peppermint meltaways

From the moment I woke up my computer, it has officially taken me ten minutes to get to a point where I can type this line.  I don't know why we're having the connection issues we are.  We have tried to fix them, but alas... nothing.  So as much as I've wanted to post over the last two weeks, it's just been impossible.  I'm crossing my fingers this one makes it!

The whole "late Thanksgiving" really threw me this year.  Surely, I'm not the only one!  The baking and holiday kitchen time got a late start, and to be quite honest, most of it will happen over this weekend... along with the Christmas shopping, preparing to travel in just a week for family Christmases, attempting to buy a house, and I guess I have to work somewhere in there too. :)

One of my absolute favorite treats over the holidays is Peppermint Ice Cream.  I buy a carton, think about it all day, and scarf down supper so I can scoop a bowl to enjoy at night.  Recently, I was planning  to gather with some dear friends for a cookie exchange and was craving peppermint.  I stumbled on this recipe and fell in love.  Seeing them all cozied up on the white platter, delicate, buttery, and sprinkled with crushed peppermint... I think they might just be the prettiest cookies I've ever seen.  

The dough of this cookie is not very sweet, but it's balanced by a rich, smooth buttercream icing.  If you prefer them a bit sweeter, you could certainly add some powdered sugar to the dough at the front-end.  But I encourage you to try them just as the recipe reads.  They are delightful to look at and a pleasure to eat!  

Peppermint Meltaways
makes approx. 30 cookies

•  1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (add 1/4 cup if sweeter dough is preferred)
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

For the frosting

• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermints/candy canes

~ Heat oven to 350 degrees.

~ In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in extract.

~ In separate bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch until fully combined.

~ Gradually add flour mixture to butter/sugar and mix well.

~ Use small cookie scoop (mine is one inch) to scoop dough and place on ungreased cookie

    sheet.

~ Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned.  Remove cookies

    and place on racks to cool

~ Meanwhile, cream butter until fluffy.  Add sugar, milk, and extract to butter, mixing until

    smooth.  

~ Spread frosting on cooled cookies and garnish with crushed mints.

Recipe slightly adapted from Taste of Home.

ma's springerles - a lazy daisy favorite

I spent the first third of my life living in a duplex with my parents and grandparents.  It was the neatest thing to be able to run upstairs to "Ma and Popie's" whenever I fancied.  I have all kinds of wonderful memories, as many grandchildren do of their grandparents, but some of the best center around this time of year and all that played a part of the holidays growing up on Herndon Drive.

I couldn't imagine sharing anything but this recipe with you on Christmas day.  The first moment I'd smell Springerles baking, starting as far back as I can remember, to me, that was the official beginning of Christmas. Ma would work tirelessly for days on end, baking dozens and dozens of the German embossed cookies to pass out to friends, family, neighbors, you name it.  We had an extra oven in our basement, so the aroma would immediately make it's way up to me... just delightful.

These cookies are extremely unique, delicate, temperamental, but totally worth it.  With a slight tinge of licorice, the dough - even before baking - is hard to resist.

The star of the show is the rolling pin.  Isn't she a beaut?

I would love to perfect these one day.  Mine will never be as light, nor as beautiful, as Ma's.  But she has officially passed down the coveted rolling pin to me.  Although I have my work cut out for me, I feel completely honored to carry on the tradition.

I have had such a wonderful time "spending time" with you over the last few months.  I greatly appreciate your encouraging thoughts and sweet comments regarding all things Lazy Daisy.  I look forward to continuing to bless others with you through the gift of food... a way to so many's heart, and a way to comfort when words don't always suffice.  May God continue to richly bless you and yours as 2012 comes to a close; prayers for love and light in 2013.

Come to the feast (and don't forget to invite others),
Jen

Springerles - 
makes 4-5 dozen of traditional-sized cookies
Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar (1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of anise (can substitute fruit flavored oils; if you do, use 3 teaspoons)
• about 7 cups all-purpose flour, or 2 pound box cake flour
• more powdered sugar as needed

~ Dissolve baking powder in milk and set aside. 
~ Beat eggs in mixer (stand mixer is easiest) until thick and lemon-colored, about 20
    minutes. 
~ Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the softened butter. 
~ Add the baking powder and milk, salt, and preferred flavoring (I always use anise).  
~ Gradually beat in flour, one cup at a time.  If you have a dough hook, that works 
    wonderfully here.  If not, mix in as much as you can with the beaters and stir in the rest 
    by hand until you form a stiff dough.
~ Ma taught me to tape down paper on a large surface in which to work with the dough.  I 
    just cut open paper grocery bags and affix to our island.  She also suggests having 
    powdered sugar handy to sprinkle on the rolling surface and the pin, as well as the
    dough, as needed, so it doesn't stick.  Using the sugar works so much better, and is much 
    tastier, than flour.

~ Divide dough into two sections and cover the section you're not using with plastic wrap.  

~ Working quickly, roll out dough to about 1/4 inch (maybe a bit more) with flat rolling 

    pin.

~ Using Springerle pin, press and roll through the end of the flattened dough, doing your 

    best to apply consistent pressure to ensure fully embossed imprints.  If you look closely 

    at the picture below, you'll notice I worked a little too slow and the surface dried slightly, 

    causing some wrinkling.  If this happens, turn a blind eye (which I've done my fair share 

    of times) or pick up the dough, need slightly, and start over.

Below is the way the roll should look.

~ As each section is rolled out, use a pastry wheel or bench scraper to cut apart, following 
    the lines.

~ Allow cut cookies to dry a couple of hours (or more).  This will help the pictures stay put 
   when baking.
~ Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake between 255 and 325 degrees 
   for as long as they take to turn slightly golden, about 10-15 minutes.  Our oven worked 
   best at 325 degrees for 12 minutes this last batch.  Humidity and such plays a roll, so my 
   next round may require a different time.  I highly suggest you try baking one at a time 
   until you find the right temperature and length of time that works.

~ Store in airtight containers or in zipper bags in the freezer. They keep for months, and 
    improve with age. 

gingerbread christmas trees

If you are looking for a cookie to make today... one that will permeate the house with all things Christmas, one that will allow tiny hands to easily roll out and cut shapes, one that will be a hands-down success, you have found the perfect recipe!

Last year, I was given an issue of Food Network Magazine, and it highlighted gingerbread men with some of the cutest ideas for decorating them.  I would love to think that next year I might tackle a couple of the designs (they're pretty involved), but this year I kept them simple to add to my Rise 'n Shine goodie bags.  I have always, always loved the look of brown paper, twine, red and green yarns and felts, especially at Christmastime.  These rich, dark brown cookies were a perfect accompaniment.

I do believe the most exciting part of this endeavor was the Royal Icing.  I've tried it before, and it's gone just okay... but this time, it worked beautifully.  I'm really pumped now to try different sugar cookie designs using this icing.  I'm hoping the batch wasn't just a fluke and it will be just as easy next time around.

Tomorrow, I plan to share with you my absolute favorite cookie for the holiday season.  It dates all the way back to the 1600's...  so cool, unique, and extremely delicious!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Gingerbread Christmas Trees - 
makes approximately 10 large trees
Ingredients:

For the cookies

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 6 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp melted shortening
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg

~ Sift flour, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice in a bowl.  

~ In another bowl, mix butter and shortening along with the brown sugar and molasses.

~ Beat in egg with mixer.

~ Beat in the flour mixture in two additions.

~ Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic and pat to a 1/2 inch thick disc.  Chill 2 hours.

~ Preheat the oven to 350 F.

~ On floured surface, roll out each disc to 1/4 inch thick, dusting with flour, if needed.  

~ Cut gingerbread in desired shapes and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. 
    Brush off excess flour.

~ Chill 15 minutes.

~ Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a rack 
   and cool.

For the Icing

• 2 tbsp meringue powder
• 1 pound confectioner's sugar
• 6 tbsp water

~ Sift meringue powder and sugar in a large bowl.  

~ Beat in the water with a mixer until glossy with soft peaks.

~ Transfer icing to a resealable plastic bag or icing bag.  Fit with desired tip or snip off 
    corner of plastic bag tip and pipe.

Recipe from Food Network Magazine.

rise n' shine christmas bags

"There's a light in your eyes."

That's what John said the night I was making up the items to fill my Christmas goodie bags this year.  Our kitchen and dining room was like what I would imagine Santa's might be... Christmas music playing, little fingers coming in to sneak a bite here and there, twine and yarn strung all over the place...

I could do this for a living.  Don't know that anything would sell, but my-oh-my, would I have fun!

I thought I'd share with you what I included in the Rise 'n Shine Christmas bag:

Mini loaf of Amish White Bread

Caramel Apple Granola

Mini log of Blackberry Butter

Gingerbread Christmas Tree cookie

I topped it all off with a small bag of Dunkin' Donuts coffee.  Two of the recipes were previous posts, and you can link to them from above.  The other two I'll post soon.  In fact, make sure you have flour, salt, brown sugar, molasses, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, butter, shortening and eggs on hand.  We'll bake up the gingerbread tomorrow - a perfect Christmas Eve treat!

I hope you're enjoying time with family and friends.  Can't wait to share more with you in the days ahead...

Love to all!