Christmas Cashew Ball Cookies

I'm obsessed with cookie recipes. I have hundreds of them on file. I create many of them myself. I enter a local Holiday Cookie Contest annually. I've been a finalist many times. The competition is so much fun. It's sponsored by The Dallas Morning News and Central Market. The judges are always well known Chefs and they keep us very well entertained while the judging is being done. They have drawings and door prizes and at some point during the event we all get our tupperware containers together and rush toward the table and "grab" all of the cookies that contestants have made to share. It's crazy fun! We go home with enough cookies to last us through the entire holiday season!
Here's another new favorite cookie recipe. I love Pecan Ball Cookies , but Cashews happen to be my favorite nuts. Well...... a tie with Pecans, since I do live in Texas and we love Pecans here!

Christmas Cashew Balls:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees to roast the Cashews. You'll reduce the temperature for baking.

1 C Cashews. (Roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Transfer them to a bowl to cool.
2 C Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
2 sticks of Butter, cubed and softened to room temperature.
2 C Confectioner's Sugar, divided.
1/2 tsp Vanilla

In a Food Processor:
Roasted Cashews
Flour
Salt
Pulse to a fine powder.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.

In the Food Processor:
Butter
1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar
Pulse until creamy smooth.
Add Vanilla and pulse  just to incorporate.
Add the Flour mixture and pulse until just combined.

Place the dough in a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Put remaining Confectioner's Sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Use a 1 1/2" Cookie Scoop to form the cookie balls. Roll them in the palm of your hand to smooth them.
Place them 1" apart on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
They'll be dry but still a bit soft.

Remove the pan to a rack for 5 minutes.

Gently roll the cookies in the bowl of Confectioner's Sugar.
Transfer the rolled cookies to the rack and cool completely.

If storing the cookies in an airtight container before serving, re-roll them in sugar just before serving

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Apple Bundt Cake, a Christmas tradition

This is my fresh Apple Cake recipe made in a Bundt Cake Pan.
It's a great Fall Cake. It evokes all of the traditional American Fall Cake flavors.

Here's what you'll need:
1 Bundt Cake Pan, brushed well with Pan Release Mix.(equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour.) I start with 1 C of each, mixed well in a jar and refrigerated. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl:
2 Eggs
2 C Granulated Sugar
1 C Vegetable Oil
1 Stick of Butter. melted
1 tsp Vanilla
Beat well with a hand mixer.
Set aside.

In another bowl, sift together:
3 C Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
Whisk together and add to the first bowl and beat until combined well.

Fold by hand into the mixture:
3 C Finely chopped Apple, that's been peeled and cored.
1 C chopped Pecans
1 C Raisins

Mix until well combined.
Pour into the cake pan and bake for 1 hour.
Remove pan and place on a rack.
Pour the topping over the hot cake and let it stand for 2 hours before removing it from the pan to a serving platter.

Topping:
In a saucepan on low medium heat:
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1 Stick of Butter
1/4 C Whole Milk

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Irene's Tarte aux Pommes from the South of France

This is from our friend in France. She makes the best Apple Tart. They live in La Bouilladisse in Provence.
I've learned so much from the way she cooks and I have many of her recipes. When we visit, I take Tex - Mex ingredients and we make some of our favorite Texas recipes. They love our food as much as we love theirs.

Tarte aux Pommes from Irene's Kitchen:
This recipe makes 2 Tarts.
I still have her original hand written and translated recipe. We had to convert everything from metric measurements when we got home. My wife has made it often and it's one of our family's favorite dessert recipes.
This is a rough draft and experience will help to make this Tart.
My wife has figured it out!

2 Eggs
3/4 C Sugar
1 Stick (8TBS) Butter, melted.
2 C + 2 TBS Flour
1 packet of Vanilla Sugar (2tsp) I buy it at World Market or our local German Deli.
1 Packet (2tsp) Baking Powder
1/2 C Whole Milk

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl.
Spread it out in 2 Tart Pans.

8 Apples, Peeled, cored and sliced.
The Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Mix well in a bowl.
Fan the Apple Slices over the batter.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the Topping.

2 Packets of Vanilla Sugar
3/4 C Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 sticks of Butter, cold and cubed.
1 1/4 C Flour
Mix well in a bowl and crumble over the apples.

Bake for 50 minutes.
Check to make sure it doesn't burn.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Coconut Cake with Coconut Lemon Glaze from Trisha Yearwood

Here's another great family recipe from Trisha Yearwood. This is her Grandmother's recipe.

Here's what you'll need:
1 - 9" Tube Cake Pan, brushed well with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour) I start by mixing 1 C of each in a jar and keep it refrigerated. I always have it available for all of my baking needs
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cake ingredients:

2 Stick (16 TBS) Butter, room temperature
2 C Granulated Sugar
6 Eggs, room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla
1 (16oz) box of Vanilla Wafers, finely crushed
1 (6oz.) package of Grated Coconut
1/2 C Chopped Pecans

Coconut Lemon Glaze ingredients:

2 C Granulated Sugar
2 TBS Cornstarch
A pinch of Salt
Zest of 2 Lemons
1/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 C Water
1 (6oz.) package of Grated Coconut


In a Stand Mixer with a paddle attachment:
Butter
Sugar
Beat until creamy.
Add:
Eggs
Vanilla
Beat well to combine.
Fold in by hand:
Vanilla Wafers
Coconut
Pecans
Pour batter into the pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove the pan to a rack and cool for 10 minutes.
Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.

Make the Glaze

In a saucepan on medium heat:
Sugar
Cornstarch
Salt
Lemon Zest
Lemon Juice
Water
Coconut
Cook for 15 minutes, until it thickens.
Set Aside to cool.

Invert the cake, right side up onto a  large serving platter.
Poke holes in the cake with a toothpick.
Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Chai Tea 101

We had some amazing Chai Tea while on vacation in L.A.
Our son Taylor introduced us to Dirty Chai Latte.
Here's a great recipe to make your own mix.
It reminded me of Christmas  and I'll make this mix and have it available to serve during the Holidays.

Homemade Chai Tea Mix.
This is my favorite mix.
I simply double the recipe for two of us.
When it's finished, I strain it into a 2 C Pyrex Measuring Cup. It' makes it easier to divide for two drinks.
I also use an espresso cup to measure the coffee for our individual Latte.

For each 8 oz. cup of Chai tea:
1/2 C whole milk
1/2 C water
2 tsp Sugar (Optional) I don't use it.
1 tsp loose Black Tea Leaves. I buy my tea leaves at an Indian Market.
1/4 tsp Chai Massala Mix. (recipe to follow)

Place all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat.
Heat until bubbles appear around the perimeter of the pan.
Stir often to avoid scalding the milk. Adjust the heat if necessary.
Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir well.
Return to heat and bring to boil again, turn off the heat, remove the pan and stir again.
Set aside and allow to steep for 3 minutes.
Strain into a mug and serve hot.
NOTE:
Enjoy it by itself as a Chai Tea Latte.
For a Dirty Chai Tea Latte, add 1 shot of espresso.
For a Filthy Chai Tea Latte, add 2 shots of espresso.


Chai Masala Mix:
1 C + 3 TBS roughly ground black pepper
3/4 C + 1 TBS ground ginger
1/4 C +2 TBS ground cinnamon
1/4 C + 2 TBS ground Cardamom
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground nutmeg.

Namaste!

Treacle Tart

We were in England for Christmas 2012. It was an amazing time to be there. We visited Birmingham for the German Christmas Market, London for all of it's splendor and Windsor with all of it's charm. We're ready to see more of the English Countryside on our next visit. The last time I visited England was in 1970. It was time to return.
One of the amazing desserts we experienced was the Treacle Tart. I've never tasted anything like it in the States.
It's a traditional English dessert. It's prepared by using a shortcrust pastry, with a thick filling of Golden Syrup also known as Treacle. Breadcrumbs and Lemon Zest. The Tart is served warm with a dollop of Clotted Cream, Ordinary Cream, Ice Cream or Custard.


Here's what you'll need:
 1 - 8" Fluted Tin or Quiche Pan.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. You'll lower it at a lair stage of the baking.

3/4 C Golden Syrup (we buy ours at a British Emporium in our town)
1 1/2 C Fresh White Bread Crumbs.
Grate the rind of 1 Lemon.
2 TBS of Fresh Lemon Juice

Pastry:
1 1/4 C Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
9 TBS Butter, chilled and cubed
4 TBS Ice Water

Make the Pastry:

In a medium bowl:
Flour
Salt
whisk together.
Cut in the cold butter with a pastry knife until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
Using a fork, stir in just enough Ice Water to keep the dough together.
Gather it into a ball, knead it lightly, wrap in plastic wrap an refrigerate for 20 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to 1/8".
Transfer to the pan and trim off the excess and reserve for lattice top.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In a saucepan:
Warm the Syrup on medium heat, until it melts.
Remove from heat and stir in the Breadcrumbs and Lemon Zest.
Set aside for 10 minutes.
Add additional Breadcrumbs at this time if the mixture appears too thin and moist.
Stir in the Lemon Juice.
Spread the filling evenly into the crust.

Gather the pastry scraps and roll out into 12 thin lattice strips.
Twist them into spirals and lay half of them across the filling.
Arrange the remaining strips at right angles to form a lattice or use an "over under" technique to weave the strips. Press the ends into the crust to seal.
Place the pan on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Lower the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 15 minutes, the top should be golden in color.

It can be served warm or cold.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Baked Graham Cracker Squares with.......... Oats, Chocolate and Pecans!

One more incredible Dessert Bar to add to the list of favorite desserts.

This is an adaptation of a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. 

I'm part of a team that critiques and chooses magazine covers for a variety of magazines.

This was one of the magazine covers I picked. I felt that it would be proper to post one of the recipes.

I chose a Yummy recipe from the issue.

Here's what you'll need:

1 - 15"X10"X1" sheet pan lined with foil extending over all sides.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

24 Graham Cracker rectangles

1 1/2 C Rolled Oats

3/4 C Granulated Sugar

3/4 C Brown Sugar

3 TBS Flour

1 Egg, beaten

2/3 C Butter, melted

1 tsp Vanilla

2 C Chocolate Chips

1 C Coarsely chopped Pecans

Place all of the Graham Crackers in the pan, in a single layer.

In a medium mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon:

Oats

Granulated Sugar

Brown Sugar

Flour

Mix well.

Stir in, by hand with a wooden spoon:

Egg

Butter

Vanilla

Mix until combined.

Spread evenly over the Graham Crackers

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with Chocolate Chips and continue to bake for 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the oven to a cooling rack.

Spread out the melted chocolate with an offset spatula.

Sprinkle the top with the Pecans.

Allow the pan to cool completely on the rack.

Use the foil to lift it out of the pan, remove the foil and cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!