December 2008 Archives

On Christmas day we had plans to go to my parents' house for a late brunch, but we needed something to tide us over until then. I had some cranberries leftover from making cookiescookies so I decided to make cranberry muffins.

They turned out pretty good. I wish I'd had an orange to zest into the batter, but in lieu of that I used some Patron Citronge to soak the cranberries in. It wasn't quite the same but it was better than nothing.

A quarter cup of pecans was not nearly enough. I couldn't even tell they were in there. I would probably double the amount if I made these again.


» Recipe for Cranberry Pecan Muffins

I don't have anything against the waffle recipe I usually use, but I figured I'd try the one from The New Best Recipe cookbook. I followed the variation that uses regular milk instead of buttermilk. The waffles were good, but nothing special. It's a good basic recipe for a variety of toppings. I prefer my waffles spiced up a bit with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.


» Recipe for Waffles

Christmas dinner was at my oldest brother's new house this year and I offered to bring an appetizer. I found this recipe from Closet Cooking and, thinking my family would scarf it down, decided to make a double batch. As it turned out, my parents also brought a couple appetizers, so there was way too much food and I ended up bringing over half of the dip back home. It's a good thing though, because I can't get enough of it! I would definitely make this again.

I used Neufchâtel instead of regular cream cheese because it has less fat, and I also used fat free sour cream. I ended up just heating it in the microwave instead of baking it for lack of oven space.

» Recipe for Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I don't have much experience making biscotti, so when I made these yesterday I was surprised at how simple they were to make. A lot less hands-on than other cookies.

This cranberry-pistachio version is wonderful. Martha Stewart really knows what she's doing.

» Recipe for Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti (via marthastewart.com)

These went over well last year so I thought I'd make them again. I've updated the recipe in the archive.

» Recipe for Coconut Macaroons» Recipe for Coconut Macaroons

These cookies are great. Soft, orange-flavored dough with a swirl of cranberry-pecan filling.

I started making them for Christmas a couple years ago. I posted a picture of that first batch and it looks like they were made pre- food processor. The blender didn't chop the filling up quite fine enough.

Last year, during my quest for healthier holiday sweets, I tried adapting a recipe from One Smart Cookie. The cookies ended up being dry and they fell apart easily.

I'm pretty happy with them this year. I went back to the original recipe and I'm storing them between sheets of parchment paper so they don't stick together before I get a chance to package them up as gifts.

» Recipe for Cranberry-Orange Pinwheels (via bhg.com)

It seems like everyone is making these this year. I've been seeing them all over the internet lately, and each recipe is different. Mine is from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, which varies slightly from the version in my mom's older edition of the cookbook. The current version on their website is different still.

I first made them over two years ago and they were a huge hit. I brought them in to work and ever since then my manager has been bugging me to make more, which is the main reason I decided to include them in my Christmas baking this year.


» Recipe for Chocolate Crinkles

This was fantastic. Tender, juicy, chicken that fell right off the bone. Nutty, brown rice with just the right touch of seasonings. This is definitely one I'll come back to again and again.


» Recipe for Arroz con Pollo

I needed something quick and simple for dinner tonight, and the fridge and pantry are looking a little lean at the moment. I did have a bag of carrots and a couple boxes of soba noodles, along with a knob of ginger in the freezer and a bottle of tamari that I've been meaning to try.

This turned out pretty good. I can see it working well with other vegetables like broccoli, green onions, and snow peas.


» Recipe for Spicy Soba Noodles with Carrot Ribbons

For me, Christmas is just not the same without cute, decorated cookies. Sometimes I make both sugar cookies and gingerbread men, but this year I decided to simplify things and just make one kind of roll-out cookies. Of course, gingerbread won, hands down.

I ripped this recipe out of The Philadelphia Inquirer's food section a few years ago and I've been making it every year since. This year I decided to replace the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat, which I've been doing with a lot of recipes lately, and they turned out great. Now all I have to do is decorate them... and make the rest of the cookies on my list.


» Recipe for Gingerbread Cookies

Fennel is one of my favorite vegetables. Very aromatic, similar to licorice and anise. I love it tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and roasted, or in this carrot-fennel soup. I got the idea for this gratin while browsing tastespotting and saw this potato-fennel gratin with Gruyere. It jumped out at me because I've had this chunk of Gruyere that I've been using in everythingusing in everything lately.

Instead of a cream-laden gratin I wanted to make one similar to the potato-kale gratinpotato-kale gratin I made a couple months back - basically layering some vegetables with bread crumbs and a little shredded cheese then throwing it in the oven for a while.

I made this in my smallest casserole dish which is about 5-1/2" x 9". Not a standard size, I know, but this kind of recipe is adaptable for any size pan. The amounts don't have to be exact, in fact, I don't think I measured anything. It's my favorite kind of recipe.

Leftovers are good for breakfast or lunch the next day with a fried egg.


» Recipe for Potato, Spinach, & Fennel Gratin

I should really use my crock pot more often, but it requires some thinking ahead which I'm not very good at a lot of the time. But, it is nice to have dinner mostly ready when I get home from work (you know, on those days when I actually have to leave the house).

The morning that I made it, I happened to be running late, so I was trying to make the roux while doing ten other things... which is difficult when the recipe says to stir constantly. I think I may have burned it a little, and I didn't cook it nearly as long as the recipe said to. It turned out fine though. Skimming the fat off the top later on was a little gross, but better than leaving it in there.

I have half a bag of frozen okra left so I'll probably be trying another gumbo recipe eventually.


» Recipe for Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

This was a nice, satisfying, meatless dinner. A little cheesy, a little spicy, a little garlicky. It was a good way to use a leftover hunk of Gruyere, but I'm sure it would be good with any number of cheeses.


» Recipe for Penne with Roasted Cauliflower