Best Recipes: Hot Buttered Rum Fruit
Enjoying a mug of hot buttered rum is one of those long-standing holiday traditions. It recalls scenes of sitting by a fireplace watching the fire crackle red and blue as the snowflakes gently fall outside.
Maybe this is why hot buttered rum...
Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.7 of 12 - Garlic Poussins and Kumquats
Christmas recipe Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Calories per serving: 580
Not suitable for freezing
Christmas recipe ingredients:
* poussins, 3, about 700 g (1.5 lb) each
* salt and pepper
* kumquats,...
Fun and Fruity Recipes
Sometimes the easiest way to get children to eat healthy is to let them have a hand in making their own snacks…and add whipped cream on top. Here are two fruity recipes that are fun and easy to make, and even more fun to eat. ...
Helen's Homemade Fishcakes Recipe
Homemade Fishcakes - simple as simple gets. This makes 8 good sized fish cakes Put 4 large baked potatos in the oven, gas mark 220. Rub sea salt into the skins and then turn the potatoes every 20 mins or so. They will take about 1 hour and 45...
Sandwich Rolls
2 3/4 cups (675 ml) Five Roses All Purpose White Flour or Never Bleached, or with Wheat Bran 1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar 1 tsp (5 ml) salt 1 tbsp (15 ml) Instant yeast 1 cup (250 ml) water 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil 1 beaten egg ...
Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes - One Recipe with Many Variations
There are so many Christmas cookie recipes around but often so little time to bake during the busy holiday season.
The solution? A great tasting basic cookie recipe that quickly and easily turns into such a variety of easy to make Christmas treats, friends and family will think you poured over all your favorite Christmas cookie recipes.
Let's start with the basics.
Basic Cookie Dough Recipe
- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter (or margarine) at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture is light and fluffy. With mixer at a low speed, add the flour gradually, beating just until everything is well blended.
Place the mixture on a baking sheet using a tablespoon measure and press down with a spoon to flatten a bit. Or roll our and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350ºF for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.
This basic cookie mixture is also the base for the following cookie recipes (all baked in a preheated oven at 350ºF).
Orange Cookies
(Makes about 32)
Add 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest to the recipe. Shape into a log that is about 1 1/2" in diameter and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Slice dough into 1/4" thick slices. Place on cookie sheet. Cookies can be decorated with candies, rolled in colored sugar, or cut into pretty holiday shapes before baking. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cherry Coconut Chocolate Squares
(Makes about 54 squares)
In addition to the basic dough you will need:
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, well drained and coarsely
chopped
Line a 13"x9" baking pan with foil.
Stir cocoa powder into basic dough mixture. Press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust looks dry.
In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, almond extract and baking powder until well blended. Stir in coconut and cherries. Pour over the baked crust.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Lift it out on to a cutting board using the foil ends and cut into 1 1/2" squares. Squares can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Coconut Pineapple Cookies
(Makes about 36)
In addition to the basic dough you will need:
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1/3 cup pineapple preserves (use raspberry or apricot if you prefer)
Add 1 cup of the flaked coconut to the basic dough mixture and mix well. Shape the dough into 1 1/2" balls and roll in the remaining coconut to coat them. Place the balls 1" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie with your fingertip.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookie is firm and the coconut is lightly toasted. When cooled, fill each hole in the center of the cookies with the preserves.
You can vary this basic dough to make a wide variety of Christmas cookie recipes. Add other flavorings like maple, ginger or cinnamon. Add chopped dried fruits like apricots or dates. Or bake them plain in holiday shapes and decorate with colored icing.
Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Here's hoping these quick and easy Christmas cookie recipes help keep the pressure off the cook.
About The Author
Karen Ciancio is a cook and lover of all things food and cooking related. Her website www.cookingnook.com contains easy dessert recipes, plus lots of other recipes, cooking tips, measurement conversions and kitchen ideas.
karen@cookingnook.com
