Christmas Scones...

If you know us you've heard the story but here it goes again...
One spring I received Baking with Julia as a gift.  When Christmas morning rolled around we baked scones using the recipe in the book.  The next Christmas we bought the ingredients but didn't get around to baking.  Around 10 pm Christmas night, toddler Jeremiah asked "When are we having scones?"  We made them then and there and our tradition was born.  Scones and tea on Christmas morning for more than a decade!  These scones are why we will never be vegan.

Buttermilk Scones

a recipe from Baking With Julia

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter cold and cut into small pieces

1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 stick unsalted butter melted
1/4 cup sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together the first five ingredients with a fork.
Add the cold butter and using fingertips work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Pour in buttermilk, toss in the zest and mix with the fork only until the ingredients are just moistened. The dough will have a rough look. If dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.
Gather the dough into a ball and knead very briefly on a lightly floured surface, about a dozen turns.
Cut the dough in half. Press each half into a seven inch circle about half an inch thick. Brush each circle with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Cut each circle into six pieces.
Place on an un-greased baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Notes:  I usually start with cutting up the butter and putting the small pieces in the freezer until I need it.  Also, I usually don't end up using the whole amount of sugar for dusting.

Merry Christmas!

Chocolate Peppermint Kisses...

Mrs. Zunker mades these meringue cookies for a Christmas potluck at Grace Church.  They were delicious.  I was a little kid and I don't remember if I asked for the recipe or if my mom asked for me but I ended up with the recipe.  I made them and it was like magic!  I was so proud of my official "Irva Zunker shares her recipe" card.  I think she even sent it thru the mail...bliss!  As an adult I've screwed these up by messing with the recipe and misplacing the card.  When I found the card, got back to basics and baked like a kid with a precious recipe in front of her they turned out great!

Chocolate Peppermint Kisses

a recipe from Mrs. Zunker

coming soon!

Rum Balls...

So is it weird that eating rum balls at the family Christmas party is a childhood memory?  Probably but oh well!  Found this recipe online and it's a keeper!

Rum Balls

a recipe from Martha Stewart

link to Martha's Rum Ball Recipe

Notes:
I used turbinado sugar for coating.
I think the taste and texture was better after 24 hours.
When buying ingredients, buy diet pepsi and limes or else you will be sad.

Spaghetti Carbonara...

This is yummy and worth the bother of frying bacon.  I'm hoping to think of something veg and salty to replace the bacon.  In the meantime, we pass the bacon on the side.  We ate this for Christmas dinner and it was great...quick, filling and yummy!

Spaghetti Carbonara

a recipe from Everyday Food

link to Martha's Spaghetti Carbonara recipe

Note:

It's also great with peas added.  Defrost frozen peas by running under hot tap water and add peas during the last minute of the pasta cook time.

Apricot Slush...

This was the magical drink that the grown-ups drank at big family parties.  It's an alcoholic slushy with maraschino cherries...what's not for a kid to love and therefore beg for a sip?  When I remembered this recipe in 2003 I always thought it was Aunt Dot's recipe.  When I got the recipe it ends up she'd gotten it from Mom!  This seems like such a '70s thing and I've always assumed it was from an ad for 7 Up or the Apricot Brandy Association or something like that...

Apricot Slush

a recipe from Aunt Dorothy via Mom

4 tea bags
2 cups sugar
frozen orange juice concentrate, 12 ounces
frozen lemonade concentrate, 12 ounces
2 1/2 cups apricot brandy (approximately half a 750ml bottle)

1)  Make strong black tea (4 tea bags in two cups of boiling water) and set aside to cool.
2)  Make a simple syrup by boiling together 7 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar
3)  Mix together the tea and the syrup.
4)  Mix together frozen orange juice concentrate and frozen lemonade concentrate.
5)  Mix together the tea/syrup and the juice concentrate mixture.
6)  Mix in apricot brandy
7)  Freeze at least 24 hours.

To serve, mix 3-4 tablespoons with 7 Up and garnish with a cherry.

Best Ever Sugar Cookies...

This was the recipe New Heights church gave to volunteers baking for the fall festival.  

They are the best cut-out cookies I've ever had.  We've had this recipe since probably October 1999.

Best Ever Sugar Cookies

a recipe from New Heights Church, Vancouver Washington

1 cup unsalted butter (two sticks)
11/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar



Cream the butter and add the rest of the ingredients.

No need to chill- just roll out and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes

Notes:
After putting the cookies on the baking sheet I usually put the sheet in the freezer or fridge for a couple minutes, the cookies seem to stay flatter.  If decorating with egg yolk paint, decorate before baking.