The Charmed Kitchen

Lemon Meltaway Cookies

Still baking cookies and still having fun. Made some of my favorites today. Cookie- Candies are an oatmeal shortbread cookie that are dipped in melted chocolate (after baking and cooling). then they are dipped in nuts, coconut or sprinkles. Lemon Meltaways are delicate lemon- infused cookies with a lemon frosting. Melt in your mouth. The Chocolate chip shortbread cookies are also wonderful. Delicate and studded with mini- chocolate chips they are always a hit.  Here are the recipes.

Lemon Meltaways

Dough:

1 ¼ c. flour

¾ c. butter, softened

½ c. cornstarch

1/3 c. powdered sugar

1 T. lemon juice

1 t. grated lemon peel

Frosting:

¾ c. powdered sugar

¼ c. butter, softened

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. grated lemon peel

In large bowl combine all dough ingredients and mix well. Divide dough in half and roll each half into an 8- inch roll.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, 1-2 hours. Slice chilled dough into ¼ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, or until cookies are set, but not brown. Cool completely on a rack. Combine frosting ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cookies. Makes 4 dozen.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

1 c. butter (no substitutions), softened

½ c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

2 c. flour

¼ c. cornstarch

½ c. mini chocolate chips

2-3 T. granulated sugar

With electric mixer beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla until well mixed. Stir in flour and cornstarch and then stir in chips. Form into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Pour granulated sugar on a small plate and dip bottom of drinking glass into the sugar and use this to gently flatten down the cookies. Press small indent in each cookie with a teaspoon. Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies start to brown on the bottom. Cool on sheets 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Makes about 3 ½ dozen.

Cookie-Candies

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.

Russian Teacakes

Its the time of year for baking cookies. Started today and I’ll be baking the rest of the week. Thought I’d share pictures and recipes as the week goes by. Perhaps I’ll inspire you to bake- or maybe inspire you to drop in to visit. Baked 28 dozen cookies so far- three different recipes.. Russian Teacakes always remind me of baking with my Mom as a kid. Doesn’t seem like the holiday without them. I also made a batch of Andes mint cookies. A friend put in a special request for those.  Here are the recipes.

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 un-greased 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.

Andes Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 bag (10 oz.) Andes baking chips

Beat together butter, sugars, egg and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients and chips. Preheat oven to 375. Place dough on un-greased baking sheet, rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from baking sheet. Makes 5-6 dozen.

Andes Mint Chip Cookies

I will be at the Winter Farm Market this weekend. It is a two day event in Akron at Lock 3. The Winter Farmers’ Market will be held Dec 15 and 16 in the basement of the old O’Neil’s Department store. Hours are Saturday from 11am-5 pm and Sunday from 11am-4 pm. There will be local farmers and other area organizations. Always a good time and there are the lights and skating rink for added fun. Hope to see you there.

I will have my herbs, books, bean soup mixes, beer bread mixes, jelly and relishes. Do some last minute holiday shopping and support local farmers and crafters, too.

I make and sell a lot of these at the holidays. They are a nice gift good for experienced cooks and inexperienced cooks alike. They each make a big pot of soup. Directions are on the back of the label. I package them in cellophane goodie bags I get at Pat Catan’s but you can also use pint jars. This is also a project kids can do, too.

Multi Bean Soup Mix

For 12 gifts you will need

1 case of pint canning jars. With lids and rings or 12 cellophane bags and ribbon

24 cups of assorted dry beans

Labels and directions

Herb packets

Get as many types of beans as you can find at the grocery store. When estimating how many bags you will need to get a 1 pound bag of most beans fills a pint jar with a little extra, however lentils and split peas under fill the same jar. I get 13 lbs. for good measure and if I have some left over I save it for the next batch or for home use. I’ve also found that it usually takes a couple of stores to find a decent assortment of beans. Look for a variety of colors and sizes. Some of the things I try to include are: black beans, large and small lima beans, navy beans, yellow and green split peas, pinto beans, cranberry beans, black-eyed peas, brown and red lentils and kidney beans.

Get a large bowl and add the beans. I usually have an empty jar and hand and measure as I go. Counting how many jars of beans I’ve placed in the bowl as I empty them into the jar and then empty the jar into the bowl. Measure a little generously, though. Small legumes tend to fill in spaces when several types are mixed and so 12 jars mysteriously become 11. It’s more of a general guide than a precise measure. Mix the beans well and scoop them into the jars, adding the lids as you go.

Now you have some pretty jars of beans, but not a soup mix. To complete the job, mix up a batch of herbs for the seasoning packets. You will need:

12 lollipop bags

12 labels

And

3/4 c. parsley flakes

1/2 c. dried diced onion

2 T. dried savory

1 T. dried oregano

1 T. dried marjoram

1 T. dried thyme

1 T. dried minced garlic

1 t. powdered bay leaf

You can adjust the herbs to taste or use what you have on hand. Other herbs or seasonings you could add would be basil, mint, chili powder, cumin or rosemary to name but a few. The blend recipe given is a mix of flavors I happen to like. Savory is sometimes called the “bean herb” because its flavor complements legumes. Thyme is also similar in flavor. Anyway, mix the herbs well and divide the mixture in the 12 bags. Use a couple of slightly rounded tablespoons per bag, depending on how powdered your herbs are. Fold over the labels and staple. Punch a hole in the corner of the label and affix to jar with stretchy loop or raffia or twine or even thin ribbon.

The labels

I make labels that are the same size as 2 business cards. On the front add your own graphic and on the back the directions for the soup. The print on the back will have to be small.

Directions to include with soup mix.

Rinse beans and pick over. Place beans in large kettle of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil 3 minutes and remove from the heat. Let stand 1 hour then drain and rinse beans. Return beans to pot and add enough water to cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 2-3 hours. Meanwhile in large pot in 2-T. oil sauté 1 large onion (chopped) until tender. Add beans with water and 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes. Add seasoning packet, water or broth if needed and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6-8.

Lavender and Lilac Bath Salts

Another easy homemade gift is bath salts. The ingredients are fairly easy to find. Epsom salts can be found at any drug store.  Essential oils can be found at most craft stores. Food coloring- grocery stores. Try to find pretty jars to put them and finish with a pretty label. Here are the directions.

Bath Salts

Epsom Salts

Fragrant oils

Food coloring- optional

Flower petals

Place 2 cups Epsom salts in a non-reactive bowl and add a few drops of scented oils and a few drops of food coloring, if desired. Toss to distribute, or place in a jar with a tight fitting lid or even in a plastic bag and shake mixture well. Take a whiff. If you can’t smell them, add more. You can add more coloring, too if needed. Add a few petals, broken up, for additional fragrance and for color. Place salts in a glass jar with a lid or in a plastic bag and let stand 1 week. Smell again and adjust fragrance as needed. Fragrances mature and you may find them too weak or strong. Add more oil or cologne to heighten aroma or add more salts to cut down on intensity. Keep in mind that the bath salts will be diluted a lot in a bath, so a little strong is good.

The oils are available at many craft stores and by mail. See the section on mail order in the back of the book. Choosing the fragrance you want to use can be a little trickier. Most of the florals are a safe bet, but you may want to get more creative. Citrus, herb, spice and woody fragrant oils can add a dimension to your bath salts that make them really outstanding.

To present them as a gift salts can be put in a wide-mouth jar, with a lid. Decorate with ribbon and attach a small scoop, if you like. Discount and dollar stores are a good place to find attractive jars at a reasonable price as well as garage sales and resale shops. You can also package them for individual use in lollipop bags with a card board header, like the herb packets. I like to make different fragrances and label them  (relaxing bath, earthly delights, sweet dreams, etc. I then package them in the bags and add a few to a gift basket.

I will be at the Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice annual Craft show at Pilgrim Church in Tremont this Saturday, . The church is located on W. 14th street at Starkweather. It runs from 10-4 and is well worth the trip. Local artists and craft people will be there. This is one of the best and most eclectic shows around. Always a good time.  I will be selling my herb blends, books, soup and bread mixes, wine jelly, pomegranate jelly, relishes and more. Hope to see you there.

I always enjoy making and receiving homemade gifts at the holidays. I know with all the talk of how commercial everything is a homemade gift just seems more personal. In the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting lots of ideas for home made and home baked gifts for giving. I hope you will enjoy them.

An easy project to try is cinnamon ornaments. Both adults and kids can make them. You make a dough from cinnamon and applesauce- roll it out and cut out with cookie cutters. Don’t forget to add a hole for a hook or string so your ornament can be hung up later. Then you just let them air dry for a few days. They make the house smell wonderful and last for years.

Cinnamon Ornaments

These are for decorating not for eating!

3/4 c. applesauce

1 bottle (4.12 oz.) cinnamon

Mix applesauce and cinnamon and knead to form a stiff dough. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out with cookie cutters. Make hole in top of ornament with skewer or straw and carefully transfer to rack to dry. Let dry a couple of days, turning occasionally. Hang dried ornaments with decorative thread or ribbon. Makes about 12-15.

I will be doing the annual Holiday Craft Show at Wildwood this Sunday. This is one of my favorites. All local products and crafters. I will be there with my cookbooks, herb packets, beer bread mixes, soup mixes, relishes and jellies. One of the highlights are the fresh green arrangements, wreaths and swags made by the Wildwood Garden Club every year. They sell out quickly.

Wildwood is located at 7645 Little Mountain Road. It is an old mansion and a lovely location. There are 3 stories of crafts to check out. Hours are from 10-4 this Sunday, December 2. There is a $1 admission. Hope to see you there.

Keith’s apple pie

Part of our Thanksgiving dinner is always having great desserts including pies. My sister, Cindy Morgner, always makes squash pie. They are really wonderful. My nephew, Keith Scherer, makes apples pies. They are amazing. Piked high with a mix of apples and not too sweet they are a joy to behold and to eat.