1 cup All Purpose Flour
¼ tsp. Salt
¾ cup finely chopped Pecans

For Buttercream Icing:

2 cups sifted Confectioners' Sugar

¼ cup softened Butter
2 Tbsp. Warm Water, more or less
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
½ tsp. Almond Extract
Red and Green Food Coloring (or other colors of your choice)

Directions

1.     Heat oven to 375° F.

2.     Cream together shortening, butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3.     Mix in egg, vanilla and almond extracts and blend well.
4.     Sift together the flour and salt and stir into the creamed mixture together with the pecans.
5.     Roll the dough into 1" balls. 
6.     Place about 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet. (There is no leavening agent in the dough so the cookies will not spread that much while baking.)
7.     Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
8.     Quickly press your thumb gently into the top center of each cookie.

9.     Return to the oven and bake for approximately 8 minutes longer. 

10.   Remove from oven onto cooling rack.
11.   When cookies are completely cooled, place a bit of tinted Buttercream Icing⁴ into the "thumbprint."

For Buttercream Icing:

 

1.     Blend together the confectioners' sugar and the butter.
2.     Add the extracts and the water and stir until smooth and of the right consistency.
3.     Divide the icing into as many portions as you want to have colors and place in separate bowls.  Add a few drops of the food coloring to each portion to achieve the desired color.
4.     Place about 1 tsp. icing into each cookie's indentation.  Let the cookies set completely before storing them in a tightly sealed container and store in a cool, dry place.
 

³You can use all butter, but chill the dough for appx. 30 minutes before baking.

⁴You may use other fillings for the cookies such as sparkling jelly, jams, candied fruit, or whatever else you like.

© 2012 The Cook in Me:  Pecans Roasting on an Open Fire by Kathy Striggow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Do We Start Baking Cookies? Vanillekipferl (Crescents)©

It's that time of year again.  It seems like every year the months get shorter and shorter, and twelve of them fly by in what would have seemed like 5 years when we were children.  I could swear that Christmas¹ was only a few weeks ago, and that we just popped the cork on the Champagne bottle at Midnight on New Year's Eve.  Regardless, I have always loved this time of year that we call the "Holiday Season."  One reason is that it seems people are generally in a more benevolent state of mind, and exhibit more tolerance for others than during other times of the year. Why this doesn't continue all year I don't know.  I enjoy the spiritual aspect of the season and it seems no matter how old I get, there is still something magical about Christmas Eve.  I also love seeing houses decorated with twinkle lights and pine garlands, and the fact that even offices, hospitals and other commercial buildings take the time to decorate for the season.  There are many steps involved in getting ready for the holidays, and therefore I have many topics I could address.  But for today, we're going to discuss some of the preparations that can be made in advance of the actual day that you celebrate.

Decorating for the season is a preparation that takes careful consideration.  Deciding what day to decorate the outside of the house, for those like me who grew up in the Midwest, on the East Coast, or in the Northern States, was always a question that was more difficult than you might expect. You do not want to be outside on a ladder or up on the roof hanging the electric icicles when it is snowing, or when the temperature is below 32° F.  Therefore, it is important to catch that last warm day between the end of Indian Summer and the first snowfall of the year for that task, and predicting that day has become quite a feat.  When I was growing up, it used to be that the first snowfall in Northwest Ohio occurred on November 10^th; at least that was the date most often predicted for the first measurable snowfall of the year.  I remember this not because I memorized the Farmer's Almanac every year, or because I am a meteorologist or have a penchant for weather statistics.  I remember it because that day is my sister Janet's Birthday.  Inevitably, we would wake up on Janet's Birthday and there would be snow on the ground.  Sometimes there was just a dusting, and sometimes there were several inches.  But because weather patterns have changed over the past few years due to the global warming phenomenon, over population, destruction of the ozone layer and whatever other reasons experts advance as the reason, predicting that last warm day has become more difficult.

Now, for you folks living in the southern states with those lovely, temperate climates all year round, this may not seem like much of a big deal.  However in my neighborhood, there was an art to getting those decorations up in what was considered an "acceptable" time frame, or you were subject to scorn by your more astute neighbors.  You see, if you put them up too early in the fall, people regarded you as lazy, and assumed that you kept them up all year. If you put them up in a time frame that was regarded as too late, you were considered as lazy, and the question that circulated the neighborhood was, "Why bother to put them up at all?" And believe me, people remembered your decorating habits for as long as you lived in the neighborhood.  ("Remember the year George didn't get his lights up until the week before Christmas and there were already six inches of snow on the ground?  I'll bet he still can't feel anything in those fingers of his that got frostbitten."  Or, "For crying out loud, Ethel, will you look at that?  It's July, and George still has his Christmas lights up! Now he might as well leave them up for the rest of the year!")  Poor George's only escape was to escape to a new neighborhood on the other side of town.

Because I was never responsible for putting up the outside decorations, I never worried too much about this dilemma.  However, I must say that I might have been guilty of prodding my spouse to get the decorations up in a timely manner.  My domain, as you might guess, was the inside preparations.  In addition to decorating, that included getting the holiday baking done.  Just as at the beginning of November, I would subtly suggest that we might want to put the decorations up outside before Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving my husband and children would not-so-subtly ask, "When are you going to start baking Christmas Cookies?" 

At my house, Christmas baking was a pretty big thing, and pretty much limited to cookies. Because I was never much of a Fruitcake fan, the only Fruitcake I ever made was limited to miniature loaves that I gave away as gifts to friends when we were too poor to give anything else.  Even though it was part of my family's holiday tradition, and my Mother and both my Grandmothers made Fruitcakes every year, that tradition never appealed to me once I had a family of own. (FYI:  I am saving the topic of "Fruitcakes" for another day because I do have very specific thoughts about why my Mom continued making it every year, when basically she and my Dad were the only ones to eat it.  And then there was always the question as to why it took Mom for what seemed like forever when she went upstairs to the attic every evening to annoint the Fruitcake with rum, brandy, bourbon, or whatever liquor she was dousing it  with that year.)

Living in a household that was of German, English, Czech, Slovakian and/or Moravian ancestry, we enjoyed a wide range of Christmas Cookies that reflected a smorgasbord of ethnic origins.  Like the Fruitcake, some of the cookies had to be made early in the season to mellow, or soften before they were ready to eat. Those started making shortly after Thanksgiving and stored in the attic..  You may think this seems like a strange place to keep them, but it served several purposes.  First, it got them out of our kitchen, which also served as our dining room, our homework room, and our game room.  The room was not that large, and it didn't have much storage space.  Second, it kept them out of sight, as in "out of sight, out of mind," which is an important concept when you have four growing children, all of whom had friends, all of whom had a "sweet tooth" or two.  I guess Mom thought we'd forget about them if they were up in the attic.  I also guess she forgot that my oldest sister and I shared a bedroom on the second floor across from the attic. Third, it kept the cookies fresh because the attic was the coolest part of the house--it was not heated (in fact, it was darn right freezing in there in the dead of winter if you happened to slip in during the night in your pajamas to grab a . . . never mind).  And finally, when I say we made Christmas Cookies, I mean we made Christmas Cookies.  Without exaggerating, I would easily say we made about twenty different varieties, with at least ten to twelve dozen of each variety. That's a lot of cookies! And where else do you store them in a house that was already bursting at the seams?  This was another reason we always started baking right after Thanksgiving.  If we didn't, we never would have been able to make all the different varieties that we did.  People today don't make Christmas Cookies like they used to.  For one thing, who has time?  For another, today you can purchase cookies that are just as good as the ones your mother or grandmother used to make from bakeries, supermarkets, and ethnic specialty shops.  For me, however, it's one of the traditions that my Children and Grandchildren will always associate with the holidays, and hopefully with me.  And I believe there are some traditions that are worth saving and passing along to my Grandchildren.

I have several varieties of Christmas Cookie recipes that I want to share with you. We're only going to highlight them one at a time, however.  Some are from my Maternal Grandmother; some are from my Paternal Grandmother; others are from my Mom; still others are from my Mother-in-Law and her Mother.  I'm sure I've got something in my Cookie Jar for everyone's taste.  But for today, I am going to share the recipe for the cookie that was the fastest one to disappear at my house, and therefore one of the last ones my Mother made before Christmas.   My sisters and I never helped make these particular cookies because Mom always said the dough was too difficult to handle.  After having become a parent of only two, rather than four children, and after having made this recipe now for many years, I think her reasoning had more to do with the fact that she got more accomplished when we weren't "helping."  We always called these cookies Crescents, and it was not until years later that I learned their real name is Vanillekipferl.  They are of either German or Austrian origin depending on which story you believe. This tells me that they came to us through the Moravian heritage of my Grandmother Lasak.  The basic recipe is the one my Mother used, and therefore I know that the cookies melt in your mouth. I have made a few adjustments to it, but they are just as good as hers.  I am sure there may be more authentic versions of Vanillekipferl out there. These are not difficult to make.  The German and Austrian recipes call for almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts; but my Mother and Grandmother always made theirs with finely ground pecans.  They are worth trying, at least once.  If you do decide to attempt them, let me know what you think!

¹ I will be using the term "Christmas" throughout this article. When I grew up, people did not consider "political correctness" as the important issue that it is today. But because in my family, Christmas was, and is, the holiday that we celebrate in December, I am using that term.I hope no one is offended by my use of it.

©2012 by Kathy Striggow

MOM'S CRESCENTS

Yield:  About 5 dozen

Ingredients
 

2-1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
3 Egg Yolks
Seeds from 1 Vanilla Bean OR

Pinch Nutmeg
1-1/2 to 2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
1- 1/2 cups Finely Ground Pecans

1 cup Butter, at room temperature
Powdered Sugar, to coat finished cookies

Directions

1.     In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth.

2.     Add the powdered sugar and beat until the sugar is absorbed into the butter.

3.     Add the egg yolks one-at-a-time, mixing between each egg yolk to make sure the butter has absorbed the yolk.

4.     Add the nutmeg, vanilla bean seeds OR vanilla and salt.

5.     Add pecans and flour and mix together until a dough forms.

6.     Leaving the dough in the bowl, refrigerate dough (covered) for 30 minutes.

7.     Preheat oven to 350° F.

8.     Form dough into crescent shaped cookies about 3-in. in length from tip to tip.

9.     Place cookies on greased or parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets, approximately 3/4-inch to 1-inch apart. (There is no leavening agent, so they are not going to spread.)

10.    Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until a light golden brown. Do not over bake!

11.    While cookies are still warm, roll in powdered sugar. If they are too warm, they will fall apart when you're rolling them so be very careful. Roll again in powdered sugar once they have cooled. 

12.    Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

 

 

 

 

 

Praline Bottom Pumpkin Pie©

The first year I was married, we were spending Thanksgiving with my husband's family.  I offered to make the pumpkin pies since I thought the recipe looked fairly easy if you could get past the pie crust (which I figured I'd buy).  The filling looked like it would be difficult to screw up.   The recipe called for evaporated milk, and of course you had to have whipped cream for garnish.  I didn't have evaporated milk like the recipe called for, and I didn't have whipped cream, so I sent my husband to the store the night before to pick up both for me.  He came home with only half and half instead, thinking I could kill two birds with one stone.  As little as I knew about cooking, he was not a cook at all--remember, this was the early 1970s and back then most men weren't comfortable in the kitchen, at least in my experience.  His domain was the grill, but that was about it.  He would surprise me once in a while on Sunday mornings with bacon, potatoes and eggs which he cooked all in one pan. It was a surprise all right. He never drained the bacon grease from the pan before adding the eggs and potatoes.  He covered the entire concoction with ketchup, so I don't think he noticed all the grease.  Needless to say, it wasn't a real favorite of mine (but I never told him.  I appreciated the fact that I didn't have to fix breakfast, and that he was at least trying to cook.  I'm sure he granted me the same courtesy for some of the first meals I'd prepared).

Lest I digress and go on about newly married courtesies, or breakfast foods (I'll save that for another day), let me say that at first I was upset and worried that the pies wouldn't turn out.  Back then, I had a very low anxiety trigger and I tried not to panic (reference the "Easter Eggs" post). I wasn't too worried about the whipped cream because we could stop at the store the next day and pick some up on our way to the in-laws.  I knew half and half wouldn't whip, BUT, I thought, maybe I could use it in the filling.  I wasn't really sure what evaporated milk was at that time, but it always looked funny to me; it was kind of yellowish, and I remembered it smelled tinny and weird.  I knew what half and half was.  Remember, I had a grandmother that taught me to love all products made from cream [she buttered both sides of my toast, pancakes, french toast, etc.  :-) ] . When I tasted the custard after adding the half and half, I knew it was probably better than it would have been with evaporated milk. It tasted fresh instead of having that tinny taste from the evaporated milk.  And it was creamy (always a good thing).  It was good enough to pour in a glass and drink. 

I've used half and half ever since (or sometimes whole cream when I'm in a very nostalgic mood and missing my grandma--don't tell anyone)!   I think it makes a wonderful filling.   And I've always made it with just brown sugar instead of half granulated and half brown; I think it gives it a fuller flavor.  I've never used cloves like the recipe called for.  For those first pies 40 years ago, I didn't have any cloves on my new bride's spice shelf.  But I did have nutmeg, so I substituted nutmeg for the cloves, and because I liked the flavor so much,  I've never even tried adding cloves.  Fresh nutmeg definitely makes a difference, too.  My husband's family loved the pies, and it was just assumed after that that I would make the pies for every Thanksgiving Dinner.  In fact, my brother-in-law, who is a chef and has owned restaurants all over the country, included my reworked recipe on his menus under the offering, "Sis's Pumpkin Pie."   After that first experience, I also started making my own pumpkin from pie pumpkins.  (I obviously had a lot of time on my hands and I had visions of becoming a Martha Stewart.  Of course, I didn't even know who Martha Stewart was back then.)

What started out as what I thought was going to be a disaster, taught me a very important lesson.  I had good instincts about recipes and food.  I could imagine what the substitutions would taste like.  I didn't have to follow a recipe to the letter.  I could create my own version.  This is the only pumpkin pie I've made for 40 years.  I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to share the recipe. The praline bottom gives you the taste of pecan pie without all the sugar and richness of pecan pie.  Because I believe that good recipes should be shared, I'm posting it here.  You can either put in the praline bottom or not; it's wonderful either way. And don't think you have to put it in a crust.  If you don't want the heaviness of pie crust, simply make the praline bottom in either a casserole dish or individual ramekins, top with the pumpkin custard and adjust the baking time.    Either way, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.


Praline Bottom Pumpkin Pie ©

Prep Time:  15 min.

Cooking Time:  55 min.                     
Yield:  8 servings

Ingredients:

**1 unbaked 9 or 10-inch pie shell

For Praline Bottom

1/3 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. softened butter

For Pie Filling
2 large eggs (make sure they're large, the last time I purchased "large" eggs they were more like medium-small--personally I prefer "Jumbo" which are now what used to be "large")
¾- 1 c. brown sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
1 Tbsp. flour
1 can (15 or 15-1/2 or 14-1/2) pumpkin
14 oz. half and half

For Garnish (optional) 
Whipped cream, Chopped pecans

Directions

Heat oven to 425° F.

For  Praline Bottom:

Mix together ground pecans and brown sugar.  Blend in softened butter.  Gently press the praline mixture into the bottom of the pie crust.  Place on middle rack of oven and Bake for 10 minutes or until the praline is bubbling but not hardened.  Remove from oven and place on rack to cool slightly.

While praline bottom is baking, Beat eggs in large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and flour. Mix until sugar and spices are incorporated into the eggs.  Stir in the pumpkin.  Gradually Add the half and half.  Pour into the praline bottomed pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 350°F oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream and/or pecans, if desired before serving.  ENJOY! 

 

** If you don’t want to make this recipe as a pie (for your gluten free friends), just follow the same directions except omit the crust and the flour in the filling.  Bake in a casserole dish or individual ramekins.  Baking time will be reduced to about 5-7 min. for the praline, and 20-25 min for the pumpkin custard in a casserole dish, 15 min if you bake it in ramekins.

©1972, 2012 Praline Bottom Pumpkin Pie by Kathy Striggow
©2012 by Kathy Striggow