powdered

Xmas Crinkle Cookies

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: Xmas Crinkle Cookies! Shortcuts are the key to success for that next cookie-exchange the kids forgot to tell you about.  “Oh yeah, Mom, sorry.” No worries. Head to the kitchen to clang some pans around, preheat the oven, and dust a little powdered sugar on your nose. They’ll be none the wiser. By the time the house begins to smell like a neighborhood bakery, you’ll have rows of cookies lined up ready to be boxed. And if you’re one of those organized parents, just so you know, these cookies freeze well. Arrange them in a freezer gallon bag, layered between squares of waxed paper. I have literally taken these crinkle cookies out of the freezer and handed them to a little girl to eat. Other than being slightly chilled, they retain a chewiness that makes them simply delicious. You deserve a pat on the back. You’re welcome. 

XMAS CRINKLE COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

15.25-ounce box strawberry cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine strawberry cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs. Stir until a dough forms. Chill dough for 20 minutes. Shape dough into 1” balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place 2” apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until center is just set. Remove pan from oven; cool for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Dust with more powdered sugar. 

Luscious Lavender Puff Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Luscious Lavender Puff Cookies! Before we begin, let me assure you, baking the cookies for 45 minutes per batch, IS NOT a misprint. Dried lavender buds as well as lavender extract can be found at farmers markets, organic health food stores, or your local co-op. (I went one step further and made my own lavender extract from dried buds, which took longer to ferment.) I also have the convenience of a nearby Amish community as a resource for dried herbs and spices. These cookies are definitely worth the effort. Put on a pot of coffee or tea…. and enjoy!

LUSCIOUS LAVENDER PUFF COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

5 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lavender buds

1 teaspoon lemon citrus peel, granulated

1 teaspoon lavender extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

2 cups flour

Powdered Sugar for rolling

Lavender buds for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. Beat butter until soft.  Crush lavender buds in sugar using a mortar and pestle; then combine sugared lavender buds with butter.  Blend until creamy.  Mix in citrus peel, lavender extract, and lemon extract.  Add pecans, flour, and salt to butter mixture. Combine thoroughly.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 45 minutes or until set, but not brown.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar to coat when cookies are still slightly warm. Sprinkle with dried lavender buds. Cool completely on wire rack. 

Kolachy Wedding Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Kolachy Wedding Cookies! The beauty of this wedding delicacy, popular in Central Europe, transforms every bite into a puff of pastry. Taste the splendor.  Choose one or more of your favorite fruit toppings, sprinkle with a few chocolate morsels, and let the celebration begin! I made mine into Cherry Chocolate Chip Kolachys!

KOLACHY WEDDING COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 8-ounce package Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten 

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 can pie filling, any flavor

1/2 cups semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels

Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

Cream together butter, Neufchâtel cheese, milk, and sugar. Add beaten egg yolk. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture and blend well. Refrigerate until the dough is thoroughly chilled (4 hours or overnight).  Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out dough to 1/4″ thick on well-floured board. Cut with a 2″ round cookie cutter, or small glass. Place cut-outs on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make a depression with the back of a spoon in the center of each round. Fill the center with a dollop of fruit filling. Sprinkle chocolate morsels on top. Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. 

Orange-Pineapple-Banana Ice Cream

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Orange, Pineapple, Banana Ice Cream!  And, before you ask…..No, you do not need an ice cream maker. What I love the most about this refreshing recipe is that any fresh fruit can be used for a mélange of flavor choices, depending on the season.

ORANGE-PINEAPPLE-BANANA ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

1/3 cup mandarin oranges, frozen

1/3 cup pineapple chunks, frozen

1 banana, frozen

1/4 cup powdered sugar 

1/2 cup heavy cream, very icy cold

Directions:

Combine the frozen fruit and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process on “Pulse” until the fruit is roughly chopped. With the processor running, slowly add the heavy cream until fully mixed. Transfer fruit ice cream to a plastic storage container with lid. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until firm. To serve, use a melon ball scoop to form bite-size portions. Garnish with dried fruit and shredded coconut. 

Chocolate Chip Candied Cheese Ball

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Sweet Celebrations: Chocolate Chip Candied Cheese Ball! The most amazing surprise appears at first bite. Dark chocolate blended with sweetened cream cheese presents itself as a first class cheeseball that leaves everyone smacking their lips in satisfaction. The fun of swiping a cinnamon graham cracker cookie transforms this dessert in a mouth-watering finger food. Make this holiday surprise the happiest one yet.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CANDIED CHEESE BALL

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup sugared pecans, crushed

Graham cracker sticks

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and completely incorporated. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Chill two hours. On a sheet of waxed paper, sprinkle crushed sugared pecans. Form chilled mixture into a ball. Roll in pecan coating. Chill overnight. Serve with honey graham cracker sticks or cinnamon graham cracker sticks.

Bourbon Balls

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Sweet Celebrations: Bourbon Balls! Remember the scene from “The Grinch Stole Christmas” where the adults in Whoville are throwing a key party? Well, I’m convinced they may have been nibbling on holiday Bourbon Balls based on the way they were flirting and having a crazy-fun time. Be forewarned. This recipe does contain chocolate and alcohol. You may want to mention it.

BOURBON BALLS

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

3 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup bourbon

2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Granulated sugar

Instructions:

Pulse vanilla wafers in a food processor to make crumbs. Set aside. Over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate morsels; remove from heat. Blend in corn syrup and bourbon. In a large bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, and nuts. Add chocolate mixture. Blend well. Chill 30 minutes. Using a melon ball utensil, scoop dough into 1″ balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Store in covered container for several days to season flavor.

Xmas Crinkle Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Xmas Crinkle Cookies! Shortcuts are the key to success for that next cookie-exchange the kids forgot to tell you about. “Oh yeah, Mom, sorry.” No worries. Head to the kitchen to clang some pans around, preheat the oven, and dust a little powdered sugar on your nose. They’ll be none the wiser. By the time the house begins to smell like a neighborhood bakery, you’ll have rows of cookies lined up ready to be boxed. And if you’re one of those organized parents, just so you know, these cookies freeze well. Arrange them in a freezer gallon bag, layered between squares of waxed paper. I have literally taken these crinkle cookies out of the freezer and handed them to a little girl to eat. Other than being slightly chilled, they retain a chewiness that makes them simply delicious. You deserve a pat on the back. You’re welcome.

XMAS CRINKLE COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

15.25-ounce box strawberry cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine strawberry cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs. Stir until a dough forms. Chill dough for 20 minutes. Shape dough into 1” balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place 2” apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until center is just set. Remove pan from oven; cool for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Dust with more powdered sugar.

Yellow & White Cake Mix Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Yellow & White Cake Mix Cookies! I never want to live in a world where there are no cookies. I’m one of those people who insist on tasting a freshly baked cookie, still warm from the oven. My kitchen, my rules. I also like the idea of choices. By taking a simple cake mix and ramping up the extra ingredients, I was able to offer my family plain, powdered sugar, and turbinado sugar cookies. Does that mean I needed three taste-tests? I’ll never tell.

YELLOW & WHITE CAKE MIX COOKIES

Ingredients:

15-ounce box yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Powdered sugar, for rolling

Turbinado sugar, for rolling

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the yellow cake mix, eggs, and oil together in a large bowl; stir. The batter will be thick. Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts. Use a cookie scoop to form the cookies. Place them two inches apart on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until the cookies appear slightly brown on the edges. Allow them to cool slightly before rolling in powdered sugar or turbinado sugar. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat baking steps until all the cookie dough has been used.

Instant Dutch Baby

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Instant Dutch Baby! Be innovative. When my Hawaiian friend, Dillyn, sent me a care package of unique foods from the island, I knew I would make something special to show her. I began with the popular chocolate macadamia nut pancake mix, tweaked it a little, and transformed it into a festive weekend breakfast for two. Everything tastes better with chocolate, doesn’t it? With mini morsels in the batter as well as a sprinkling on top, the flavor was ribboned throughout making one forget about the need for extra syrup. A final dusting of powdered sugar provided a tempting image to share long distance. She approved with glee and open delight. Mahalo!

INSTANT DUTCH BABY

Ingredients:

6 ounces chocolate macadamia nut pancake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, plus 1 tablespoon for topping

Powdered sugar, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a one-quart ovenproof baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. Combine pancake mix, egg, and milk in a bowl. Using a wire whisk, mix until the large lumps are gone. Fold in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. Pour batter into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining mini chocolate chips on top. Bake 25 minutes until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar. Serve warm.