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Phillip Black

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RE: Merry Christmas Sweet Thangs
12/21/2010 1:10:20 AM

Hello Everyone,

As most of you know, certain Health problems keep me from enjoying a lot of the Sweets that I used to like so well. However, there's some great Cookies that use either Splenda or Truvia in place of the Sugar, so I still enjoy an occasional Cookie or two. This Evening we'll start with a repeat of the Gingerbread Men, but using Splenda Brown Sugar Blend in place of it's Sweeter Cousin, Brown Sugar.

Gingerbread Men

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 cup SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and allspice into a medium bowl. Set aside.

  • Cream butter and SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and egg yolk. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until dough forms. Shape dough into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

  • Roll out dough to ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut dough and place on cookie sheet.

  • Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

Yield: 30 Cookies

Now, back to those less Sugar Challenged, let's have some more Christmas Cookies. This recipe was first given to me by my GreatGrandmother Nancy. She was a great little Italian Nana. These are excellent cookies to be served after a special dinner. Try dipping them in coffee or wine.

Walnut Biscotti

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon anise extract
  • 1 teaspoon black walnut extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions

  1. Stir together flour and baking powder and set aside.
  2. Beat together eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in butter, extracts, black walnut flavoring and the walnuts. Gradually stir flour mixture into creamed mixture blending well.
  3. Divide dough on a floured surface into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 14 inch rope.
  4. Place four ropes about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 325 degree F (165 degree C) oven for approximately 20 minutes, until bottoms are pale gold in color.
  5. Let cool about 2 minutes on the baking sheet then cut each rope on a diagonal into slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Lay slices close together on sides and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until lightly toasted (approximately 15 minutes). Cool on baking sheet. Store airtight.

Yield: 6 Dozen

Now, for another old Standard. A chocolate morsel nestled in the center of these peanut butter cookies makes a special treat for the kids, not only at Christmas, but after-school or any time.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup CRISCO® Butter Shortening
  • 1/2 cup JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups PILLSBURY BEST® All Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Sugar
  • 48 foil-wrapped milk chocolate pieces, unwrapped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cream together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
  3. Sire together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until stiff dough forms.
  4. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Top each cookie immediately with an unwrapped chocolate piece, pressing down firmly so that cookie cracks around edge. Remove from cookie sheets to cool.

Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies

We'll finish up this Evening with a real Treat! These wonderful cinnamon-sugar cookies became very popular with my friends at church. My pastor loves them! You will too! Crispy edges, and chewy centers; these cookies are a crowd pleaser for sure.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
  3. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Yield: 4 Dozen

Have A Blessed Christmas Friends,

Phil



“There may be trouble all around, but I am calling you to a place of peace. Be still and know that I am God. Come to Me, and I will give you wisdom, strength, and grace for everything you face." Psalm 46:10
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La Nell !

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RE: Merry Christmas Sweet Thangs
12/1/2011 1:43:03 AM
Phil, I like all these sweet Christmas recipes. Yummy! Hugs, LaNell
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Phillip Black

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RE: Merry Christmas Sweet Thangs
12/1/2011 9:44:34 PM

Hi LaNell,

Thanks for stopping by to visit once again this year. I guess that you and I are the only ones that like these sweet cookies and treats. Oh well!

These quick breads (or tea loaves, as I call them) are a regular staple during the holidays and I love to make and give them away to Friends every year at Christmas.

It’s easy to make mini loaves yourself at home, either to serve for drop-in guests or to wrap and give as gifts. Their petite size makes them feel like a special treat, especially if you pack them with rich and fragrant ingredients like chocolate, cranberries, pumpkin, and spices. These loaves stay moist and flavorful for a few days at room temperature and lose little of their quality when frozen. Depending on the size pans you use, each recipe makes as many as four loaves, so you can take care of your gift list in just a few baking sessions.

Sizes of miniature loaf pans vary widely. All these recipes were tested in pans that had volumes of 17 to 18 fluid ounces. Because most loaf pans don’t list their volume, you often have to calculate it yourself. Do this by filling the pan to the inside rim with water, then pour the water into a large Pyrex measuring cup. My favorite choices for mini loaf pans are the Chicago Metallic Professional mini loaf pan, which measures 5-3/4 x 3-1/4 x 2-1/4 inches (available through KitchenKapers.com) and the Hefty EZ Foil loaf pan, which measures 5-3/4 x 3-1/4 x 2 inches (available at most supermarkets).

Once you decide on a pan size, look for shiny, light metal pans—dark pans made the edges of these breads too brown and dry in our tests. Nonstick pans worked well, but should still be oiled and floured to ensure easy release. If using the mini foil pans, place them on a baking sheet before filling with batter, to support the bottoms.

Quick breads come together fast, but how you mix the ingredients has a huge effect on the texture and structure of the finished loaf. Many quick breads can be heavy and dense, which is often the result of using oil as the fat and undermixing the batter. It may be nontraditional, but I use butter in my quick breads, which lends a richer flavor. This also lets me steal a page from cake makers and use the creaming method in mixing my quick bread, for a tender, cake-like loaf that is still sturdy enough to pack and travel well.

Each of these recipes yields either four mini loaves, one 9x5-inch loaf, or one 12-cup Bundt cake.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter softened; more for the pans
11-3/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. finely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1-3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin (from a 15-oz. can of pure pumpkin)
1/2 cup buttermilk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or one 9x5-inch metal loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, and cloves.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until the butter is smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue mixing on the same speed, stopping and scraping the bowl and beater as needed, until lighter in color and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until smooth after each addition, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin and mix until it’s evenly incorporated into the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until well blended.

Stop the mixer and add half the flour mixture. On low speed (for either mixer), mix until the flour is almost completely blended and then add half the buttermilk and mix until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth. The batter will be thick.

If using mini loaf pans, divide the batter evenly among the four pans (the pans should be about two-thirds full). If using a Bundt or full-size loaf pan, spread the batter in the pan (again, filling the pan no more than two-thirds full.) Smooth the top of the batter. Bake until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for mini loaf pans (60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 70 minutes for a full-size loaf pan).

Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes to give them time to set and then turn them out onto a rack and flip right side up to cool completely.

Cranberry, Orange & Walnut Streusel Bread

6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1-1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or one 9x5-inch metal loaf pan.

In a food processor grind the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon, pulsing in short bursts until the walnut pieces are small, 20 to 30 seconds. Set the streusel aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cranberry pieces and orange zest and whisk again.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue mixing on low until slightly fluffy. Scrape the bowl and beater. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition.

Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl and beater, and add half the flour mixture. On low speed (for either mixer), mix until the flour drifts disappear and then add half the buttermilk; mix until just blended. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth.

If using mini loaf pans, fill each pan about a third full with batter and spread smooth. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the streusel over the batter in each of the pans. Divide the remaining batter among the pans, spread smooth, and sprinkle the top of each loaf with the remaining streusel. If using a Bundt pan or full-size loaf pan, pour in half the batter and spread smooth. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter, top with the remaining batter, spread smooth, and then sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.

Bake until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes for mini loaves (55 to 60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 65 minutes for a full-size loaf pan).

Let the loaves cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pans on a rack to give them time to set and then turn them out onto a rack and flip right side up to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip-Banana Bread

4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 large or 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or one 9x5-inch metal loaf pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients well to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue mixing on low speed until slightly fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth between each addition. Add the bananas, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix until blended.

Stop the mixer and add half the flour mixture. Mix on low speed (for either mixer) until the flour drifts are almost gone. Add half the buttermilk. Mix until blended, and then repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Continue mixing until smooth, scraping the bowl to make sure the batter is even. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

If using mini loaf pans, divide the batter evenly among the four pans (the pans should be about two-thirds full). If using a Bundt or full-size loaf pan, spread the batter in the pan (again, filling the pan no more than two-thirds full.) Smooth the top of the batter. Bake until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for mini loaves (60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 70 minutes for a full-size loaf pan).

Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes to give them time to set and then turn them out onto a rack and flip right side up to cool completely.

Have A Bright & Blessed Christmas My Friends,

Phil

“There may be trouble all around, but I am calling you to a place of peace. Be still and know that I am God. Come to Me, and I will give you wisdom, strength, and grace for everything you face." Psalm 46:10
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Patricia Bartch

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RE: Merry Christmas Sweet Thangs
12/1/2011 10:00:04 PM
HI PHIL.... no kiddo that is not true!! I love Christmas goodies. ESPECIALLY CHRISTMAS COOKIES.

your recipes are wonderful & i even have the same chocolate christmas cookie in my thread. i hope you'll come to my christmas cookie thread & post some of your fav recpies. http://community.adlandpro.com/forums/post/2433265/ChristmasCookiesPleasepostyourfavoriterecipe.aspx?flag=11252171 i will be back here OFTEN to post mine.

pat




Quote:

Hi LaNell,

Thanks for stopping by to visit once again this year. I guess that you and I are the only ones that like these sweet cookies and treats. Oh well!


Have A Bright & Blessed Christmas My Friends,

Phil

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Patricia Bartch

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RE: Merry Christmas Sweet Thangs
12/1/2011 10:02:20 PM
HOPE YOU LIKE THESE PHIL
Pat

Recipe -- Easy Christmas Cookies

There are so many Christmas cookie recipes around but often so little time to bake during the busy holiday season.

The solution? A great tasting basic cookie recipe that quickly and easily turns into such a variety of easy to make Christmas treats, friends and family will think you poured over all your favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

Let's start with the basics.

BASIC COOKIE DOUGH RECIPE

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter (or margarine) at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture is light and fluffy. With mixer at a low speed, add the flour gradually, beating just until everything is well blended.

Place the mixture on a baking sheet using a tablespoon measure and press down with a spoon to flatten a bit. Or roll our and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350 F for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.

This basic cookie mixture is also the base for the following cookie recipes (all baked in a preheated oven at 350 F).

ORANGE COOKIES (Makes about 32)

Add 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest to the recipe. Shape into a log that is about 1 1/2" in diameter and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Slice dough into 1/4" thick slices. Place on cookie sheet. Cookies can be decorated with candies, rolled in colored sugar, or cut into pretty holiday shapes before baking. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

CHERRY COCONUT CHOCOLATE SQUARES -(Makes about 54 squares)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, well drained and coarsely chopped

Line a 13"x9" baking pan with foil.

Stir cocoa powder into basic dough mixture. Press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust looks dry.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, almond extract and baking powder until well blended. Stir in coconut and cherries. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Lift it out on to a cutting board using the foil ends and cut into 1 1/2" squares. Squares can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
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