Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Cookies!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

6 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon ginger

Pinch of salt

5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup honey

1 3/4 cups sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

2 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together in a large bowl, and set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the butter, honey, sugar, lemon juice and the lemon and orange zest. Bring this to medium heat and cook until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to about room temperature and beat in the eggs.

Make a well in the flour/spice mixture and add the egg/sugar mixture to the well. Using a fork, begin to gradually incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. When the flour has mostly been incorporated, turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and gently knead until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Knead in a little more flour if the dough seems sticky. Chill dough for 1 hour or overnight.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to an even thickness of about 1/4-inch. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookies are firm and lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 3 to 4 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

When the cookies are completely cool decorate, as desired.

Cook's Note: If you are planning to hang the cookies, make a hole for the string before baking.

Makes about 60 cookies.

image and recipe from the Food Network

Perfect for Christmas Morning

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)

8 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash salt

Praline Topping, recipe follows

Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 40 minutes.  Serves 6-8 people.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

image and recipe from foodnetwork. recipe from Paula Deen

Holiday Cocktail

Frosty the Caramel Apple Pie

1-1/2 oz. vodka or tequila 

1 oz. Hiram Walker Butterscotch Schnapps 

1-1/2 oz. apple cider 

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 

Apple slice for garnish 

Crushed graham crackers

Preparation:

First, rim the lip of a chilled cocktail glass with your crushed graham crackers. 

Pour all the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

Shake well. 

Strain into your chilled cocktail glass. 

Garnish with an apple slice.

Note: Serve over ice in a large wine goblet.

recipe and image from fineliving.com

A Trifle Better Than Rachel's

Everyone remembers that episode of "Friends" when Rachel made the trifle.  The pages of the recipe stuck together and her dish was combined some sort of meat casserole.  Well, at least Joey liked it.  Let's hope your trifle turns out better than hers.

Chocolate Cherry Trifle

Ingredients

2 (approximately 2 ounces each) chocolate pound cakes

1/2 cup black cherry jam

1/2 cup cherry brandy

2 cups drained bottled sour cherries (Morello recommended)

Custard:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate minimum 70% cocoa solids, chopped

1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon milk

1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

8 egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

Topping:

3 cups heavy cream

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate

Special Equipment:  Large wide trifle bowl

Directions

Slice the chocolate pound cake and make jam sandwiches with the cherry jam, and layer the bottom of a large wide trifle bowl. Pour over the cherry brandy so that the cake soaks it up, and then top with the drained cherries. Cover with cling wrap and leave to macerate while you make the custard.

Melt the chocolate on low to medium heat in the microwave, checking after 2 minutes, though it will probably need 4 minutes. Or you can place it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, ser aside while you get on with the custard.

In a saucepan warm the milk and cream. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk and cream into the bowl whisking it into the yolks and sugar mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate, scraping the sides well with a rubber spatula to get all of it in, and pour the custard back into the rinsed saucepan. Cook over a medium heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time. Make sure it doesn't boil, as it will split and curdle. Keep a sink full of cold water so that if you get scared you can plunge the bottom of the custard pan into the cold water and whisk like mad, which will avert possible crisis.

The custard will get darker as it cooks and the flecks of chocolate will melt once the custard has thickened. And you do need this thick, so don't panic so much that you stop cooking while it is still runny. Admittedly, it continues to thicken as it cools and also when it's chilling in the refrigerator. Once it is ready, pour into a bowl to cool and cover the top of the custard with cling wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

When the custard is cold, pour and spread it over the chocolate cake layer in the trifle bowl, and leave in the refrigerator to set, covered in cling wrap overnight.

When you are ready to decorate, softly whip the cream for the topping and spread it gently over the layer of custard. Grate the chocolate over the top.

Makes 16 servings.

image and recipe from Food Network.

Crafty Christmas

We saw this great idea over on WeddingBee (love those ladies) and just had to share it.

Mrs. Green Tea created Christmas ornaments using a clear glass ornament (from any craft store) and rolled strips of her leftover wedding invitations to put inside.

image from Mrs. Green Tea

Such a fun way to remember your wedding every time you decorate the tree - while using those inevitable extra invitations!

image from Mrs. Green Tea

Read her entire post here. 

Fantasy Christmas List

A girl can dream, right?

Here is our Christmas Fantasy List for Santa:

A Burberry Scarf. Pink please.

Christian Louboutin Patent Peep Toe Pump in black. Perfect for a wedding.

And this gold pair of Manolo Blahnik Mid-Heel Halter pumps are terrific too.

A tote bag is essential in this business and the Nancy Gonzalez North South Croc Tote is great.

Baby it's cold outside. This Babydoll Belted Coat from Michael Kors should help.

Of course instead of fighting the cold weather, we could just spend a rejuvenating week at Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson.

You can have your Hybrid, but on our Fantasy List is a new BMW 535i, the best car ever made. Black Sapphire please.

How fun would it be to have this Murrey custom 2 lane Bowling Alley in your home?

Every pooch needs is a one-of-a-kind diamond dog collar. The lucky dog that gets to wear Amour Amour will be secure in the knowledge that their collar, valued at $1.8 million USD, is the most expensive dog collar in the world. Who says diamonds can't be a dog's best friend?

And just in case we need a dog to go with that collar...

well... maybe Christmas and our birthdays?