One thing about starting a new family is coming up with new holiday traditions to celebrate. With our first child coming early next year, my husband and I have been having fun combining the traditions of our families, along with thinking of new traditions that we'd like to do throughout the holiday season.
One tradition that we started last year is having German Scones on Christmas morning. I think my husband has been looking forward to Christmas just so that he'll get scones!! These are super easy - the dough can even be prepared the night before and refrigerated so all that you have to do on Christmas morning - once the presents are unwrapped of course - is to fry the dough. Your family will be begging for them again until next Christmas!
German Scones
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs, beaten
4 1/2 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the 1 tablespoon of sugar; set aside.
Pour the boiling water over the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the butter, and the salt. Add the eggs, mix well. Add in the yeast mixture and 2 cups of the flour. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour and mix in. Let this rise for 1 hour (I just kept it in the mixing bowl) and then refrigerate until cold.
Roll out very thin (about 1/4 inch) on a floured surface, and cut into 3 inch squares. Fry in hot oil until brown, then flip and fry until both sides are browned and puffy.
Serve with butter and honey, cinnamon honey butter, jam, or coat them with granulated sugar.
Cinnamon Honey Butter
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine all ingredients and whip with mixer until light and fluffy.
24.12.08
celebrate: holiday traditions
15.12.08
celebrate: the aroma of christmas
recipe: {the aroma of christmas}
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup of whole cloves
2 orange peels
2 sections of lemon
1 quart [4 cups] water
place all ingredients in a pot and simmer on low. add water as needed.
can use for a few days.
enjoy!
xoxo,
caroline "the curious cook"
26.11.08
celebrate: thanksgiving and 'the bird'
Looking for a last minute way to dress that turkey? This recipe is the most simple recipe for a moist, delicious turkey to serve at your big feast. My husband learned this technique from a Jewish friend of his. Apparently, he doesn't exactly eat kosher.
Hermele's turkey
A Turkey
1 large onion, halved
1 large potato, halved
strips of bacon, enough to cover the top of the bird
Put the potato and onion halves inside the turkey (I like to add a few cloves of garlic), truss it, and lay the bacon on top. Bake according to suggested time. Using a dutch oven is optional, but makes a delicious turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Jj
18.11.08
celebrate: Holidays and the Sweet Potato
As much as I love the Thanksgiving turkey and the Christmas ham, it's usually all about the side dishes for me. One thing I have grown to love in the last year is the sweet potato. But have you ever been confused about the difference between a sweet potato and a yam, or have you wanted new ideas for your holiday side dish?
According to this website, Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from teh Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet potatoes, often called 'yams', are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.
In fact, after reading several things, I have learned that it is very rare to even find yams in the grocery store. If you are looking for a yam, you will most likely find them in a Carribean or Asian specialty store. I think the biggest reason for the confusion is that 1) the grocery stores call them yams when they are not, and 2) there are many different types of sweet potatoes, and the colors can vary, so not all sweet potatoes will look the same.
No matter what you call them, I love them! And here are a few ways to prepare them that are sure to satisfy!
The Pioneer Woman's Sweet Potatoes at Serious Eats
Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Topping at Simply Recipes
Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes at 101 Cookbooks
Sweet Potato Bread Pudding at The Kitchn
Sweet Potato Biscuits with Bacon and Thyme at Pinch My Salt
29.10.08
celebrate: a hogwart's halloween
Alright all you Harry Potter fans, we know you've all dreamed about what butterbeer actually tastes like. Well luckily, you don't have to be a witch or wizard to find out. Throughout the world wide web you'll find an array of recipes devout to J.K. Rowling's make believe beverage. You can even make it a Halloween tradition to try different recipes and eventually make up your own. Or, you can try our sweet tooth quenching version.
butterbeer
1 pint (2 cups) cream soda or apple cider
1 cup vanilla ice cream, softened
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Place cream soda or apple cider in a microwave safe mug, and heat on high for about 3 minutes, or until very hot. While it's heating, mix together the vanilla ice cream, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
When the soda is hot, pour into a blender, add ice cream mixture, and pulse on high for about 5 seconds. Pour into individual mugs, and sprinkle a dash of nutmeg on top. Enjoy with some fresh apple chips, or another munchie, maybe some ton-tongue toffee?
Bottoms up!
Jj
28.10.08
recipe: halloween witch finger cookies
with halloween just around the corner, many of us are wondering what treat to bring to our next halloween party.
these creepy witch fingers are a hit with the little ones, and they love the idea of eating witches fingers. i even used mine as a cute prop for our halloween party invitations.
i went with an idea i got from martha stewart using a "reminder finger." but, instead of buying hers from martha stewart crafts, i made my own edible ones, and delivered them with the invitation in a white take out box. very creepy!
here's the recipe for the creepy witch fingers:
[adapted from this recipe and this recipe]
{witch finger cookies}
cookie ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablepoons icing glue (see below)
50 pretzel sticks [for the finger bone]
icing glue ingredients
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon water
directions
1. in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
2. add the sugar, egg, peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. add the flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until completely mixed.
4. cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. [very important that they be chilled at least 30 minutes before baking so that they will keep their shape after they are baked.]
5. preheat the oven to 325°F.
6. with your hands, roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a finger shape around a pretzel stick for each cookie. if the dough gets sticky and hard to work with, put it back in the refrigerator for a little while. Place fingers on an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
7. use a butter knife to make knuckle marks on the finger cookies. slightly flatten the front of the finger to create a nail.
8. bake 20-25 minutes, until fingers are slightly golden. remove from the oven and let cool. meanwhile, prepare the Icing Glue. mix together powdered sugar and water in a small bowl until the consistency is similar to that of a paste.
9. attach almond slice fingernails to the tips of the fingers with Icing Glue. Let glue dry for about 30 minutes.
makes about 50 cookies.
enjoy!
xoxo,
caroline "the curious cook"
20.10.08
celebrate: Halloween
With Halloween right around the corner, now is the time to get your kids involved in some Halloween fun!
These ghost cookies are really easy, and a great way to get your kids involved. All it takes are some Nutter Butter cookies, white candy coating or white chocolate chips, and chocolate chips.
Take your candy coating and melt it. You can either do this in a double boiler or in the microwave at 50% power, making sure to check it every 30 seconds. Simply dip the cookies in the melted coating and set on a sheet of waxed paper to dry. Before the coating is dry, adhere the chocolate chips for eyes. To create the mouths, simply melt some chocolate chips in a ziplock bag, snip the corner with some scissors, and decorate away!
5.5.08
celebrate: Cinco de Mayo
Before you start
You'll need a special corn flour called masa harina for making the tortillas. Masa harina is corn flour that has been treated with calcium hydroxide or "lime" which makes it more nutritious by releasing the niacin in the corn, and easier to digest. Masa flour can be found at Mexican markets or online at Amazon.com. Look for masa harina that is only corn and lime (calcium hydroxide) for corn tortilla making.
You can make the tortillas completely by hand, by forming a thin pancake with the dough between your hands. But unless you are somewhat experienced in this method, you'll get more consistent results by using a tortilla press.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups masa harina
- 1 1/8 cups water
- In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.
- Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap.
- Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.
