Ginger Cookies

Ginger Cookies! Makes 10-12 large or 24 smaller ones.

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves 

Add to 2 1/4 Cups Flour

In another bowl, cream 1 1/2 sticks room temp butter with 1 Cup Brown Sugar

Add 1 Egg and 1/4 Cup Molasses

Add Flour mixture in thirds at a time while mixing

Form into ball, roll in sugar (1/4 cup in a bowl) and then shape into a slight cone shape - trust the cone shape, it makes the cookie! 

Bake @ 350 Fahrenheit for 12 minutes. Let cool completely and enjoy a soft chewy ginger cookie!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup butter, melted

Sweet Potato Mixture:

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (about 3-4 large sweet potatoes. Bake them at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes or boil them for about 30)

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 butter, melted

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray.

For the crust: combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Put in the fridge until ready to use.

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs & butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat with a hand mixer for about 3-4 minutes to make it fluffy. Add a little milk if needed and mix.

Pour sweet Potato mixture into the baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Evenly sprinkle the crust mixture on top of the sweet potato mixture and return to oven for 10-20 minutes or until the crust is browned.

Pumpkin Bread

 This is a Christmas favorite from Amy G.

Butter Toffee with Roasted Almonds

 A Christmas treat recipe From Natalie S. from her blogpost found on doodlecraftblog.com

You can find additional pictures and instructions on her blogpost.

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) Real Butter

1 1/3 cups of Granulated Sugar

4 Tablespoons of Corn Syrup

4 Tablespoons of Water

Roasted Almonds to line the tray

(spread on baking sheet...about 275* for 30 minutes or so, turning every 10) 

And a silicone baking sheet...or aluminum foil lined baking sheet

You also need a thick bottomed pan.

(not a copper bottom...they burn too fast)

Instructions

Line a jelly roll pan with a silicone baking sheet or aluminum foil.  Chop almonds.  Put a single layer of chopped almonds on the baking sheet.

Place butter, corn syrup, sugar and the water in your thick bottomed pan.  Turn the heat on high.  Stir it gently as it melts together...stay close because this is a very quick process.  

It will begin to foam and bubble...it will rise high in the pan.  Stir it continuously.  

Then it will begin to thicken and pull back inside the pan.  

Let it rapid boil and stir it continuously.  Then, almost all at the same time...it will get quite thick, turn tan color and begin to smoke!  It's done!!!  Remove from heat immediately!   

Pour directly on top of the chopped almonds.  Or just on a baking sheet if you don't want nuts.  You can dip in chocolate if desired, but we love those roasted almonds.  Toffee is actually best if left overnight.  It's so hard to wait until the next day to even taste a sample...but it's tastier if you do.  

Pistachio Pie

 From Hilary P.

Ice Cream Rice Krispie Dessert

From Hilary P.

Crust

1 C. Butter

 1 C. Brown Sugar

3 C. Rice Krispies

1 C. Shredded Coconut

1 C. Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

1 (12 oz) Package Frozen Raspberries

Middle Layer

1 (2 qt) Carton Vanilla Icecream

Topping

1 box Raspberry Danish Dessert (or Strawberry)

Crust Instructions

Melt butter and stir in brown sugar.  Mix in the remainder of the crust ingredients.  Press 1/2 of the mixture into a 9X13 pan.

Middle Layer Instructions

Cut the container from around the ice cream.  Take the block of ice cream and slice into sections. Press ice cream into the pan to cover the crust.  Pour remaining crust mixture on top of the ice cream.  Place in freezer for 30 min.

Topping Instructions

Prepare danish dessert as directed on package.  Use as garnish on dessert.  Chocolate or carmel are also great toppings.

 

Spritz Cookies

 This is Ashley B.'s favorite Christmas treat.  She says that she always makes them with almond extract and not vanilla.  You will also need a cookie press.  Ashley says, "Of all the treats my Mom made every year, spritz cookies are the ones I long for and make."

Makes: 5 dozen cookies

1 C. butter or margarine, softened

1/2 C. sugar

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour (DO NOT use self-rising flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 400.  Cream butter and sugar.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Fill cookie press with 1/4 of dough at a time.  Form desired shapes on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6-9 minutes or until set but not brown.

Basic Vanilla Homemade Icecream Recipe Mix

Recipe taken from Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Book and Modified by Mikael's Dad

Makes 1 qt mix (which fits in a 2 qt ice cream maker)

Eggs (2-8...see below)
3/4 C. White Sugar
2 C. Heavy Cream (Whipping Cream)
Whole milk (Possibly...see below)
Imitation Vanilla (2 tsp-3 T....see below)

In a mixing bowl whisk eggs

The original recipe calls for 2 whole eggs, but you can do 3-4 whole eggs for more creaminess or my Dad prefers 6-8 egg YOLKS...any work

Whisk eggs until light and fluffy or you are tired of mixing.

Add sugar to eggs slowly, whisking as you go.

Add cream slowly, whisking as you go.

Add enough milk so that the total mixture is 1 quart.  Sometimes depending on the size of your eggs you will not need to add any milk.

Add vanilla (even if adding other flavors or fruit).  A minimum of 1 capful (2 tsp).  If doing a straight vanilla icecream add 2 caps (1 T) up to 3 T. for a lot of vanilla taste.

Transfer mix to a pot.  Heat while stirring constantly with a whisk.

Use a thermometer to heat to anywhere between 140-160 F.  (Remember to stir constantly)

Remove from heat so the eggs stop cooking.  Allow to cool in pot in fridge (set pot on a hotpad) until it is cool enough to pour into a glass quart jar.

Pour mixture into quart jar.

Continue cooling using one of the following methods depending on how much time you have.  You must cool it to below 40 F degrees.  35-37 F is ideal:
Cool in the fridge overnight
Put in the freezer (but you must shake it every 20 minutes or it starts freezing and make ice crystals)
Put quart jar in an ice bath (ice and water in a big bowl...set the quart jar in the ice and water bath)

Once it is cooled you can put in your icecream maker and let it freeze.

**************
Note as a time saver:   Harmons sells a 1 gallon jug of Vanilla ready made icecream mix that you can pour right into your icecream maker.  It is good.  It tastes like Arctic Circle Soft Serve Icecream.

**************
Notes from Mikael:
I didn't follow directions very well and it turned out awesome.  Here is what I did...
Combine 2 whole eggs and 3/4 C. sugar in an electric mixer on medium high for 10 minutes. (Could probably do less).  In a pan combine that mixture with 2 C. cream and 1 capful imitation vanilla.  I did not add any extra whole milk.  Heat on Medium high until between 140-160 F.  I measured with an instant read meat thermometer.  Put pan in fridge to cool a bit.  Pour into 2 quart jars with lids (mine wouldn't fit in 1 quart jar).  Place jars in ice bath until mixture reads below 40 F.  Place jars in fridge until ready to use.

Playdoh

I got this recipe from my Mom.  This is the play-dough she always made for us growing up.  It is way better than store-bought.  It sticks together better and doesn't dry out as easily.  It just feels good to play with.

1 C. Flour
1/2 C. Salt
1 T. Alum*
1 C. Water
1 T. Oil
2 T. Vanilla (optional...it just makes it smell better)

Mix dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients, except vanilla.
Cook over medium heat.
Stir constantly until the consistency of stiff mashed potatoes.
It seems lumpy and you will think that you have ruined it, it will turn out fine once you knead it.
Remove from heat.
Add vanilla
Knead on the counter until well mixed.

If you are making the whole batch the same color, then add the food coloring in with the rest of the wet ingredients.  If you are making different colors, add the food coloring in when you are kneading.
(I usually wear gloves so my hands don't get stained.  I usually also put down some Press N Seal or wax paper to protect the counter.)

You may need to let it cool a bit before the kids play with it.

Store in baggies and refrigerate to have it last longer.
Good for at least 1 month.

* Alum is found by the spices.  You can use powdered or granulated.  I usually use powdered.