Category: Winter

Peanut Butter Snowballs

I just finished a book called The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn. Every time I encounter a book, I’m always thinking of a menu to go along with it. Years ago, I used to belong in a book club and it was a really fun way for me to always be dreaming up things to cook. I’m no longer in one, but I still think up menus with every book I read! In this book, there is some snow. Yep, I’m feeling ultra creative. Ha. But these are ultra good, so any reason is a perfect reason, to bring up these little numbers!

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 T. butter, softened
1 pound white candy melts or almond bark
Silver sugar sprinkles

Line a large baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, peanut butter, and butter until mixed well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Move dough balls to the fridge while you work on the next recipe step.

In another medium sized bowl, melt candy coating according to package directions. Dip balls gently in the candy coating, using a two-pronged fork to move the balls around and then lift them out. (I just use a regular fork. No two prongs in my drawer!) Place balls on prepared baking sheet. If desired, immediately sprinkle the tops with sprinkles. Refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 24 to 30 snowballs.

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Double-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

This holiday season, I ordered Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookie Box. It is similar to a meal delivery kit, but this a baking kit that comes complete with recipes and all of the ingredients needed for 4 different types of Christmas cookies. This recipe is the first that I have made out of the baking box, and I absolutely love it! The brownies are perfectly crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside….and the peppermint! Absolutely delicious. I will be baking these next year for sure! And maybe again in a couple of weeks ;)…… Definitely don’t forget a nice cold glass of milk with this one.

3 oz. peppermint candies
1 stick unsalted butter
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Coat the inside of an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper. Unwrap the peppermint candies, transfer to a ziplock type bag and crush with a meat mallet or rolling pin, leaving some larger pieces.

Place the butter and the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl; set the bowl over (but not touching) the pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Whisk in 3 large eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add the flour and 2/3 of the crushed peppermints to the batter and stir until combined.

Scrape mixture into the baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Bake until set or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool at least 2 hours before removing from the pan. Lift parchment to remove from pan; peel off parchment.
Cut into 16, 2-inch squares. Enjoy!

Sausage Primavera

My sister-in-law, Laurel, brought this delicious dish over when Creed was born. We enjoyed it so much and she was so sweet to share her recipe! It has also turned into a meal that I love to prepare on Christmas Eve with the pretty red and green peppers. It is quick and comforting and just what we always need to start the holiday off right!

8 ounces thin spaghetti
1 T. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced (I love Hillshire Farms Polska Kielbasa for this.)
1 T. parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
4 to 5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
Garnish: fresh basil

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic, if using fresh. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp tender. Add the smoked sausage and heat a few minutes longer. When vegetables are cooked as you like, add the parsley and other seasonings and continue to cook just a bit longer. After the mixture is combined well, toss with the spaghetti. Pour into a large bowl and add the Parmesan cheese tossing to coat.

I enjoy this with a chiffonade (a french slicing technique of stacking the leaves, rolling them up, and then slicing thinly) of fresh basil as a garnish too! Delicious! And fancy too, huh?

English Toffee

When I think of Christmas candy, my Aunt Shirley’s English Toffee is the first thing to pop into my mind! It has the best texture and the Hershey’s chocolate and pecans really bring it all together….and speaking of that, it is super quick and easy to throw together! The perfect thing during this beautifully busy time of celebration!

2 sticks of margarine
3 T. water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, I use pecans
6 regular sized Hershey chocolate bars

Melt margarine; add sugar and water. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the color of brown. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour onto buttered cookie sheet and spread thin. Break Hershey bars over the top. As it melts, spread all over. Cool well and break into pieces.

Spicy Pretzels

This recipe comes from Great Aunt Ann on my husband’s side of the family. She seems to always come up with delicious treats to share as gifts during the holiday season. I really like this recipe because it’s super easy and super yummy! They are perfect to take to parties, to pack up for road trips, or to make for bake sales!

2 (16 oz.) Rold Gold Tiny Twist pretzels, or the pretzel of your choice
1 (16 oz.) bottle Orville Redenbacher popcorn oil
1 pkg. dry Italian dressing or Ranch dressing
1 T. crushed red pepper flakes

Whisk popcorn oil and spices together in a large bowl. Add the pretzels and toss to coat. Leave out 6 to 8 hours until the seasoning is absorbed, stirring occasionally. This is also great for saltines or oyster crackers.

Whipped Hot Chocolate

With Santa about to arrive, and the very cold spell we have coming up next week in west Texas, hot chocolate is definitely on the brain around my house, as I’m sure it’s been on most everybody’s brain right about now! I’m still cooking out of Ina’s Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook this week and ran across her whipped hot chocolate recipe. It is soooo delicious! It’s like a Hershey Kiss in liquid form. As far as I know, I can’t think of a piece of chocolate that satisfies me quite as well as a good ol’ Hershey Kiss. Add creamy half and half, vanilla, and some coffee and you’ve really got something! And no worries if you don’t like coffee, it is used primarily just to bring out chocolate’s natural flavor. Let’s get to whipping up some, shall we?

2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups half and half
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (I used Hershey’s…hence the kiss part.)
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. decaffeinated instant coffee powder

Garnish: spray whipped cream and mini chocolate chips

Heat the milk and half and half in a large saucepan over medium heat to just below the simmering point. (Just nice and hot.) Remove the pan from the heat and add both chocolates. When the chocolates are melted, stir in the sugar, vanilla, and coffee powder. Reheat gently.

To froth the hot chocolate, whip it in the sauce pan with an immersion blender. You could also carefully pour it into the jar of a blender with a tight seal and blend on high speed for about 30 seconds. (I use my immersion blender, as does Ina….if you don’t have one, I recommend it! They are great for soups as well!) And I don’t know why a simple kitchen whisk wouldn’t work if you wanted to try that instead of the other ideas to add a little froth. But Ina claims that this chocolate takes on a whole new flair when it’s really whipped!

Pour the chocolate into mugs and I like to serve mine with spray whipped cream and mini chocolate chips! Stay warm, friends! …..and by the way, Santa will like this too!

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Candy Cane Pinwheel Cookies

These Christmas cookies are so delicious and the perfect addition to that cute holiday jar you have sitting on your counter or the cookie tray you’re planning. They have a very subtle pepperminty taste, but their looks of course really say peppermint…. And Christmas, and Santa, and holiday time, and candy canes, and presents, and food is love and all of those great, happy, fun things during this time of celebration! Now lets get down to what really matters….getting them baked and into our bellies!!

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
16 T. or 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 cup finely ground peppermint candies (about 20 and I use a food processor to grind them.)
6 drops red food coloring

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until mixed well. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture, and mix until the dough forms, about 1 minute. Remove half of the dough and reserve. Add extracts, candy, and food coloring to remaining dough and mix until combined.

Place the reserved dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 14 by 8 inch rectangle. Repeat with peppermint dough, then place it on top of the plain dough and press gently to help them stick together. With the long side facing you, roll dough into a log. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Adjust your oven racks to upper-middle and lower middle positions and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice chilled dough into 1/4 inch rounds and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are just golden, 12 to 14 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cool 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. These can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Yield: About 4 1/2 dozen

*Careful not to overbake, or they will turn a salmon color instead of the pretty pink they are supposed to be.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

A favorite cookie of mine that I love baking at Christmastime….I’m rhyming and not meaning to be…this comes by way of the great Ina Garten from her book Barefoot Contessa Family Style. These are sure to bring a smile….haha, yes, see there! Just wait until you eat one.

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 T. water for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weight 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 tsp. of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

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Cranberry Pecan Cookies

This recipe is from Louise Hawkins of Lubbock, Texas. She’s just 60 miles away from me. I don’t know Louise, but she shared a recipe with Taste of Home magazine and I am so glad she did! You will be too. These start with prepared sugar cookie dough. Boom! 2/3 of the battle won and done!

1 tube (16-1/2 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup vanilla or white chips
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, combine the cookie dough, pecans, chips, cranberries and vanilla. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. (Y’all know how I feel about ungreased baking sheets. As my mama says, Pam your pan.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wired racks. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: about 3 1/2 dozen.

Slow-Cooker Beef Brisket

Brisket is one of my favorite cuts of beef. The flavor is… well, just so beefy! …I’m cracking myself up here! Anyway, what could be better than a nice cut of beef simmering away all day while you decorate for Christmas or are out shopping and know you have this to come home to? When it’s done, serve with simple ingredients like tortillas, shredded cheese and salsa. While this is easy to serve, it’s easy to pile on the couch with. My gift to you…Merry Christmas! Ps. Don’t be afraid of the cilantro here. My kids love this meat and they can sniff out cilantro with the best of them!

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (2-3 lb.) beef brisket
2 tsp. table salt + an extra sprinkling of kosher salt if you have it
1 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper chile flakes or ground chipotle chile powder (original recipe calls for the chile powder)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) fajita-size flour tortillas

Toppings: Shredded Pepper Jack cheese (I use Mozzarella), sour cream, salsa, additional chopped cilantro, lime wedges

Place first 3 ingredients in a 6-qt. slow cooker.

Trim fat from brisket; cut brisket into 3-inch pieces. Rub brisket pieces evenly with salt and chipotle chile powder or the red pepper flakes, and place on top of vegetables in the slow cooker. Top with 1 cup cilantro.

Cover and cook on HIGH 6 to 8 hours or until brisket pieces shred easily with a fork.

Remove brisket from slow cooker, and cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred meat into bite-size pieces. Return mixture to slow cooker. Serve in flour-tortillas with desired toppings and lime wedges.

Note: I used red pepper flakes because it was what I had on hand and I loved how it turned out! Not too spicy and good flavor, but follow your gut on this. Use less pepper flakes or follow the original recipe. You can’t go wrong! Also, the book says to select a brisket that is uniform in thickness to make shredding the meat easier. (Somehow, I always forget that part, but I’ve never had a problem. Although, I’m sure it really would be helpful!)
Serves 6
Hands-On Time 15 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours, 15 minutes

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