It’s Great to be Eight!

Especially when turning “8” comes with edible flip-flop adorned rainbow cupcakes.

Earlier this month was my baby girl’s eighth birthday. Unfortunately, due to a bout of the flu on birthday party day, we had to postpone celebrating until last weekend. With these cute cupcakes, our Hawaiian luau was a great success!

We used this Vanilla Frosting Recipe to frost the rainbow-sprinkle-filled cupcakes. Buttercream or Swiss Meringue Buttercream would also work well. The swirl was made using a Wilton 1M tip.

How to make Rainbow Frosting

Prepare frosting and divide into 3 bowls (or as many colors as you are using). Tint each bowl with paste or gel food coloring. Place each color in a separate piping bag (or use Ziploc bags). Don’t fill bags all the way. An easy way to fill piping bags is to place the empty bag in a tall drinking glass and fold the top of the bag over the edge of the glass. Spoon frosting into the bag.

Secure tops of the filled bags using a rubber band or clip. You can secure them together or separately. Cut ends off of the bags. DO NOT put a piping tip on these bags.

Place a large tip (I used a Wilton 1M) on a separate clean bag. Place your frosting filled bags into the empty bag with the tip. Make sure that the ends of the frosting filled bags go into the tip of the empty bag. Don’t fill the frosting-filled bags too full, or they will not fit well in the empty bag. You will probably need to refill the bags before you are done frosting all of the cupcakes. To refill bags, place the entire set of frosting bags (leave them inside the bag with the tip) in a tall drinking glass. Remove rubber band or clip. Fill each bag with an equal amount of frosting. Re-secure the ends of the bags.

This technique also allows you to easily switch the frosting-filled bags to a different sized tip, if you want to create different effects on your cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Little J! Love you always!

Indian Samosa are delicious, but I find the homemade dough a little bit difficult to work with. So these are “Cheater Samosa” made with wonton wrappers. Be sure to use the small sized wrappers, about 4” squares.

Samosa are a fried Indian pastry, filled with everything from minced chicken or lamb, lentils, vegetables, or potatoes. The most common ones in the United States are Aloo Samosa, stuffed with a spiced potato and green pea filling.

The traditional triangular shape of samosa is easy to make when using wonton wrappers:

Working with one wonton wrapper at a time (keep remaining wrappers covered or they will dry out and become brittle), place about 1 Tbs of potato filling in the center of the dough.

Use your fingers to shape filling into a triangle shape.

Use your finger to slightly dampen all of the edges of the wonton wrapper with water. Fold the bottom edge of the dough up over the filling (it should overlap the filling by about 1 cm). 

Fold the two sides of the dough down over the filling, creating a triangle (the top corners should meet, slightly overlapping, in the center of the bottom folded edge). The two sides should overlap about 2 mm in the center of the samosa and where they meet the bottom edge of the dough. Pinch corners to keep filling from leaking during cooking. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers.

Stand each samosa triangle up on their bottom edge and press down slightly so that the samosa are self-standing.

To keep the samosa from sputtering while cooking and to help keep the edges sealed, let the water on the edges of the dough dry before cooking. This should only take 2-3 minutes. If you fry them in the order that you made them, the first samosa should be ready to cook by the time you have finished making the rest of the batch of samosa.

To cook, heat 1-2 inches of cooking oil in a skillet until hot. Reduce heat to medium and carefully place several samosa in the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once.

Use tongs to remove cooked samosa from oil. To keep samosa from getting soggy while draining excess oil, place a wire baking rack (like you use to cool cookies) over a double layer of paper towels. Place samosa on the baking rack while cooking remaining samosa.

Serve hot with mint or other flavored chutney.

Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the samosa with the mint cilantro chutney, but you can see it HERE served with grilled chicken. Samosa are best eaten just after cooking, but they can be prepared ahead and reheated just before serving.

TO PREPARE AHEAD: Prepare and cook samosa as directed. Cool and refrigerate. Reheat in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, or until hot. (You can also refry the cooked and refrigerated samosa for 1-2 minutes to reheat.)

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RECIPE:

Indian Samosa

2 potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 cup diced potatoes)
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs oil
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp Ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp kasuri methi (fenugreek)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbs green peas
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 package small (about 4” square) wonton wrappers (12-18 squares)
Cooking oil
Mint Cilantro Chutney (or other flavored chutney), for serving

Cook diced potatoes in a small amount of salted water until cooked through. Drain.

In a small skillet, heat oil until hot. Sauté onion until soft. Stir ginger, Ancho chili powder, coriander, garam masala, kasuri methi, salt, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper into onions in the skillet. Cook for 1 minute. Add cooked potatoes to the skillet. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to coarsely crush the potatoes. Mixture should be mashed enough to hold together, but not smooth. Stir in peas, lemon juice and cilantro. Remove pan from heat. If potato mixture is too dry to hold together, add about 1 Tbs of water and stir into the potatoes.

Working with one wonton wrapper at a time (keep remaining wrappers covered or they will dry out and become brittle), place about 1 Tbs of potato filling in the center of the dough. Use your fingers to shape filling into a triangle shape. Use your finger to slightly dampen all of the edges of the wonton wrapper with water. Fold the bottom edge of the dough up over the filling (it should overlap the filling by about 1 cm). Fold the two sides of the dough down over the filling, creating a triangle (the top corners should meet, slightly overlapping, in the center of the bottom folded edge). The two sides should overlap about 2 mm in the center of the samosa and where they meet the bottom edge of the dough. Pinch corners to keep filling from leaking during cooking. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers. Stand each samosa triangle up on their bottom edge and press down slightly so that the samosa are self-standing. Let samosa sit for 2-3 minutes while heating cooking oil. This will allow the water to dry so that the samosa do not sputter when cooking.

Heat 1-2 inches of cooking oil in a skillet until hot. Reduce heat to medium and carefully place several samosa in the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once.

Use tongs to remove samosa to a wire baking rack (placed over a layer of paper towels) after cooking. Serve hot with mint or other flavored chutney.

TO PREPARE AHEAD: Prepare and cook samosa as directed. Cool and refrigerate. Reheat in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, or until hot. (You can also refry the cooked and refrigerated samosa for 1-2 minutes to reheat.)

Makes 12-18 Samosa

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Mint Cilantro Chutney

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 of a small onion
1/2 – 1 fresh hot chili pepper (remove seeds if desired)
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh ground ginger
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp ground cumin (or 1 tsp whole cumin seeds)

Using a blender, food processor, or mortar & pestle, blend all ingredients until finely chopped. Add water 1 Tbs at a time (usually about 2-3 Tbs total) until chutney is desired consistency.

Makes about 1 cup chutney

I wish I could say that fish tacos are a favorite meal in our house. Unfortunately, I have a few fish-haters who refuse to like any kind of seafood. Even when, as in this case, the fish is extremely mild, “unfishy” and full of flavors they already enjoy. But I love them, so I continue to cook them for those of us who appreciate a change from your standard ground beef taco. The others eat the beans and cabbage drowned in the delicious cilantro dressing.

In the summer, I would add fresh homegrown tomatoes to these tacos. After growing my own tomatoes, however, I have a real aversion to grocery store tomatoes. They are always mushy or mealy, regardless of how red and beautiful they appear. So I will wait for summer to add them.

I like to use Cotija cheese in these tacos. Cotija is a firm mild cheese with a texture similar to feta, but without the saltiness. It crumbles easily with your fingers. Cabbage is also a must in fish tacos. The crunchiness of the cabbage makes a great contrast to the soft texture of the fish.

I serve these with a creamy cilantro dressing. It is full of cilantro, and just barely spicy. You can adjust the heat by varying the amount of jalapeno and Sriracha sauce in the dressing. I often make a double batch of the dressing and use it later as a salad dressing or raw vegetable dip.

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RECIPE:

Blackened Fish Tacos with Cilantro Dressing

4 firm white fish fillets (halibut, cod, snapper)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Ancho chili powder
1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 Tbs oil

Corn or Flour tortillas
Shredded green cabbage (about 2 cups)
Tomatoes, diced
Cotija cheese, crumbled
1 can black beans, drained and mixed with 1 Tbs lime juice

Cilantro Dressing:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions
1 fresh jalapeno
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 Tbs diced mild green chilies (about 1/2 of a 4 oz can)
2 Tbs fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 – 1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

—
Prepare cilantro dressing: Place all dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for about one hour. Use any leftover lime juice to mix with a can of drained and rinsed black beans.

Remove fish from refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Mix dry spices in a small bowl. Pat fish fillets dry and rub spices onto both sides of fish fillets.

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place fish fillets in the hot skillet and sear until cooked through (do not crowd pan; cook in 2 batches if necessary). Depending on the thickness and variety of fish, it should take about 3 minutes per side. Check for doneness with a fork: fish should flake easily, but not fall apart. Remove from pan and let fish rest for 2-3 minutes. Use a fork to separate fish into 2-3 pieces.

Serve fish strips in warm tortillas with shredded cabbage, tomatoes, Cotija cheese, black beans and cilantro dressing.

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Makes 8-10 tacos

Twenty-one years ago, about one year after Brian and I were married, we moved to Japan. Brian had just graduated with his undergraduate degree and had gotten a job with a Japanese investment bank in Tokyo. We were excited about the new opportunity, but as recent graduates our finances were very limited. We moved with 4 suitcases full of clothes, a mattress set, and a couple of boxes of dishes, towels and books. That was the extent of our net worth at the time. The suitcases came with us on the airplane; the other items went by slow boat and arrived about 3 months later.

Our first two weeks in Japan were spent in a luxury hotel in downtown Tokyo. The company paid for our stay in the hotel while we searched for an apartment to rent. The hotel room was paid for, but not any other expenses (like food). The company also provided a $1500 start-up bonus to help us set up our apartment and for living expenses until our first paycheck (one month later). That $1500 had to furnish an entire apartment, including refrigerator, stove, and furniture and cover utility deposits. Plus living expenses for the month. In a country where a gallon of milk cost about $10/gallon-and that was 2 decades ago. In a gross understatement, we lived very frugally for some time.

Our first meal in Japan was a company dinner of Kaiseki (a highly formal and decorative Japanese meal-very heavy on seafood in varieties I couldn’t begin to name). The next day we were on our own, for house-hunting and eating. This began my introduction to inexpensive Japanese street food: onigiri, tako-yaki, yaki-soba, and these fabulous steamed buns- Nikuman.

Nikuman are hot, soft steamed buns surrounding a spicy minced pork filling. These buns were one of my favorite new Japanese foods. They were delicious and cheap. The perfect combination for poor starving gaijin.

In Japan, I would never have dreamed of making these at home. They are readily available everywhere: from street vendors to convenience stores. Upon returning home, however, I wanted to try to recreate what had become not only a favorite food, but a nostalgic memory.

I have tried dough recipes that use either baking powder or yeast as a leavening. Although it takes a little more time, I highly recommend using a yeast dough. The resulting soft, light buns are worth the extra rise time.

To make the buns, flatten dough to form a circle about 5” in diameter so that the middle is slightly thicker than the edges (pinch edges of dough with your fingers to make edges thinner). Place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the circle.

Bring the dough up around the meat to the top, forming little pleats around the edges of the dough.

Slightly twist the dough to close it, and pinch it firmly to seal. If your dough is dry, moisten edges slightly with water before sealing.

Place the buns on  squares of parchment paper.  Let the buns rise for 15-20 minutes before steaming.

Add about 1 Tbs vinegar to the water in the bottom of a steamer (this helps keep the buns white). Bring water to a boil. Place buns with the parchment paper in the top of a steamer (a rice cooker or slow cooker can also be used to steam). Cover and steam for 20 minutes over high heat.

Serve hot. Buns can be eaten plain or dipped in soy sauce (plain or spicy: soy sauce + chili paste or hot mustard)

RECIPE:

Japanese Nikuman
—–(adapted from LaFujiMama and JustHungry)

Dough:
2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm (not hot) water
about 6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup very hot water (bring to a boil and then let cool for 5 minutes)
1 cup warm (not hot) milk
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs coconut oil, lard or vegetable shortening

Parchment paper
White vinegar

Cut the parchment paper into 24 squares about 3” square. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup warm water with a pinch of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the sugar water and proof 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together 5 cups of the flour and the sugar. Make a well in the center, add the hot water and mix rapidly. Add the warm milk and mix. Then mix in the yeast mixture, baking powder, and the shortening or lard. Mix well. Add the rest of the flour a little at a time until you have a workable dough (you may not need the entire additional 1 cup). Knead for a few minutes until the dough is soft and pliable.

Place dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel. Leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Divide the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and let rest for 5 minutes.

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Filling:
1 lb ground pork
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 (5 oz) can bamboo shoots, finely chopped
2 Tbs finely grated fresh ginger
1-2 Tbs chili garlic sauce (adjust based on how spicy you want it)
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs sesame oil

Mix the ground pork, onion, bamboo shoots and ginger in a large bowl. Add the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix the ingredients together until well incorporated.

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Assembling Buns:
To fill the buns, flatten each dough ball to a circle about 5” in diameter so that the middle is slightly thicker than the edges (pinch edges of dough with your fingers to make edges thinner). Place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the circle. Bring the dough up around the meat to the top, forming little pleats around the edges of the dough. Slightly twist the dough to close it, and pinch it firmly to seal. (If your dough is dry, moisten edges slightly with water before sealing.) Place the bun on the prepared squares of parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough and meat filling. Let the buns rise for 15-20 minutes before steaming.

Add about 1 Tbs vinegar to the water in the bottom of a steamer (this helps keep the buns white). Bring water to a boil. Place buns with the parchment paper in the top of a steamer (a rice cooker or slow cooker can also be used to steam). Cover and steam for 20 minutes over high heat.

Serve hot. Buns can be eaten plain or dipped in soy sauce (plain or spicy: soy sauce + chili paste or hot mustard)

Makes 24 buns

Looking for a banana muffin that is moist and full of banana flavor? This recipe (slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated) is your answer. It packs FIVE bananas into a single loaf of bread (or batch of 15-18 muffins).

I like bananas, but only if they are on the slightly green side. Once they are completely yellow or start to brown, I won’t touch them. I can push them on the kids for a little longer, but none of us are squishy banana fans. So I regularly have one or two bananas from a bunch that go “bad” before we eat them. So I peel and throw these overripe bananas into my freezer in Ziploc bags. Eventually those bags get to the bursting point, and I know I need to do some banana baking.

This recipe is one of our favorites. The bananas are cooked (in the microwave) until they are liquidy, and then the liquid is reduced to concentrate the banana flavor. You can add chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts to your liking.

The muffins also freeze nicely if you happen to have A LOT of bananas to use up and want to make multiple batches!

RECIPE:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (or Bread)
——————————(adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 large very ripe bananas
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line muffin tins with 15-18 paper liners, or grease muffin tins.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Place bananas in a microwave-safe bowl; cover with waxed paper. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Pour bananas into a strainer placed over a medium saucepan. Allow to drain, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Set banana pulp aside.

Place the saucepan with the banana liquid over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir banana pulp into the reduced liquid. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.

Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.

Pour batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 15-18 muffins

FOR BANANA BREAD: Spray a medium loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

Sometimes we all need a quick fix dinner that can be on the table in under 30 minutes. But we still want something healthy and delicious. This sautéed chicken and zucchini meal satisfies our entire family: I love that it is quick and healthy, and everyone loves the taste.

Don’t have zucchini? Or have too many zucchini-haters? Use any other vegetable of choice: asparagus is very nice, or green beans. You can even throw in a bag of frozen vegetables if you are short on fresh ones.

Serve on its own, or over cooked rice or pasta. With or without cheese.

Recipe:

Southwest Chicken and Zucchini Sauté

2 Tbs olive oil
4 chicken breasts (about 1 lb), diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
1 can yellow corn (or 2 ears fresh corn)
1 can chili seasoned tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for garnish

Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté chicken and onion until browned. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin and salt. Add zucchini to skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is crisp-tender. Stir in corn and tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Garnish with shredded cheese, if desired.

Serve alone, or over cooked rice or pasta.

Alyce’s original recipe was a delicious pureed black bean soup. I usually doctor it up a little by adding shredded chicken, corn, olives and pimentos to the pureed bean base, and serving it with fun and delicious toppings. If you are trying to please kids- it is all about the toppings. Crispy tortilla strips are their favorite. They are fast and easy to make (baked in the oven for 5 minutes) and can be made with either flour or corn tortillas. In the soup shown, I used a multi-grain flour tortilla.

The spiciness of the soup is completely up to you. Alyce’s recipe uses Spicy V-8 juice, but I don’t usually have that around here, so I use a can of spicy Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with onions, garlic and green chilies). If you want a milder soup, just use a can of regular tomatoes and go easy on the cayenne pepper (Ancho chili pepper has a nice flavor without the heat of cayenne).

RECIPE:

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Shredded Chicken
——————–(adapted from my friend Alyce)

2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cans beef broth
1 can Rotel tomatoes (or 1 cup Spicy V-8)
1 Tbs dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp pepper
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (or 2 cans undrained canned chicken)
1 can corn
1 small can sliced olives
1 small jar diced pimentos

Garnishes:
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro
Crispy Tortilla Strips (see below)

Heat olive oil in large stockpot. Cook onion, carrot, garlic, jalapeno, and celery until onions are soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, seasonings, and black beans. Cover and simmer for one hour. Puree in blender or with an immersion blender. Stir in chicken, corn, olives and pimentos. Cook 15 minutes longer. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro and crispy tortilla strips.

To cook in crockpot:Sauté vegetables in oil and place in crock pot with broth, tomatoes, seasonings and black beans. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Puree in blender or with an immersion blender. Stir in chicken, corn, olives and pimentos. Turn crock pot to high and cook 15-30 minutes longer, or until heated through. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro and crispy tortilla strips.

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Crispy Tortilla Strips

about 4 corn or flour tortillas
1-2 Tbs olive oil
Kosher (or other coarse) salt

Spread olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet. Cut tortillas into thin strips (a pizza cutter works nicely). Place on the baking sheet and use a spatula to toss the strips with the oil to lightly coat. Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until strips just begin to brown. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

Here are a few tips for keeping large quantities of cookies fresh:

• Refrigerate or freeze uncooked dough. Uncooked dough can be kept in Ziploc bags or wrapped in plastic wrap (especially logs of dough) in the fridge. Take out dough and bake small batches of cookies. Many types of cookies actually taste better after letting the dough sit in the fridge overnight before cooking.  For drop cookies, freezing dough is very helpful. Prepare cookie dough and place scoops of dough on parchment lined baking sheets. Freeze raw dough until solid, then transfer dough balls to Ziploc bags. Pull out just as many cookies as you want to bake.
• Refrigerate or freeze cooked cookies. Baked cookies will also stay fresh longer if stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Store cookies in Ziploc bags or seal-able containers and freeze or refrigerate until ready to serve. Be sure to keep different kinds of cookies in different containers. Mint and gingerbread cookies do not go well together!
• To store cookies at room temperature: You can still keep cookies fresh without freezing all of them. Use containers that are as air-tight as you can find. Place a small piece of BREAD in the container with the cookies. The bread will lose its moisture more quickly than the cookies, allowing the cookies to stay soft longer than they normally would. Replace the bread with a fresh piece as it dries out. This will not keep cookies soft indefinitely, but it will extend their shelf life to more than a week.

Just a note of warning: if you put bread in your cookie jar, every time your kids open the jar, they will ask, “How come there’s bread in the cookies?”  Some may even choose to eat the bread over the cookies, which will prompt you to ask (when you go to sneak another cookie for yourself get a cookie for a starving child), “What happened to the bread I put in the cookie jar?” No one, of course, will admit to eating the mysteriously disappeared stale bread.

P.S. This also works to keep your brown sugar soft. The bread will last much longer in your canister of brown sugar than in the cookie containers. Maybe because it doesn’t get opened quite as many times throughout the day!

Happy Baking!

DAY 1: Christmas Cherry Cookies

DAY 2: Blueberry Crumb Bars

DAY 3: Cherry Shortbread Squares

DAY 4: Chinese Almond Cookies

 DAY 5: Chocolate Covered Pretzels

 DAY 6: Nanaimo Bars

DAY 7:Sugar Cookie Bars

 DAY 8: Maple Cookies

DAY 9: Chocolate Walnut Puddle Cookies (Gluten Free)

DAY 10: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

  DAY 11: Cranberry Orange Pinwheels

 DAY 12: Candy Cane Kisses Cookies

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Enjoy a wonderful sugar-laden faith-filled Christmas season!

Still need more cookie ideas? Try these:

First Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies(2009)

Second Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies (2010)

Fun little Christmas colored cookies topped with candy cane flavored Hershey’s Kisses. These are great for making with kids. They love rolling the dough balls in colored sugar and pressing the Kisses into the warm cookies. I did find that the white chocolate kisses tend to collapse into themselves (melt) faster than the regular chocolate kisses. If you like this, press the Kisses into the cookies immediately after removing the cookies from the oven. If you want the Kisses to hold their shape, wait about 3 minutes before pressing the Kisses into the cookies. Don’t wait until they are completely cool, however, or the Kisses won’t “stick”.

These cookies are best made very small; they should be just barely bigger than the Kisses (after baking).

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RECIPE:

Candy Cane Kisses Cookies
——————-(from Hershey’s)

1 bag Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons milk
Red and Green colored sugar (about 3 Tbs each)

Preheat over to 350°F. Remove wrappers from about 4 dozen Kisses.

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into small 1-inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until cookies are barely set. Remove from oven; cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Yield: about 4 dozen very small cookies.