Gingerbread Cookies

I clipped this from a newspaper insert way back before Christmas but I never got around to making them. It was an advertisement for McCormick.

Today I baked them. The original recipe was for Gingerbread Men. I simply used a round cookie cutter with wavy edges. It worked great. Next time, though, I think I'll decorate with a little icing.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a think flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with a 5-inch cookie cutter. (Other shapes work fine.) Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired.

Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

Makes 2 dozen.

Citrus Golden Ring Cake

I found this recipe in a insert from American Profile. The magazine gives recipe credit to Crescent Dragonwagon, a writer who lives in Saxtons River, Vermont. She's apparently written several cookbooks. I missed them all. I'm thinking I'll try this recipe and then maybe I'll need to check out her cookbooks. I'm grateful she shared. I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

Citrus Golden Ring Cake

Cooking spray
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Dust with flour.

Beat butter with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Sift 3 cups flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Combine buttermilk, orange juice and lemon juice.

Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat at low speed. Stir in orange rind and lemon rinds. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn onto a serving plate. Pour 1/3 of icing over cake while still warm. Let cool completely and spread with remaining icing. Garnish with orange rind, if desired.

Makes 16 servings.

Buttery Citrus Icing

1/4 (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind, plus more for garnishing
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine butter and powdered sugar, beating with a mixer until smooth. Add citrus rind and juices. Beat well.

Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche

Do you like Quiche? Some folks do. Some folks don't. I happen to be one who does. While everyone else it seemed was eating Chicken Salad at JaDa's, I was always the one ordering Quiche. JaDa's closed so now I have to make my own. That's okay.

This recipe comes from the holiday recipe guide from Publix. It was in the newspaper and I kept it, carefully putting it aside until I had time to try the recipes. I found it piled under some things. Imagine that?!

Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche

1 cups Birds Eye SteamFresh Broccoli Florets
5 large eggs (or 1 1/4 cups egg substitute)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced, cooked ham
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 frozen pie crust

Preheat oven to 375.

Microwave broccoli on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes to thaw; chop into bite-size pieces.

Combine eggs and half-and-half, then stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie crust.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Peppermint Melt Away Cookies

I do realize that it is March. Seriously. I do. But I uncovered this holiday recipe booklet from Publix the other day and realized that one of the reasons I saved it was this recipe. (The other reason is a quiche recipe to be shared another day.)

For those of you who don't know, I started this blog to not only share recipes with others but to also be able to find recipes I love more easily. I LOVE my cookbooks. I ADORE my magazines that include wonderful recipes. But finding them later can be a challenge. For me anyway.

So even though it's March, these cookies sound fabulous! Besides, anytime is a good time for peppermint!

 

Peppermint Melt-Away Cookies

Pam Original Canola Spray
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
large zip-top bag
1 cup starlight mints (or candy canes), finely crushed
1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 16.5-oz. box Duncan Hines Class White Cake Mix, divided
1 cup Nestle Premier White Toll House Morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat baking sheets with spray. Cut cream cheese and butter into small pieces; place in large bowl to soften. Crush mints in zip-top bag using metal mallet.

Add egg, vanilla extract, and 1/2 of the cake mix to the cream cheese and butter mixture. Mix with electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Stir in remaining half of cake mix, along with the white chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup of the mints until blended. Place remaining 1/2 cup mints in shallow bowl.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and press tops of dough into mints. Place on baking sheets, mint side up and 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and center is barely set. Let stand 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes approximately 48 cookies.

Lemon Mousse Cheesecake

I found this recipe in the March 2014 Relish magazine insert in today's newspaper. Since I love all things lemon, I had to save it for myself and share it with everyone else.

I love the extra tips Relish includes. One involves creating zest. They used a Microplane zester. I have a nifty zester that I got form either Tupperware or The Pampered Chef years ago. Just be sure not to get into the white of the lemon. That part is bitter. Just get fine bits from the yellow.

Another tip, this one from me, is to make sure the eggs are room temperature. It helps the egg whites form soft peaks.

 

Lemon Mousse Cheesecake

Crust:
5 tablespoons melted butter
40 vanilla wafers, crushed, or 8 graham crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup sugar

Filling:
24 ounces cream cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
3/4 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

To prepare crust, combine all ingredients. Stir well and press into a 10-inch springform pan.

Combine cream cheese and 1 cup sugar; beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add flour, egg yolks, lemon rind and juice; beat until smooth. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar; beat until stiff peeks form. Fold into lemon batter.

Pour batter into crust. Place pan in a large baking pan. Add water to baking pan to a depth of one inch. Bake 55 minutes, until cake is set but still jiggly in the center. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Serves 20.

Sugar Cookie Sheet

This recipe comes from the March 2014 issue of Ladies' Home Journal. It looks so easy and so good. Can't wait to try it!

The frosting recipe isn't new. I've seen it in various forms for years. It is really, really good and easy to work with. Try tinting the frosting different colors and creating something beautiful and uniquely you!

Sugar Cookie Sheet

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with a strip of parchment, allowing edges to hang over opposite sides. In a large bowl whisk together, flour, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in egg, egg white, sour cream and vanilla and mix until blended. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.

With greased hands, gently press dough into pan. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool completely, then frost and decorate. Use the parchment overhang to lift form pan; slice and serve.

Makes 20 bars.

 

Vanilla Frosting

6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
food coloring

Beat together butter, confectioners' sugar and milk until fluffy. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Tint frosting with food coloring.