Snickerdoodles for Santa

"SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM!"
Merry Christmas to everyone!  I hope Santa brought you and yours everything you wished for!!  I also hope you left Santa some warm cinnamony Snickerdoodles to keep him full throughout his night!

Santa Sized Snickerdoodles
Recipe from Carol Cotner Thompson

Yield:38-40 big cookies

4 1/2 C. flour
4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
½ lb. butter
1 C. veg. shortening
3 C. sugar
4 eggs,room temp.
1 T. vanilla


1 c. sugar

2 T. cinnamon

Combine and sift dry ingredients
Cream butter, shortening & sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
Gently add flour mixture.
Roll golf ball size dough balls in sugar cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes.
*dough can be refrigerated up to 48 hours before baking.

Holiday Treats

This year, some friends of mine had the annual "Ugly Christmas Sweater" party.  Ugly Christmas Sweaters... when did you become a thing?  Although enjoyable, I think these sweaters are best when they have tangible decorations on them like extra fuzzy mittens, actual beads as garlands on the christmas tree, or little bells on the reindeer's antlers.  oooo! Our group this year only had a few good sweaters, but I personally think we played enough embarassing charade like games to make up for the lack of embarassment in our clothing. 

Anyway, Christmas party!  I took it as a perfect excuse to make a massive amount of paper snowflakes and an unhealthy amount of holiday treats!  Those that made the list this year?  A revisit to Oreo Truffles, Chocolate Fudge, and get this... Maple Bacon Kettle Corn!!!!! 

For the Oreo Truffles, I made them the same as before, but for half the batch I used Mint Oreos and added a little Peppermint extract to both the oreo mixture and the melted chocolate.  The regular ones I sprinkled with some rainbow sprinkes, and the mint ones with crushed candy canes. 

 

I love a good fudge.  Who doesn't?  It really doesn't come around often enough.  I used a Max Brenner recipe for Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge Candy.  I poured some of it in heart shaped Ice Trays and got heart shaped fudge!

And the star... Maple Bacon Kettle Corn.

First of all, Kettle Corn is a beautiful thing.  Get me a bag from the farmers market and I'll probably eat the giant size in one sitting.  I'd do as my mother taught me:  put some in a cup so I don't eat too much.  But with Kettle Corn, I just keep filling that dang cup up, no questions asked, and definitely no shame... at least until I realize it's all gone.  This story is all too familiar...
BUT cook the kettle corn in bacon fat?  Add some crispy bacon drizzled in maple syrup?  Bacon + Kettle Corn? ....I die. 

 

The pictures don't do it justice.  But believe me, this kettle corn is definitely holiday party worthy.  Turns out popcorn plus bacon is a winning combination.  I found this recipe on Joy the Baker who I've started to fall completely in love with.

Happy Holidays!

Scones: Two Ways

  

Scones make me think of Tea Time.  Of England.  Of fancy things and hats. 

I have cousins who have british accents.  One of them lives in London, so I guess that makes sense.  But both were raised in San Diego and one still lives there!  How does that happen?  I listen to them and wish that I could sound cute and British like they do.  Maybe I'll have to move to the UK and just practice, and then never lose it.  Oh and also meet my future husband, and wear tartan coats, and take a stroll on Primrose Hill.  Oh wouldn't it be lovely?

During college, my roommates and I used to speak in our "British accents" on a normal basis.  These accents were less than lovely and usually we sounded like something closer to Rose from the Golden Girls or a 3 year old child wondering where her scottie dog was.  Plus our conversations usually were centered around things like Taco Bell or what kind of 2 buck chuck we wanted to buy that night.  Anyway, if I could go back, I think I'd like to have a tea party with all of my roommates and our bad accents.  A tea party complete with scones.  Delicious Blueberry Lemon Scones and Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze.  But honestly, I think if we had a real tea party and spoke only in our accents, we would be in tears of laughter in no time.

As inspiration for your own tea party, make these scones!  I made them for a going away brunch at work, but the blueberry ones have been a staple in my brunch baking in the past.  The pumpkin ones were new this fall, and I made up a maple cinnamon glaze to sweeten them up a bit. 

The trick to scones is not to overmix them. Some scones can be tough and hard, but both of these recipes are really tender.  You want to keep your butter cold and incorporate it quickly.  If the butter doesn't get overworked, your scones will be nice and flaky!

Would you fancy some Earl Grey Tea with your scone? Right-O. These are just the dog's bollocks! Cheerio!

Strawberry Cupcakes

There’s something about a strawberry cupcake that takes me straight back to childhood.  Strawberry cake, along with big swirly lollipops, bubbles, candy buttons (anyone else?), and crayons.  While the others are a given, I’m not sure why strawberry cake does it for me.  I don’t even remember eating a strawberry cake when I was little.  It doesn’t sound like something my mom would make me.  And forget that pink instant cake box.  While I would clearly eat it, I’m sure my mom wouldn’t lay a finger on it.  

For my roommate’s birthday this year, I took a shot at strawberry cupcakes.  My roommate also loves strawberry cake.  To be honest, who wouldn’t like it? Especially these cupcakes studded with actual strawberries rather than flavoring or syrup or food coloring.  The raw cake batter was delicious.  I almost didn't want to bake them. 

Also, are pink things usually more delicious?  I’m not that girl that likes everything pink, but I think since cupcakes are already cute, pink just seals the deal.  Maybe cupcakes were made to be pink.  Maybe all the pink is part of the reason these cupcakes take me back to when I was a little girl.  Oh, you suggest a heart shaped strawberry on top? Oh what a good idea!

They were perhaps the girliest thing I have ever made, for a not so girly friend, and by a not so girly me, but luckily they were awesome. I think even the manliest of men would enjoy a little strawberry cupcake with pink frosting and a heart garnish!

Make them! And prepare to let your inner child out to play!  Maybe keep some crayolas nearby...

A Late Halloween Post

Halloween is probably that one holiday that is only about fun.  There isn't any stress to create some huge meal for your 30+ people family or to buy and wrap a dozen presents.  The only real traditions are carving a giant squash and eating a crazy amount of candy and not feeling bad about it..... both of which I did.  I discovered this year that I'm obsessed with candy corn. I bought three 1 lb bags on November 1 just to get me through the fall.

Although it's been a while since Halloween, I thought I'd share all the festive and delicious items of my holiday.
Mine was complete with baked brie, mummy cupcakes, hot cider, and a lovely care package! Also, jello shots were included, but let's not discuss those.

 

The baked brie was made with homemade puff pastry and a layer of raspberry preserves.  Look at those flakes and that oozing cheese!  Is there anything more delicious than baked brie?

 

 

 

Cute right?  These little living dead treats are pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  We decorated them using a pastry bag with the flat line tip to make the mummy wrap.

 

 Fire burn and cauldron bubble! My friend made a Spiced Rum Apple Cider (in my wok, not my cauldron).  Gargantuan cinnamon sticks are completely necessary.

 

My mom sent me a Halloween care package!  It's her tradition.  This year I lucked out with decorative paper plates and napkins, a couple Halloween dish towels, a basting brush (I've been needing one of these!), See's candy (score!), and CANDY CORN!

Hope your Halloween was happy too!

Homemade Bagels

I'm obsessed with Bagels.  If I didn't think/ know that by eating too many bagels I would start looking like a bagel myself, I might eat them for every meal.  I'm not sure if its the actual bagel or the oh so appealing cream cheese factor, but I can't get enough. 
I'm not talking about Noah's Bagels.  While they get the job done, I am really not a fan of their squishy, airy texture.  Bagels are supposed to be dense and chewy; and when they are, everything is right in the world. 
I think if I lived in New York I might gain 10 lbs.  I'd likely eat a whole wheat everything every day!!!
Anyway, I've been wanting to make homemade bagels due to my love of them, and it finally happened!
Here's the steps:
Broil, Boil, and Bake!  Catchy!
First you make your dough and knead it. 

Bagels are actually pretty simple, but they do take some time.  Because of the yeast in the dough, the dough takes time to rise.

Then the bagels will need to be formed, and then they need to proof again. 

After all that, it's Broil....

Boil...

and Bake!

I made half whole wheat bagels and half plain bagels. 

I minced some garlic and put it atop a couple of the bagels just for kicks.

 

 

They came out to be a great texture.  I wasn't really sure how the recipe would turn out because I'd never made bagels before.  But yes! They were dense and chewy and perfect. They were a bit crisp/crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside.  As I describe them I am dreaming about eating them again.... sigh.

Plus they gave me an excuse to eat as much cream cheese as possible!  Breakfast time!! 

I got the recipe from All Recipes, and made half with AP Flour and half with AP Whole Wheat Flour.

'Tis the Season?

It's October!  That means changing leaves, boots, scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, and blustery days, right?  Well apparently not this year!  Los Angeles is having a hell of an Indian Summer.  It was 100 degrees yesterday! What?!  I'm all about hot weather, but I'm not all about LA not being able to make up it's mind about what type of weather to have.  Sometimes it decides to dabble in the clouds and rain, and then it gets finicky and reverts right back to old faithful, stronger than ever before.  Well I'll tell you one thing,  Los Angeles can keep the leaves green, take my boots away, but I refuse to let go of pumpkin in October!

Pumpkin baking and pumpkin flavored things are definitely a highlight of the fall months.  I'll admit, I'm a pumpkinphile and will likely be swayed by anything that is pumpkin flavored.  It's like a disease.  But don't worry, I stocked up already with 4 cans of pumpkin, 2 cartons of pumpkin cream cheese, and a canister of pumpkin coffee! I literally went out and bought pumpkin on October 1st.  Before going in to Trader Joe's I told Cole, "Get ready, because I'm going to go bat shit crazy."  And I did.

I love how pumpkin and all of its accompanying spices make the house smell.  And look at that orange color!  This October, I've already made Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Cookies!

 

The Cream Cheese Bars I sort of devised on my own, swirling in two layers of a pumpkin cream cheese mixture.  I think it helped make them extra soft and creamy!

The cookies are probably the most popular pumpkin cookies.  My roommates and I in college used to devour Pumkin Chocolate Chip cookies whenever it was the season for them!

 

This time I made three different types.  Some with mini chocolate chips, some with oatmeal and mini chocolate chips, and some with oatmeal, mini chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips!  I like oatmeal in them to give them more texture.  Next time I think I'll do butterscotch chips or milk chocolate chips.  Que rico!

Happy Fall!