The Charmed Kitchen

Cookie Candies

These oatmeal shortbread cookies are a must do for the holidays. After they are shaped and baked the cookies are dipped in chocolate and then in assorted toppings. They look like little candies when finished. Pretty and tasty. Very easy to make, too.

Cookie-Candies

1 c. butter

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 T. vanilla

2 c. flour

½ c. rolled oats

½ c. chocolate chips

¼ c. milk

finely chopped nuts

assorted sprinkles

shredded coconut

Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Stir in flour and oats. Shape teaspoonfuls of the dough into different shapes like rounds, ovals, cones cubes etc. Try to make them look like little candies. They will hold their shape very well while baking. Bake in a 325- degree oven for 20-25 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet. Cool. In microwave safe dish combine chocolate and milk and melt. Dip tops of cookies in chocolate mixture and then in one of the toppings you have. Chocolate topping will harden up after a while. Makes about 4 dozen.

Broccoli Frittata

This recipe is for my dear friend, Jan Kimball. I had company over for breakfast recently and eggs were requested. I love making eggs for breakfast, heck for any time of the day, so I was happy to oblige. I decided to incorporate some ingredients I had on hand and ended up making a broccoli frittata. A frittata is similar to an omelet but I often find frittatas easier to make. I started by heating up the skillet and adding butter to the pan. I then added 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms and let then cook for several minutes. Once the mushrooms were almost done I added a couple of cups of chopped broccoli that I had steamed briefly. I also had some ham so I diced that up and tossed it in as well.  I cooked this until heated through and added salt and pepper to the mix. I then beat together 5 eggs in a bowl and added a little more salt and pepper and a couple of tablespoons of water. Poured the eggs into the pan over the mushroom-broccoli-ham mixture. As the eggs started to cook I tilted the pan and used a spatula to lift the cooked eggs up and allow the uncooked eggs to reach the bottom of the pan.  When the mixture was almost set I added a generous handful of shredded cheese, turned down the heat and covered the skillet. This allowed the mixture to finish cooking and the cheese to melt. About 5 minutes later it was ready to serve. I slid it out of the pan onto a serving platter and cut in wedges to serve. Looked fancy but was not much work at all. On busy days I find eggs can also make a quick and satisfying dinner.

Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

With all the gooey sweet treats around this time of year I like to make at least a few cookies that are more adult-friendly. Made with coffee powder, cocoa and cinnamon these cookies fit the bill. They are also a perfect treat to have with coffee.  

Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

1 T. instant coffee powder

1 T. hot water

1 egg

3/4 c. sugar plus extra for dipping

1/4 c. oil

2 T. corn syrup*

2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa

2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

 Dissolve coffee in hot water. In mixing bowl combine coffee mixture with egg, 3/4 cup sugar, oil, syrup and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Combine dry ingredients and add to coffee mixture. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the extra sugar, pressing to 1/4 -inch thickness. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 6-8 minutes. Centers should be set. Cool on a rack. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.  

* If you don’t want to use corn syrup you can make a sugar syrup to use in its place in  baking. Here is how.

 Sugar Syrup- corn syrup substitute

 3  cups granulated sugar

1 cup Water

1/2  tsp. Cream of Tartar

1/4 t. salt

 Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook to soft-ball stage. Stir frequently.

Soft ball stage occurs at 235-245 degrees. This stage can be determined by dropping a spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water. In the water, use your fingers to gather the cooled syrup into a ball. If it has reached soft-ball stage, the syrup easily forms a ball while in the cold water, but flattens once removed from the water.

Remove from heat. Cool and store at room temperature. It will keep well for a months or two.

Russian Teacakes

When I plan on making Christmas cookies I have to include Russian Tea Cakes. I have such fun memories of making these with my Mother. She had this little gadget where you you put the nuts in a round chamber and cranked them while pressing down on a bar. Depending on the wheel you had inserted the nuts came out finely or coarsely chopped. For Russian Tea Cakes the nuts were always finely ground.  I have included a picture of it in the bottom of this post. Has anyone else ever had one?  We also used it to grate Parmesan cheese.

We would get all our ingredients together and start the process of making the dough using Mom’s Kitchen Aid mixer. Chilled dough would be rolled into balls. Mom told me to make the balls all the same size so they would bake evenly. She said the first time I helped her make them I was about 6. She said I was intent on getting them even and I rolled them all out for her. After that it was my job to roll out the Russian Teacakes every year.

I always think of my Mother when I make them today. She’s been gone a couple of years but I feel like she is still with me when I make these cookies.

Russian Teacakes

1 c. butter

½ c. powdered sugar, plus extra for coating

1 t. vanilla

2 ¼ c. flour

¼ t. salt

¾ c. finely chopped nuts, nearly ground

 Mix butter, ½ cup sugar and vanilla well. Stir flour and salt together and then add to butter mixture. Mix well and stir in nuts. Wrap dough and chill. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly browned on the bottom. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar. Dust again with sugar once cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.

Candy Ornaments

After making trays from melted peppermint candy I decided to try using candy to make ornaments. My friend, Lorna, said she has used Jolly Rancher candies in the past so that’s what I tried. She said they will look like stained glass. I am sure that hers did. Mixed results but it was just a first attempt. I sprayed metal cookie cutters with some non-stick spray and placed them on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Parchment or foil would also work. Then I placed a couple of unwrapped Jolly Ranchers in each one. I put a couple of baking sheets on top of the cookie cutters to hold them down- to reduce or prevent leaking. In the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Someone came to the door about then so I might be off by a minute or two. I took the star cookie cutter off right away. Not a good idea.  Leave the cutters on a few minutes so the candy starts to firm back up. The star just spread out. Be sure to use tongs to remove the cookie cutters- they will be quite warm.  I removed the cutters gently, poked a hole in each one so the ornaments could be hung up and trimmed off any leaks with scissors. They go from liquid to pliable to hard in no time. Work fast. I’ll keep trying for better results. All in all for a first try they are OK.

Jolly Rancher candies in the cutters.

Cheesecake with no cracks- sprayed the pan

Have you ever had a cheesecake crack? You did everything according to the directions and it comes out of the oven just fine and then- a crack. It happens a lot but it doesn’t have to. There is a simple solution.

I am teaching a class on making cheesecakes later this week and I thought I’d share some tips with you for perfect cheesecake. I followed the rules, too. I did not over beat the eggs, sometimes I added a pan of water to the oven. There are recipes that call for leaving the cheesecake in the oven, with it turned off, to cool down slowly. All work sometimes- but then- a crack. You cover it up with pie filling or sour cream but it still bothers you- what did you do wrong?

I came upon the solution that has worked for me. It’s simple really. Cheesecakes puff up while baking and then as they cool down they deflate. They crack because they stick to the sides of the pan. As it shrinks it pulls on the cheesecake and a crack results.While cheesecake recipes almost never tell you to do this- I just spray the pan with a non-stick coating or brush with a little oil or melted butter. So simple. Every time I have done this the cheesecake puffs then shrinks while cooling and the result- no cracks.

Here are some more cheesecake baking tips.

1. Let the cream cheese and eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

2. Mix the ingredients until just mixed, don’t over mix as that also causes cheesecakes to puff up and then fall and crack.

3. Use a springform pan so you can remove sides after baking.

4. Either butter the sides of the springform pan or loosen the sides as soon as it comes out of the oven to prevent cracks as the cake cools.

5. Place springform pan on baking sheet or pizza pan to catch any drips.  

6. Keep oven humid during cooking to reduce cracking. Just place a pan of water on a lower oven rack for recipes that are not already using a water bath.

7. Let baked cheesecakes cool down slowly. Cool on a wire rack and remove sides when the recipes specifies.

8. Test for doneness near the end of the baking period by gently shaking the cheesecake. When fully cooked a 1-inch section in the middle will jiggle slightly. This area will be 2 inches wide in a sour cream recipe. This soft spot will firm up after cooling down. Knife tests do not work on cheesecakes because the knife will cause the cake to crack and cakes including sour cream will always test undone even when fully cooked.

9. Stored cooled cheesecake in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or an inverted bowl to prevent drying out and also to keep it from picking up odors. Cheesecake will keep for up to 3 days.

10. To freeze, place the cooled whole cheesecake or cheesecake slices in the freezer unwrapped. Leave in until partly frozen and then wrap tightly in freezer wrap. Use within a month for best flavor. Thaw in the refrigerator. Loosen wrap, but keep cake covered during thaw.

Bonus Tip: Don’t be afraid to play around with recipes. You can interchange crust recipes or add fine chopped nuts to a crust. Experiment with flavorings. Try using mint, lemon, almond, chocolate and nut flavorings to add a little zing to a favorite recipe. You can also decorate your cheesecake with powdered sugar, cocoa, nuts, candies, shaved chocolate…

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake- did not spray the sides of the pan. Cracks resulted during cooling.

Hungarian Sausage

I was lucky enough to be gifted some wonderful Hungarian sausage. My dear friend Lorna brought me some Kolbasz from a church in Fairport Harbor. The Hungarian Reformed church has a small congregation that keeps going by making sausage a couple of times a year. Church members made 500 pounds yesterday for Case Western- they buy that much every year. Today they cranked out an additional 1,000 pounds of pure porky delight for the rest of their customers. Most is pre-sold and I can tell you why. They know how to make sausage. I come from a family that makes sausage. We have old film somewhere of my mother making sausage with my brother and sister looking on. I wasn’t even born yet. Trust me, I know good sausage when I taste it. Tender and garlic laden it has just the right amount of fat, salt and pepper. I might have heard wrong but I swear Lorna said they add butter. The Polish sausage I grew up with would also have marjoram in it but this sausage was similar in taste. The sausage  will be made again in time for Easter. I am getting my order in for sure.

I think what I really liked was the idea of people working together to achieve their goal. I also have a special place in my heart for keeping food traditions alive. I understand they also have chicken paprikash dinners almost every month. From what I tasted today I am planning on making the trip east to go to one of those dinners soon.

I am making Christmas cookies and a lot of other baked goods for sale this season. I have started taking orders and hope you’ll consider me for your holiday baking needs. Many of the items were big sellers at the farm markets this year and I have included them on the list.

Feel free to email me for the order form- then you can just email me your order and preferred pick-up day.  judi_strauss@att.net

Orders can be taken from now until 12/21/13. Most orders can be ready with 72 hour notice. Orders can be picked up at my house from Dec 20-23.

Other baked goods are available upon request including but not limited to: yeast breads, cupcakes, scones and dinner rolls.  

Judi Strauss 216 383 9511   Judi_strauss@att.net

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Always  classic I make these cookies in seasonal shapes all year long. This time of years it’s snowflakes, trees and snowmen.

Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

3 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

3 T. milk

Extra sugar for sprinkling, if desired

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Beat in milk. Heat oven to 375-degrees. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to about 1/3- inch thickness. Cut out with lightly floured cutters and sprinkle with sugar or colored sugar if you like and if you are not going to frost them. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely. Frost when cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.

Decorating your cookies:

You can use tube of pre-made frosting or you can tint canned frosting, however the best way is to use royal icing. Because royal icing contains egg whites it gets hard. Cookies have a smooth appearance and can be stacked. When making royal icing ALWAYS USE PASTUERIZED EGG WHITES OR POWDERED EGGS WHITES TO PREVENT SAMONELLA.

You can also use colored sugar and sprinkles and mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Royal Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar

½ t. cream of tartar

5¼ t. egg white powder

6 T. water

½ t. vanilla, optional

Assorted food colorings

In large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add water and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Divide into small bowls and tint each batch as needed. Keep bowl covered with a damp towel while waiting to use so frosting will not dry out.

Snowflake Cookies

Snow People Cookies

These are one of my must do cookies every year for Christmas. They aren’t just cute but they are made with a rich cream cheese dough that is sure to be a hit.

Snow People

Dough:

4 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 c. butter, softened

1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

¼ t. almond extract

Decorations:

Mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms

Kisses or mini peanut butter cups, halved

Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar

Few drops green food coloring

Milk

Extra powdered sugar for sprinkling

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and flavorings then stir in dry ingredients. Chill dough overnight. For each snow person rolls out 3 balls of dough, 1-inch, ¾-inch and ½-inch in diameter. Place balls in descending order on ungreased baking sheet. Press together lightly.  Use 2 mini chocolate chips for eyes in smallest ball and use either chips or mini M&Ms for buttons (2 on largest ball and 1 in medium). You can also add a tiny dot of frosting once they are cooled for the buttons, too. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 18 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute then remove to rack to finish cooling. Combine powdered sugar with green food coloring and just enough milk to make a frosting that can be piped. Use a little dab of frosting to attach either a chocolate kiss (unwrapped) or half of a peanut butter cup as a hat. Pipe a small amount of frosting to form a scarf. Dust cookies with a little extra powdered sugar for snow when finished decorating. Makes about 48 cookies