My Favorite Sugar Cookie recipe

I really love this recipe and to add to the Christmas fun, I made cookie mittens and put them in stockings for an added surprise.........This is the second year I have used this recipe, it is just so quick and easy and the decorating is the best part of this timeless tradition in our home.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Do not preheat oven_ this dough must chill before baking

1 1/2 cups butter melted

2 cups white granulated sugar

4 eggs beaten

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups of flour (no need to sift)

Mix the melted butter with the sugar. Let cool. Add the beaten eggs, baking powder, salt, and vanilla

Add the flour in 1 cup increments

Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours. Overnight is fine too.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 with rack in the middle position.

Divide the dough into four parts for ease in rolling. Roll out the first part of dough on a floured board. It should be about 1/8 thick.

Dip the cookie cutters in flour and cut out cookies, getting as many as you can from the sheet of dough. Use a metal spatula to remove the cookies from the rest of the sheet of dough and place them on an Ungreased cookie sheet. Leave at least 1 1/2 in between cookies.If you want to use colored sugar or sprinkles to decorate, put them on now, before baking. If you'd rather frost the cookies, wait until they are baked and cooled.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until delicately golden in color. Leave them on the sheet for a minute or two and then transfer them to a wire rack to completely cool.

Icing:

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

a pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup cream

Mix up icing, adding a little more cream if it's too thick and a little more powdered sugar if it's too thin.

If you like to frost the cookies in different colors, divide the icing and put it in several small bowls. Add drops of the desired food coloring to each bowl.

Use a frosting knife or a brush to paint the cookies you've baked.

I never enjoyed making Sugar cookies until I found this recipe in JoAnne Fluke's book the Sugar Cookie Murder

To Die for Eggnog

This eggnog is so sweet and delicious you'll want to enjoy it year round, it will also make an outstanding Milkshake for summer

To Die for Eggnog

To Make:

2 eggs, well beaten

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 quart whole milk

1 Cup Heavy cream, whipped

Nutmeg for sprinkling on top

Beat eggs, canned milk, vanilla salt and milk for 5 min. Blend in whipped cream. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Chill 2-6 hours and stir before serving.

"A Eggnog recipe all family members can enjoy"

****I found the recipe in a Paper Crafts magazine

November 2006

Merry Christmas 2006

Merry Christmas to all..................I wish for Peace on Earth and Good Will toward Mankind!!!!.............? Maybe someday.........But for now............My heart felt appreciation to all of our troops in Iraq..............Perhaps everyone will be home for Christmas next year..............Who knows what the future holds.

With Sincere Thanks for all you do for our Country...........God Bless

"Merry Christmas to all and all a good night!"

Three-Gingerbread Cupcakes

Oh nothing says Christmas without Gingerbread...........Whether it is Gingerbread men cookies, a Gingerbread house or cupcakes............It is just a wonderful tradition.
And these are quite grand, bursting with extreme flavor.......I recommend you try them.

This recipe can also be found in Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman

Three Gingerbread Cupcakes

Makes about 12 cupcakes

1 1/2 all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Dash each of grated nutmeg and ground cloves

1/2 (1 stick) unsalted butter room temp.

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 heaping Tablespoon of grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup milk

3 Tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Frosting

1 cup whipping cream, chilled

4 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

To Make

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add vanilla and grated ginger. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk, beating continually. When batter is smooth, fold in crystallized ginger.

Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool

To make frosting, whip cream with an electric beater until almost stiff. Gradually add sugar and ground Ginger, beating constantly, until stiff peaks form. Fold in grated fresh Ginger and frost cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with ground ginger (go easy) and decorate with slice of crystallized Ginger if you so choose. These cupcake have to be frosted just before serving them.

The idea for decorating these cupcakes came from Michael's The Art and Crafts store, using Wilton's Christmas candy Making kit..........You won't believe how easy it is to make these homey holiday cupcakes.

"Over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house we go!"

The Nutcracker cake

This is a conglomeration of three different ideas in one. I saw this cake on bright ideas.com website and since we were going to see the Nutcracker ballet, last weekend, I thought it to be the perfect dessert to have with coffee after...........We had such a wonderful time and I believe it really makes my Christmas season, that much more enjoyable, I just can't imagine my Holidays without it.........I love the costumes and music...............Love the Music!!!

I found the snow globe on EBay and I thought it would make the perfect topper and the cake, I decided to make a Tiramisu Toffee Torte. This cake is rich and creamy and really tantalizes the taste buds.........I think it is the toffee bits that set it apart. This version of Tiramisu,is actually a layered "torte" that's filled and frosted with a delectable creamy coffee and chocolate combination.

This recipe can be found in Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off and was made by Christie Henson of Conway, Arkansas Bake-off contest 35, 1992 winner.

Tiramisu Toffee Torte

Cake:

1 pkg pudding included white cake mix

1 cup strong coffee, room temp.

4 egg whites

4 toffee candy bars, finely chopped

Frosting:

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup chocolate syrup

1/2 ( 8-oz pkg.) plus (4oz) cream cheese, softened

2 cups whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup strong coffee, room temp.

Garnish with:

Snickers Nutcracker men candy bars (about 8) depending on how you place them.

and Red and Green M & M's

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-8 inch round cake pans. In large bowl, combine cake nix 1 cup coffee and egg whites at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at high speed. Fold in chopped toffee bars. Spread batter in greased and floured pans.

Bake at 350, Bake 9 inch pans 20-30 minutes, bake 8-inch pans 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, remover from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

In medium bowl, combine sugar, chocolate syrup and cream cheese, beat until smooth. Add whipping cream and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble cake, slice each layer in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Drizzle each cut side with 1/4 cup coffee. Place 1 layer coffee side up on serving plate, spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Repeat with second and third cake layers. Top with remaining cake lay. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting.

Garnish as you wish...........

"Happy Holidays to you and yours"

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I am having a few friends over and thought this bundt cake would make a great dessert to enjoy with our coffee or tea............And I decorated it to look like a Christmas wreath which is very simple and easy to do, wrapping a bright red ribbon around the cake and make a bow and sprinkle with what I like to call Christmas cheer............

What is it??, it is Apple Cider Cake and I found the recipe at Bright Ideas. com. I was going to make it for Thanksgiving but ran out of time.

It's spicy, It's sweet, It's a great Christmas Treat. Why not make it for your family this Holiday season.

Apple Cider Cake

1 bag Milky way brand fun size, unwrapped

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

1 15-oz can solid pumpkin

1/2 cup apple cider

5 Tablespoons condensed milk

12 cup bundt cake pan

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

2. Reserve 10 milky way bars to be used in the drizzle, (I only used 5.) I wanted more in my cake. Chop the remaining candy. But don't forget to reserve the 1/2 cup for decoration.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt.

4. In a separate bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and stir in the pumpkin puree. The mixture will be loose and wet.

5. Using a low speed blender, mix the flour with the batter, one third at a time. Blend well after each addition. Stir in the apple cider until smooth.

6. Spoon half of the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Using the chopped candy, make a layer on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter.

7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

8. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan, and invert it onto a cake plate. Unmold the cake from the pan, letting it carefully slip out.

9. To make drizzle, melt the reserved Milky Way bars with condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl for 20-30 sec on low. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the Milky way mixture over the top of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with a sprinkle of the 1/2 cup reserved chopped candy

Time for a Victory Lap

As I get ready to watch the festivities from New York and we celebrate Jimmie Johnson's 2006 NASCAR Championship, I thought it was time to make these cupcakes to celebrate with................

I have follow Jimmie since his rookie year, I have meet him twice and have seen him, win 2 races in Vegas, 2005 and 2006. He really is a wonderful person and a great mentor for children.

My Husband is a Matt Kenseth fan and my son is a Carl Edwards fan. But with Jimmie beating out Matt Kenseth at the end of this year's race in Vegas it made for an interesting ride home, as well as the Chase for the Championship,too.

We have so much fun when we go to Vegas Speedway, I am not a fan of Fontana or Sonoma. There is just to much chaos and they are both dirty........But Vegas is great and where we sit we can see the whole track.

We have a group of 8 all family and friends that we go with, what makes it so much fun No two people have the same driver, we also have a Tony Stewart fan, Kyle Busch fan, Jeff Gordon fan, Kasey Kahn fan and Jeff Burton fan plus an Michael Waltrip fan. It makes for a lot of good bantering .

We tailgate for both races the Busch and the Cup race ............Last year was the worst year thou, we all froze to death, and it almost snowed. Thank goodness for the heater in the Motorhome!!

But even as the season ends, I already have my season tickets for next year and am all ready counting down the days till my next trip to Vegas. With a new track and new garage areas that the fans will have access to, it really should be great to get even closer to the action.

"Congratulations Jimmie Johnson #48"

"Till the end of next season, Yes I plan to gloat!!!"

and in case you are wondering Yes!! Jimmie signed my shoes!!!