Kris Kringles

I have been asked for this recipe many times. The secret is in how you mix it and a Kitchenaid is a must.

Kris Kringles- Loretta Ambuske

1.5 cup powdered sugar

1.5 cup unsalted butter- (in tbsp. sized pats)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 of almond extract (I like a bit less than the 1/4 tsp. called for)

2 egg

4 cups flour

Use a Kitchenaid mixer- Combine sugar and flour in bowl, "cut" the butter in 1/2 cup of pats at a time like you would a pie crust until crumbly, add eggs then extracts and mix until the dough forms a ball. Pat into rounds and chill before rolling.  Roll out into 1/4-1/2 inch thickness.  Bake at 375 (on silpat if you have it) for 9 minutes- 1 -2 minutes more if the shapes are large.  This dough does not get "brown" you know it's done when the dough looses it's sheen on the top.  Cook for 9 minutes and let sit on the silpat on top of the oven for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack so they don't break. Let completely cool before icing (preferably overnight) because it is a fragile dough.  You don't cream the butter and sugar on this recipe so that the cookies stay flat and don't get bubbles in them.

I drink wine while I bake...so pre-measuring all batches is a good idea!  I have been known to leave the ground meat out of goulash before and not notice until I am 1/2 way through eating it.

1- Four and Sugar

2- butter

I haven't timed how long to let the butter sit out (I should do that) but a good rule of thumb and description is that it is soft to the squeeze, not the touch.  It's still uniformly whiter than yellow in color.  It sticks to the paper but not enough to need a knife to scrape it off as you dump into the bowl.  It's not the temperature that would be perfect for spreading on toast, it's one step cooler and firmer than that.  

3- mix on medium to reverse cream

4- check the "lumps" of butter.  You want lumps the size on my ring finger and not as big as what is at the base of my pinky finger.

5- Mix on Med/High each egg, 1 at a time.  I love how eggs keep all their own stuff together, even when put in a bowl with other eggs!

6- 1/4 way there- keep mixing

7- 1/2 way there! The mixture will all of the sudden pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball on the whip.

8- YOU MADE IT!!!  Once the mixture starts spreading back out and sticking more to the bowl than the whip, you are done!

9- PERFECT!

The dough will plop out with just your hands, no spatula needed.  Place it in the middle of a piece of Saran Wrap and form it into a disc that is flat and round for rolling out.  Chill over night.    You will need to take the rounds out about 20 minutes before you want to roll out the dough unless you are married to Thor and he or she likes rolling out dough.  Once the dough is rolled and shapes are cut out I always bake on silpat for perfectly done cookies.  Remember- this dough doesn't get brown and you want the cookies to bake evenly....silpat is great for that!

Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes.

Bread Crumbs & Seasonings

I was shocked when I saw the exhaustive list of things I couldn't even pronounce on my bread crumb tin (check out the long list on the label).

So, I dumped them out and made my own.

I save leftover ends of bread or 1/2 loaves in the freezer to reheat and eat with olive oil, salt and pepper. It's a good tide you over snack while you are cooking. I buy a lot of ciabatta type breads from Central Market and Whole Foods so I always seem to have bread around that won't keep very long. My body would not like if I downed a loaf of bread with dinner even though my mouth might think it's a good idea.




What you need-

4 C day old breads cubed
1/4 C good parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of Italian Seasoning and a food processor

I put mine back in the canister and put the canister in a zip lock back and put them in the freezer since there are no preservatives in the mix.  I need breadcrumbs that are toasted and not toasted, depending on the recipe so I left these raw and will toast them if needed as I go.

I have found several alternatives to seasoning mixes for fajita's, tacos and salad dressing.  It's so simple, cheaper and better for you.  You would be surprised how many things have MSG in them. 

Summer Sun Pasta

King Ranch Chicken

RECIPE HERE

The verdict was...."it was good".  Here are the things I like about it:

1. It doesn't ask for soup in a can, all the foods are whole and fresh
2. One roasted chicken is the perfect amount of chicken, without using much of the dark meat

Tips-

1. Always shred your own, good cheese.  Preshredded cheese has a starchy consistency to keep it from clumping together and can taste alittle plastic
2. Make 2 smaller pans
3. DON'T over soak the tortillas- mine got too soggy
4. Keep the tortillas whole, as the recipe calls for.  I thought I would be clever and cut them into strips like lasagna and I think I will try whole next time
5. You can adjust the heat if you have kiddo's or people who don't like spicy by using diced tomatoes instead of Rotel
6. Immediately take the peppers from the over and cover them in plastic wrap.  Let them sit until they cool off enough to touch.  The peels come off much easier.
7. Wear rubber gloves when chopping and handling peppers- I keep a box of restaurant gloves in my kitchen to use with peppers, garlic, shallots etc.!!

Cooking

If you know me at all...you know I love to cook.  Being single and living on my own (for the first time EVER really) has resulted in me having a different outlook on dinner.  A dinner of hummus, apples, cheese, nuts or leftover toddler dinner (plain pasta, 1/2 eaten chicken nugget, tots) is considered a good dinner in my book.  13 years of Cooks Illustrated and several other award winning cookbooks are just sitting on my shelf...gathering dust. 

So, I got a nudge when I someone came over and the only thing I had for dinner was Mac & Cheese.  I went through my freezer and pantry and decided to make some food, with love, freeze it, share it or eat it!

With what I had already in my freezer:
Ground Chicken
Chicken Thighs
Italian Sausage
Chicken Sausage

I spent $66.54 at Sam's Club and $33.88 at Walmart ($5 for a Matter T-Shirt)

Recipes to come for:
Make Aheads-

• Shredded Chicken Burittos smothered in Hatch Chili (Made 14 and freezed them without the sauce)
• King Ranch Chicken (used a whole roasted chicken from Sam's and the rest of the tortillas from above)
• 2 Shredded Chicken Quesadillas

30 Minute Whip Ups-

• Skillet Greek Lasagna with Greek Chicken Meatballs
• Chicken Sausage & Pasta with fresh Mozzerella
• Omlets
• Artichoke Dip
• Skillet Italian Lasagna

Dessert-

• Chocolate Chip Scones

Braised Brussels Sprouts

I have a new love of greens, green-greens! I will post some more of my recent dishes (black bean soup with Mustard Greens, Brussels Sprouted green leaves with spinach)  Before anyone disses me about these, they are just little cabbages, people! If you like cabbage, you like Brussels Sprouts!! The Dijon mustard glaze at the end is what makes it a second helping dish.

See the full recipe HERE

Pommes Anna

Pommes Anna with rutabagas and potatoes....one word... Delicious!! Why don't people eat rutabagas anymore?? I think I need a root vegetable garden because the turnip fries were also super tasty last night. Local, organic produce delivered by Greenling might just change my life!!! Martha Stewart root veggie recipes HERE

Peaches & Honey

Every time I spend time with Carrie and Ben Christie, I think "I should spend more time with Carrie & Ben Christie"!  It's a good thing that my "what's in the pantry?" attitude to having guests over for dinner turned into this wonderful dessert. They certainly deserve something this special.  I just wish I could say that it was more than kismet that it all came together :) Peaches from my Costco hunny, honey from Aunt Jenn, a little direction from Martha and voila...amazing dessert!

PS. Trevor has been unusually shy around people lately, clingy and whiny...it's not fun for either of us.  But, tonight he almost immediately took Ben by the hand to play in his room.  Well, maybe it's just Ben's great way with kids but it was a fun site to see.  He said "Daddy's and Mommy's, watch this!" to get our attention while we were eating dinner.  As if to say that all men were Daddy's and women Mommy's, maybe?  Hopefully not because he is desperate to have a Daddy around more often. I can beat myself up for days over this one...but, I won't...I hope!