New Year's Eve Dinner

I'm going to take a shortcut today. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I'm directing you to the site on the internet where I do most of my writing. Here's the link to an article I wrote for Hub Pages. 

Click here to learn how to make my New Year's Eve Dinner. On the menu:

Crostini with Wild Mushrooms

Wilted Greens Salad

Potatoes Delmonico

Reverse-sear prime rib

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies - Part 6 (at last!)

Photo Credit: Hershey's Kitchens

Here are the final two recipes for our Twelve Days of Christmas collection.

This recipe is from the Hershey Kitchens--I'm a sucker for anything made with coconut. If you like Mounds candy bars, you'll love these

Hershey's Coconut Kiss Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 bag (14  ounces) of sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 can (14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 24 Hershey's Kisses milk chocolates

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir together the coconut, condensed milk, flour, and almond extract in a large bowl.
3. Divide the coconut mixture into 16 portions. Mold each portion around 1 chocolate kiss, covering it completely. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool.
5. Place the remaining 8 Kisses in a heavy-duty (freezer) resealable food storage bag. Close the bag and microwave at medium (50 percent) for 1 minute or until softened. Knead the bag until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Cut about 1/4-inch from one corner of the bag. Drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies. Allow chocolate to firm. Makes 16 cookies.

And finally, this one from Women's Day Magazine, 12/22/1987. Streusel spirals are a slice-and-bake cookie with a buttery cream-cheese dough and brown sugar/walnut filling.

Streusel Spirals

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well-blended and smooth. With the mixer on low speed add 2 cups of the flour; beat until blended.
2. Divide dough into fourths. Shape each portion into a rectangle and flatten it to 1-inch thickness. Wrap and chill overnight.
3. Mix filling ingredients (remaining 1/4 cup flour, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon) in a small bowl until blended.
4. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out one piece of dough at a time into a 10x6-inch rectangle. Trim edges.
5. Sprinkle 1/4 of filling on each piece of dough within 1/2-inch of edges. Roll up tightly like a jellyroll starting from one short end. Moisten the edge with water; press to seal.
6. Wrap and place in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours or until firm. 
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut one roll at a time into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack.

Makes 96

Photo Credit: Hershey's Kitchens

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies - Part 5

 

In 1965 the editors of McCall's Magazine published a soft-cover "Cookie Collection." As you might expect, the cover is worn, some of the pages are stained, and the whole thing is being held together with scotch tape. I'm glad I was able to save it from my Mom's cookbook collection after she passed away.

My favorite cookie was this one--dark and rich with ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. 

Moravian Spice Cookies

• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1 cup light molasses

1. Sift flour with baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.
2. In a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed beat brown sugar, butter, and molasses until well combined.
3. With a wooden spoon stir in the flour mixture then mix with your hands until well combined. Form dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. The next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly greased cookie sheets.
5. Divide dough into 4 parts. Refrigerate until ready to roll out.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough one part at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place cookies one inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
7. Meanwhile, make frosting with 1/3 cup egg whites and 3 3/4 cups sifted confectioners sugar. Beat with a portable mixer at medium speed until smooth and stiff. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to use.
8. Pipe frosting to outline the edges of cooled cookies.

These are my brother's favorite cookies; they are simple (only 6 ingredients), rich, buttery, and full of the warm flavor of cinnamon.

Cinnamon Stars

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until blended. Stir in flour and salt (the dough will be stiff). Chill for several hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
3. Roll out 1/4-inch thick and cut in desired shapes. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully; because of the amount of butter, they burn easily.

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies - Part 4

 We're still making cookies (or candy, as a slight diversion). Twelve recipes for the 12 days of Christmas.

Chocolate Fruitcake Bars

Once upon a time, a brownie and a fruitcake met; they fell in love, got married, and had a baby. OK, seriously, I have a confession to make—I love fruitcake, I always have and I always will, but my kids would have nothing to do with it. Too nutty, too fruity, and whoever thought that candied grapefruit peel could be a good thing?

On the other hand, what's not to love about a chocolate brownie? Somehow, with this adaptation, this clever Mom made a fruitcake that everyone in the Carb Diva family likes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon coffee or chocolate liqueur
• 1 tablespoon light rum
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup red candied cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped dates
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla.
4. Beat in flour mixture, and then add liquid ingredients and stir just until blended (don't over mix).
5. Stir in chopped nuts, fruits, and chocolate chips.
6. Spread batter in greased and floured 9-inch square baking pan.
7. Bake in preheated
   oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Santa's Whiskers

Photo Credit: Meghan (BakeItAfterall.com)

This next recipe is from a 1975 Better Homes and Gardens publication "Homemade Cookies Cookbook" a well-worn, well-loved book. My daughters always enjoyed looking at the photographs—they wanted to bake every cookie in the book!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red or green candied cherries
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup flaked coconut

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar; blend in milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, chopped candied cherries, and pecans. Form dough into two 8-inch rolls.
2. Roll in flaked coconut to coat the outside. Wrap in waxed paper or clear plastic wrap; chill thoroughly.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut dough logs into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake till edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Makes about 60 cookies.