Category Archives: Holiday Gifts
Holiday Baking: Day 3
Tonight was the Fruit Pie Cookies.
I used cranberry, strawberry and blueberry for the fillings this time.
These are the cranberry filled ones. They are slightly tart and go well with the sweet butter cookie.
These are the blueberry and cranberry filled. The strawberry are still in the oven. And I realize you probably can’t tell from the photos, but that is a mini-muffin tin.
And yes, I am having fun with my new camera. Thanks for asking.
Christmas Baking on Solstice
Started the Christmas baking tonight. Happy solstice and happy 2nd night of Hanukkah.
Holiday Gift Ideas: Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are pretty and very tasty. They’re easy and just a touch above regular chocolate chip cookies.
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- dash of salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts), chopped
mixing bowl and cookie sheet
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Sift together salt, soda, flour and cocoa, then add to butter mixture, blending well. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.
Caramel Corn Update
So I made two batches of the Caramel Corn. I’ve included my updates on the process over on the Bacon-Cashew Caramel Corn entry. Click over there the see the changes.
Here’s the first picture from the new camera:
This is without any real effort, just set it for the food application and snapped. I did have to compress it because I had it on the highest quality setting, so the file size was huge. It lost a bit in the compression. But I am pleased so far. I needed something I didn’t have to fuss with and this seems to fit the bill. I’m going to a holiday light show tomorrow night, I’ll give it a real test there.
I can’t wait to have time to really play with it and see what it can do.
Holiday Gift Ideas: Fruit Pie Cookies
I made these last year. These cookies are so pretty they make a great addition to any holiday cookie platter or box.
The recipe is for apple filling, but I then did another batch using strawberry, blueberry and apple fillings. From Oct 2010 (click over for more pictures).
I’m going to declare this recipe a success. These are really good, not too sweet thanks to the butter cookie base. I made a half batch, my usual technique when working on a recipe. I wish I’d made a whole batch. Partly because they are really good, but also because they are time consuming to mix.
I’ve had the idea in my head for a while and it just took some time for the whole thing to kind of come together. It’s part butter cookie, part apple pie, part apple crisp – I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.
Apple Pie Cookies
Butter Cookie Base:
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
Apple Pie Filling:
- 2 Golden or Granny Smith, or other firm, apples – cored and chopped into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons water (as needed)
Crumble Topping:
- 2 tbsp butter, soften
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
Bowl, saucepan, min-muffin pan, wax paper
In bowl, cream together butter and sugar, add cinnamon and vanilla, mix well. Add flour, blend until well mixed, but do not over beat. Spread onto wax paper and roll into a long tube, about 1-1/2” in diameter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until chilled and firm.
Meanwhile, in saucepan, melt butter and add apples and simmer on medium to medium-low. Mix together brown sugar and spices, add to simmering apples, mix in well. When apples are softened, sprinkle flour over them, mix in, add water as necessary to create a thick syrup. Let simmer on low until you are ready to use.
In bowl, cut together butter, flour and oats until fine crumbles.
To assemble: spray muffin pan with oil, remove dough from refrigerator, cut twelve 1/4-inch slices from the dough, then replace remainder back into the refrigerator. Press each disk into the muffin pan, making a little bowl. Add apple mixture and top with crumbles. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool slightly before removing from the pan. They should slip out pretty easily – I used a knife to help slip them out. Makes 36 cookies.
You’ll have to let the pan cool just a bit before you assemble the next batch, as the butter cookies melt pretty quickly.
