Cranberry Orange Blondies

 When fresh cranberries are in season, I always go out of my way to use them, just because I know they will only be available for a short period of time. Basically, I grab a few bags every time I go to the grocery store, and then store them in my freezer until I want them. They freeze remarkably well for months! But this year, I keep finding more and more recipes to use them!!! So much for stocking up my freezer!! Guess it's time to run back to the store to get some more!
 Anyway, I found this recipe on Rodelle's website (which is a company that sells fine baking ingredients). I liked that this recipe uses FRESH cranberries instead of dried, which is often the case when you're baking something small and picky-uppy like blondies. I've made them several times, and they're always a big hit. So if you're having a party, you should definitely give them a try. So easy and delicious! I PROMISE you they will disappear in no time!!


1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole cranberries, fresh or frozen


Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, butter, orange zest, vanilla extract and salt. Add in flour and whisk to combine, stirring just until no streaks of flour remain (do not over mix.) Chop cranberries coarsely, then fold berries into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan, spread into an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bars are golden and set. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Tips:
I tried doing an orange glaze over the top, but they turned out to be far too sweet, VERY gooey, and not in a good way. I found it best to just dust with powdered sugar. Makes them look festive too!

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

 Recently I was looking for something yummy and different in the way of Christmas cookies. As much as I love the usuals, I'm always interested in finding something new. So I thought, maybe instead of doing something involving chocolate (which is often the go-to), I thought maybe I'd see if I could find something a little lighter and fresher. Then I thought, hmm...lemon? And off I went, looking for lemon cookie recipes. It wasn't long before I found MANY different versions of a lemon crinkle cookie. TBH, I had never even heard of them, but they seemed pretty popular, so I went with it. I tried one recipe... tasty, but they didn't crinkle!!! They were as smooth as could be! I thought "ok, wait, how can I post a recipe for Lemon Crinkle cookies if they don't even crinkle??" Time to try something else. Again, I couldn't find exactly the right one. So I did what I often do! I took different parts of the recipes I liked, and put them together. And here we are!!
 The result is a VERY lemony, buttery, chewy cookie that DEFINITELY crinkles as you bake it! So good! I made them for some friends and got RAVE reviews! Add them to your cookie tray, include them in your next cookie swap, or just bake up a batch to have with a nice cup of tea. It makes a small batch, so you might wanna double it! I promise they won't last very long!


1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon extract
1 whole egg
1 tbs lemon zest
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar


 Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper or silpat nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
 In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add lemon extract, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients except the powdered sugar. Slowly add to mixture, stirring until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again. Chill dough for 10-15 minutes. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and cool cookies for about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

Tips:
Definitely chill the dough for a bit. It makes rolling it into balls so much easier! And after you coat them in the powdered sugar, roll them around in the palm of you hand to remove any excess sugar (not unlike the way you loosely hold dice and shake them in your hand before you roll 'em) You'll wind up with a prettier crinkled cookie. Otherwise you might end up with clumps of powdered sugar on your cookies, which is not exactly what you want. (Or maybe it is! You do you!)

Old Fashioned Gingerbread

 I was recently watching a TV holiday baking championship and they were making gingerbread. Then I thought "wait, how come I don't have a gingerbread recipe on my website??" I mean, I LOVE gingerbread! One would think I'd have posted a favorite recipe by now. But no, none to be found. So, of course, I went right into research mode to find just the right recipe. I wanted it to be moist and flavorful, and definitely with a good amount of spice. (almost HOT spicy!)
 The problem is that every recipe I found wasn't exactly just right. So I kinda took what I liked from a couple different recipes and went with it. It turned out great! I made it for Tory and Ryan when they came over for a movie night, and they both gave it a big "thumbs up!" So this is now my go-to gingerbread recipe. Now that it's FINALLY here, you should definitely try it!


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses*
1 egg
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot water


 Heat oven to 325ºF.  Grease and flour 9" square baking dish (or spray with baking spray).
Cream together the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add molasses and egg and beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Add hot water and stir until well incorporated and batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

  *When choosing molasses, you want to go for anything that is light or mild. Some may be labeled as "robust" but that may be a little strong and overpowering. And never use Blackstrap molasses for baking as that is far too bitter.

Tips:
Yes, you read that correctly - black pepper!
And be sure to serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar!

White Hot Chocolate

 If you're one of my regular readers, you know that I'm always looking for new versions of old favorites. So, I figured, instead of doing a regular hot chocolate, why not do it with white chocolate instead? It's rich and creamy and festive and sweet enough that you could definitely serve it as a dessert beverage. Or maybe just whip up a batch to warm you up on a snowy night. You'll definitely be thinking "why haven't I done this sooner?"
 Tbh, I kind of like it after all the craziness is over, say on Christmas night, after all the parties and food and wrapping and presents. It's a great way to cap off the holiday with something warm and comforting. If you're a fan of white chocolate, I promise you'll love it!

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla whipped topping, for garnish

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir continuously until white chocolate chips have completely melted. Stir in the half-and-half, and vanilla extract. Stir occasionally until heated through. Pour into mugs and top with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.

Tips:

To lighten it up a bit, just use any milk of choice instead of the heavy cream. You could even use almond milk, if you so choose.

For a little extra holiday touch, sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint sticks!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

 For ages, I've been looking for a good pumpkin cookie recipe. Not that I don't LOVE the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies that Cathy always makes, but they're a little more cakey than cookie. What I really wanted was a COOKIE. You know, like with a crispy chewy texture. And then I happened upon this recipe on a blog called Sally's Baking Addiction. They're AMAZING! So easy to make, crispy and chewy, and just exactly what I wanted!
 Tbh, I had planned on posting the recipe in October when I usually do all pumpkin recipes, but I figured I'd save this one for the holiday season. Even though they're pumpkin, I still feel like Snickerdoodles scream Christmas, dontcha think? So here they are!
 You should definitely add them to your festive cookie repertoire. They're perfect for a cookie swap, and I just bet Santa would love them if you leave some for him along with a tall glass of milk. Oh, and one other thing... be sure to read through Sally's make ahead tips following the recipe. (Time management is always a good thing!) And definitely make 2 batches. Or three. Or four. I promise you they won't last very long! Love love love 'em!


1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks


 Heat oven to 350ºF.
 Melt the butter in the microwave. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in white chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes. Chilling is mandatory!
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Roll the dough into balls, about 1.5 tablespoons of dough each. Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Roll each of the dough balls generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and arrange on 2 baking sheets. Slightly flatten the dough balls because the cookies will only slightly spread in the oven. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and press a few more white chocolate chips onto the tops, if desired. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack.

Make ahead tips: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

Joey's Bangin' Brussels with Sundried Tomatoes

 Whenever I'm at home just doing the usual Sunday housecleaning and such, my TV is most likely gonna be on the Food Network or Cooking Channel. It's a great thing when you're not just sitting in front of the TV and you can still basically get the gist of what they're making while you're busy tackling your household to-do list. Such was the case when I saw Marcella Valladolid making a Brussels sprouts dish. It had sesame seeds and chili peppers and cream. It looked good, but I wondered what I might do to tweak it a little. So I got to thinking. I liked adding sun dried tomatoes to my Collard Greens, so what if I add them instead of the chilis? I liked the idea adding a little texture, so instead of adding sesame seeds, I decided to add pine nuts for a little crunch. I also roasted my sprouts instead of steaming them in chicken broth and I added mushrooms too, just to bulk up the recipe a bit. Basically, by the time I had finished tweaking, I wound up with a completely different recipe! And it was a HUGE hit among my friends! I kinda figured the casseroles and hearty other dishes would be a big hit, but who knew Brussels sprouts would be the stand out???? We decided they were absolutely BANGIN', so now that's what they're called! Make them as a delicious accompaniment to your fabulous holiday dinner, or even just a casual dinner with friends.
If you're not a fan of Brussels sprouts, I urge you to give this recipe a try.
I PROMISE you it will change your mind!!!


Olive or vegetable oil
2 lbs fresh Brussels sprouts, halved
10oz Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste


Heat oven to 400ºF.
In a large bowl, toss sprouts with oil and salt and pepper until coated. Place sprouts on a baking tray, cut side down. Place in oven and roast until golden and caramelized on the bottom, and good 20-30 minutes, or even longer.
 While the sprouts are roasting, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms in a little more oil. When the sprouts are ready, add them to the pan along with the rest of the ingredients. Give it a good toss to make sure everything is coated. Adjust seasoning, if needed.

Tips:
-When you're cutting your sprouts, be sure to cut them vertically through the stem end. If you cut them horizontally, then the leaves will all fall apart.
-The cream is meant to just coat everything to make it richer. It's not really a cream SAUCE. If you'd like things to be a little saucier, I would add a splash or two of chicken or vegetable broth.
-Btw, if you'd like to make this a Vegan recipe, just omit the cream and add a little Futter, which is a Vegan butter substitute. Great then!

Loaded Caulflower Casserole

 Here's a recipe that I've had tucked away for ages, and I'm finally just getting around to it. I left myself a little note that I discovered it on Facebook, but I honestly have no idea where. It may have been one of those food videos that are always floating around, or it may have been posted by a friend. Who knows? Well, either way, it was definitely worth getting back to it!
 It's basically all the same toppings as you would put on a baked potato, only it's cauliflower, and it's a casserole. Clever, huh? And I mean, seriously, can one really ever have too many casseroles??? I think not! And you KNOW that's true especially when you're cooking for Thanksgiving! It's an easy do ahead, it only has a few ingredients, and it's delicious! And it just happens to be low in carbs, in case you're choosing to restrict carbs from your diet. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to be dieting on Thanksgiving, but every little bit helps, right?). But don't just save this recipe for Thanksgiving! Make it any time of year, even as a main dish! I bet it would be AMAZING if you added a little diced ham and some steamed broccoli. It's great as is, or as a great starting point for any number of casseroles. The possibilities are endless! Be creative! Enjoy!



1 large head of cauliflower cut into florets
6-8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 tbs chopped chives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese


 
Preheat oven to 425°.
  Place a steamer in a large pot with just enough water in the bottom. Steam cauliflower until crisp tender, about  8-10 minutes. (or if you don't have a steamer, you could just boil or microwave it). Drain and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, 1/2 of crumbled bacon, 3 tbs chives, 1 cup of cheese, and cauliflower. Mix well. Place in baking dish and cover with remaining 1 cup of cheese and the rest of the bacon crumbles. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with remaining chives and serve. 


Tips:
I absolutely added more bacon than the recipe directs, because ...BACON.
If you have any other toppings you'd like to add, go for it! Try adding sliced mushrooms or scallions. Or if you'd like a little spicy hit, try adding some sliced jalapenos or a little hot sauce.