Whipped Shortbread

I first experienced whipped shortbread at a snack table at a funeral.  I nearly asked everyone I saw whether or not they had tried this little piece of heaven... and then I remembered that I'm an adult and I need to restrain myself until a more appropriate time.

A time like Christmas.

Makes about 60 small bite-sized cookies (recipe is easy to halve, double, or increase by 50%):

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 lb butter (approx 450 grams or 1 cup - half a "pack" here in Canada)

Whip the butter in a stand mixer.  Trust me, you will want a stand mixer or your arm might fall off.

Add the rest.  Leave it whipping in the mixer for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, literally.  This needs to fill with air. The dough will look very fluffy and white, somewhat like frosting or like meringue peaks. 

It's as easy as scooping with a fork onto a pan and baking at 350 degrees for up to 20 minutes.  My oven cooks hot - check after 12 minutes or so and ensure the bottoms aren't browning. These need to cook through but over baking will dry them out.

Sometimes I even cook a half recipe (my husband doesn't like shortbread) and that makes 30 small cookies. 

Enjoy with milk!

Sugar Cookies with Icing

These Wilton cookies paired with this yummy icing are just to die for. My co-worker makes these cookies occasionally and she has them down to a science.  Once you start eating them you will seriously not be able to stop.

• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (be careful and don't accidentally overpour like I did... or that batch will have a very strong almond flavour!)

Beat the above ingredients until fluffy. Mix the next few ingredients in a bowl and add them to the wet ingredients 1 cup at a time.  Beat with a mixer and use a spatula when necessary to incorporate everything:

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Roll a portion of dough out on a floured surface (I found about 1/4 inch to be the right width) as the cookies will rise a little bit but not a ton. Use cookie cutters - flour them if you find your dough too sticky. 

Carefully lift them onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for only about 8 minutes. If the edges start looking brown that's more than enough time!  They should be a nice light yellow without brown spots and they will become a yummy chewy cookie.

Top with icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tsp milk

Mix above together, then add 2 tsp of light corn syrup and mix thoroughly.  Spread plain onto the cookies or use fancy icing skills that I don't have.  This part of the cookie-making is very time-consuming for me and my patience levels do not a beautiful cookie make.  Mine make it to my mouth before anyone sees them anyway.

Eggnog-Raspberry Muffins

These muffins are taken from inspiredbycharm.com and are a nice light, sweet muffin. I really like that the eggnog does not overpower the muffin. I didn't have cranberries so I picked the next most tart berry I had in my freezer - raspberries.  The original recipe is posted with beautiful pictures so please go there and admire Michael's skills.


Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup eggnog
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup fresh (or frozen if you're like me and that's all you have) berries

Mix wet ingredients briefly into the dry ones and spoon into a muffin tin (lined or greased). I prefer to make 10 larger muffins and they rise quite well.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (toothpick test).  I baked my larger ones for more like 26 minutes.

Optional crumb topping (that I'm usually too lazy to bother with - the muffins are good enough):

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces or grated

Ginger Snaps

These are chewy Christmas delights. 

• 3/4 cups butter (I use margarine... my cookies end up a bit flatter but they still taste goooood)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup molasses

Beat above ingredients together. Mix the following dry ingredients together then add slowly to the wet ingredients:

• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of ground cloves and pinch of nutmeg

Form into small balls and roll in white sugar. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes on an un-greased cookie sheet.  These need to be slightly underdone so that they will be chewy - they will be very soft when they come out of the oven and that is good. They will harden enough.

Focaccia Bread

I don't know where this recipe originally came from - if anyone recognizes it feel free to let me know!

Mix together:

• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1 cup water (warm but not too hot)
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• Let the yeast poof, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil

Combine dry ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cup white flour
• 1 tsp each of salt, garlic powder, oregano, thyme
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together.  Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface.  Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with damp cloth and let it rise for about 20 minutes.

Punch the dough down, pat into a flat rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.  Top with oil, parmesan/mozzarella, or various veggies, herbs, and other cheeses.  This is your chance to get creative!  You can go "basic" with rosemary and sea salt, then eat it with oil and balsamic vinegar, or jazz it up with banana peppers and asiago cheese.  I like to poke the dough all over with my finger so that the finished bread has dimples in it.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Thoroughly enjoy it with balsamic vinegar / olive oil or other dips.  Happy eating!

Apple Muffins

I have a box of apples ripening on my counter so I made these the other day. My husband (who as a rule is not sentimental) says he remembers this was the first thing I ever baked for him.  Aww. I'll take what I can get.  No idea what the recipe is from - I will credit my mom and Grandma.  These are the perfect autumn treat when the fireplace is going and it hasn't stopped raining in three weeks.

They don't rise much so if I want regular-to-large-sized-muffins I will actually pour this entire recipe into half of a muffin tin. So if you want 12 large muffins, I would double it. And I put lots of apple because it's yummy.  They are satisfying, so consider it nearly a meal.

Mix dry ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or a bit more)
• Fold in 1-2 cups (peeled) diced apple

Mix wet ingredients separately:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup veg oil

Mix wet ingredients briefly into dry until just mixed and pour into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, 24 minutes if making large ones. Test with a toothpick. 

Mixed Berry Whole Wheat Muffins

These muffins are healthy!  Yay!  This recipe is from skinnytaste.com, found here.  I recommend checking out her pictures, because I can't do these muffins justice.

I cut down the sugar even a tiny bit more and have found that it's best when using a very flavourful fruit for the puree - if using strawberries as suggested, make sure they're small and fresh... I wouldn't recommend frozen large ones that come in a package because they make the muffins a bit bland.  I also wouldn't recommend pureeing a blueberry and blackberry mix... because though the muffins will still taste great, they will look black and burnt!  My favourite rendition uses a tart applesauce, made in the crock pot from my in-laws' apples.


Mix together:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, mix:

• 1 1/2 cups pureed strawberries (from about 16 oz strawberries) --> or applesauce
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp melted butter or margarine

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add 1 cup of berries and fold them in. I recommend raspberries and blackberries - blueberries work too but I prefer the more tart taste of the others. 

Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes - toothpick test. Mini-muffin bake time can be shortened by a couple minutes.  Enjoy!