Christmas' Cream of the Crop

Christmas is a day away and I have been baking like mad! In the last 24 hours I have made Bailey's Fudge, Spinach and Artichoke dip, Bailey's trifle (do you notice the Bailey's trend here) and drum roll please...

SNICKERDOODLES and SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD

There are two recipes that when mentioned, you automatically think of Mary...

 

Snickerdoodles and Shredded Wheat Bread.

 

First, Snickerdoodles. These have to be one of my favorite cookies ever made by Mary. I can vividly remember making these with her; reading the recipe out of her old Betty Crocker Cookbook! The cover of the cookbook had been used so much, it had flour and dried dough all over it.

Around this time of year, Mary would always have the great nieces and nephews over to make sugar cookies and snickerdoodles for our school parties. We cut out the sugar cookies using angel, Santa, and tree shaped cookie cutters (this was when you could still mention the word Christmas in school without being scolded). After they baked, we painted icing on them and covered them with colored sprinkles. (Sugar Cookie Recipe). When these were finished, we would move onto the Snickerdoodles! Mary would continue to make these year round, but they taste the best this time of year.

I really wanted to make these EXACTLY how Mary made them, so I caved and bought shortening. I know, I know...weight watchers would NOT approve, but it is the holiday season!


Snickerdoodles
(From the Betty Crocker Cookbook)

1 1/2	cups sugar
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2	cup shortening
2	eggs
2 3/4	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose or unbleached flour
2	teaspoons cream of tartar
1	teaspoon baking soda
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/4	cup sugar
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Now onto the shredded wheat bread. Mary was an excellent bread maker and she made shredded wheat bread quite often. Anytime I stayed over Mary's house, I would have toasted shredded wheat bread and imperial margarine for breakfast. The house always smelled liked this bread and it is the one scent that to this day, the minute I smell it I automatically think of Mary and her kitchen. This was her mother's recipe, with whom Mary was very close with so I know that preparing and baking this meant a lot to her.

Shredded Wheat Bread
Recipe from: Mother
Serves: 2 loaves
(written on fruit adorned recipe card)
2 shredded wheat biscuits
3 cups scalded milk or water
Pour over biscuits and let stand until cool
Add:
1 tsp salt
1tbsp shortening
1/2 cup molasses
2 packages yeast
Add about 6 cups of flour. Enough to kneed. Knead for 10 minutes. Put in greased bowl, turn, cover and let rise until double in bulk. Knead and put into two greased pans. Let  rise again until it reached the top of the pan. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes. Brush top of loaves with Shortening.

As I venture through this culinary endeavor, my family and I have been provided with many opportunities to reminisce and laugh about Mary, her recipes, and her knack (and sometimes lack there of) for cooking.  This is the first time, however that while reading and typing a recipe out I have been brought to tears. I don't know if it is the memory of Mary, the way that my kitchen smells like her house right now, or thinking about how much I miss her, but despite the tears I am so honored that she has left behind these recipes to remember her by and the hundreds of pictures to laugh over.
A few days after her passing, I came across this photo, which I look at often to remember the love that Mary had for life

To a season filled with laughter, love, cookies and cocktails.

Happy Holidays

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice...Whoopie!

T-Minus 1 week! I am in now rush for Christmas to get here, but I cannot wait for vacation to start! My students are going mental! I have had to call Santa Claus 2 times this week to report behavior that is suspect to being placed on the naughty list!
Now starts the marathon of cooking and baking. Tonight we are going to my aunt's annual Christmas party. As always there will be

booze, food

 and spontaneous song.

When I was young, I would be the "Coat Girl" at this party. Everyone would ring a bell and I would run to the bottom of the stairs to collect or drop off their coats. One year, my cousin had a brilliant idea to put out a tip cup out. By the end of the night, people were being very generous with the tips and I walked away with $50! Not bad for a small gig at the age of 8. The best part of being the coat girl was waking up the next morning and being allowed to eat leftover chocolate cake for breakfast! I love my aunties :)
Now that I am of drinking age I have progressed from coat girl to party participant. For tonights event, I made Mary's Gingerbread recipe.

This was actual Mary's mother's recipe but as it states on the card "my mother did not like ginger so we didn't use it" ~ signed MW (Mary Wilson). This could be why I never can remember her making it.

Gingerbread
(written on white recipe card)
Cream togther
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
add:
1 egg beaten
1/4 mollasses

Sift together
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg
Mix well and add to first mixture alternating with 1/2 cup boiling water.
Turn into greased 8 in square pan and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

The gingerbread was good, but a little dry. Matt liked it, so I guess it passes the test. I would suggest cooking it for less time - @25 minutes

I also tried a new recipe I found on a blog for Peppermint Whoopie Pies:


Ingredients:
-1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
-2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
-4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1 egg
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 cup milk

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, sift together, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar with a mixer on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes.
• Add egg and vanilla and beat for two more minutes.
• Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk and beat on low until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and milk and beat until combined.
• Using a tablespoon, drop batter on baking sheet two inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes each or until pies spring back when pressed gently.
• Remove from oven and cool for about five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 50 cookies, enough for 25 pies.


Peppermint Buttercream

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
-4 cups confectioner's sugar
-1/4 cup milk
-1 teaspoon peppermint extract
-6 candy canes, crushed for garnish (optional)

• In bowl of electric mixer cream butter on medium speed.
• Gradually add confectioner's sugar and milk and mix well.
• Mix in peppermint extract.
• Place peppermint buttercream in plastic bag and pipe a dollop on flat side of cookie. Sandwich together with another cookie.
• Sprinkle filling with crushed candy canes!

The upcoming week calls for lots of baking so be sure to stay tuned for the Pièce de résistance, some of Mary's BEST recipes!

Liquor infused desserts...the best way to get through the holidays!

Christmas is getting closer and closer...

 Our tree from the tree farm!

 Mary's tree topper finding a resting place in our tree

 Rachel & Mary - Christmas 1983

 
Ahh the beauty of Christmas....and the stress...presents still need to be purchased, wrapping must be done, and my students still need to make through 8 1/2 more school days. There is no better way to escape the holiday hoopla than a PARTY!

My lovely friend, Patti, is hosting her annual holiday party tomorrow. I am making Irish Creme Chocolate Trifle... a non Mary dessert. I know this is somewhat sacrilegious for this blog, BUT it is liquored infused so Mary would have definitely approved!

I first made this dessert last year for a family gathering. I found the recipe and knew it would be a big hit with the "Nan" (my grandmother). As far back as I can remember my grandmother has had a rather large special spot in her heart for Baileys. Every year for Christmas she receives a bottle...

or a couple of bottles...

 (This only lasted her about 1/2 a year)

Believe it or not, we have to plead with her to get a half a glass. Baileys is her equivalent of the crown jewels, 
so I knew this dessert would be perfect for her and tomorrow's party.  The original recipe did not call for Baileys, but you can add liquor to anything:


Irish Creme Chocolate Trifle

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) devil's food cake mix
• 1 cup Bailey's Irish Creme Liquor
• 3-1/2 cups cold milk
• 2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 3 cups whipped topping

Directions

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
• With a meat fork or wooden skewer, poke holes in cake about 2 in. apart. Slowly pour creamer over cake; refrigerate for 1 hour.
• In a large bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.
• Cut cake into 1-1/2-in. cubes; place a third of the cubes in a 3-qt. glass bowl. Top with a third of the pudding and whipped topping; repeat layers twice. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 14-16 servings.

This will be thoroughly enjoyed by an exhausted group of overworked educational staff!

(some of last year's holiday party attendees)

Most wonderful time of the year

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, we can officially start talking about Christmas (even though I started listening to Christmas carols a week before Thanksgiving).

I love the holidays for a lot of reasons, but my top two are family and baking!There a number of events during the month of December that provide multiple opportunities for both.

The first official family holiday event took place today: Christmas Tree Cutting at the Nutter Tree Farm. My family started cutting their own tree down in the mid 70s. Every year Mary, Nana, and one of the 6 kids would go to the farm and pick out their tree. Eventually most of us finally became members after years on the waiting list and on the first weekend in December, we all meet at 8:30am to venture out and pick a tree. 

Everyone has their own tree picking style (aka a few arguments over which tree to cut, one of the children crying because they are cold or want a different tree, and decisions about who is going to carry it back to the car). Some find their trees in a matter of minutes while others like to take their time (analyzing and comparing). Picking a tree is really a science, but it is worth it when you have a beautiful tree that could last until July!

The next few weekends are booked with a number of Christmas parties, but this weekend is nice and quiet! Matt is heading to watch the Oregon State vs Oregon football game (his Christmas) with some friends, so I baked up a recipe I found in Mary's recipe box for  Butterscotch Brownies:

Butterscotch Brownies
(written on large recipe card adorned with an ornamental slice of canteloupe)
1 cup margarine melted
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c chopped walnuts

Grease 11x7 baking pan
Pour melted margarine in a large bowl. Add sugar and beat well. Beat in eggs and vanilla
Stir in sifted flour, baking powder, and slat
Stir in nuts.
Spread mixture in pan
Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool pan for 10 minutes. Gently remove on waxed paper, cool, and cut into squares.