Recipe of the week: Dark Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

I've been making these cookies for several years now and they are always a hit.  I adapted the recipe from a Martha Stewart recipe....she used unsalted butter, then added salt, which I always think is silly.  She also used corn syrup for the chocolate ganache which I think is unacceptable, you don't need to use corn syrup ever to make something delicious.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

INGREDIENTS:
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) butter, divided
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups unbleached flour
2 ounces semisweet chocolate (about 1/4 cup)


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together 1 stick of the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium-high.  Using a small cookie scoop or heaping teaspoons, roll the dough into balls, and place 1-inch apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and make an indentation into the middle of each cookie. Return to oven, and bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Combine chocolate, 2 tablespoons butter Set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.) Allow to cool slightly. When cookies are cool, fill the thumbprints with the chocolate mixture.

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1994/1995)

Things I love about December

So here we are, already December 2nd.  There's lots of things I love about this time of year, so I thought I'd share a few with you.  These are in no particular order.

1. I love how most everyone is friendly
2. Hearing Christmas songs like O Holy Night in the grocery store, what other time of year would you hear a worship song at Vons!
3. Reading Luke 2 and drinking homemade hot cocoa on Christmas Eve
4. Getting to say Merry Christmas or Happy New Year instead of just 'Hello', it's so much more fun.
5. Going to look at Christmas lights
6. Making cookies and marshmallows with my kids, sister, niece and nephews
7. Baking some of my favorite bread and cookie recipes and taking them to friends
8. My mom's English toffee, it's the only time of year she makes it
9. Getting together with friends and family just because
10. Dressing up, just to be festive

What are your favorite things about the Holidays?

Recipe of the week: Cranberry Bread

I love baking for the holidays!  Cranberries are only in season this time of year so I try to buy a few bags and freeze them.  This is one of my favorite recipes and I'd say, hands down it's the one people ask me for the most.  It's great by itself or with cream cheese on it.  I love to put it on holiday goodie platters because it's pretty.  I usually use one cup of unbleached and one cup of whole wheat flour.  Let me know what you think. A Votre Sante!

Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp orange rind
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix the dry ingredients together into one bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir egg with orange rind and orange juice.  Blend mixture into flour mixture, stir until just moistened.  Fold in cranberries, raisins and nuts.
Spoon into 2 small greased loaf pans or 2 large one.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes.  Sixty  minutes for 2 loaves and 75 for 1...or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for at least 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack.  Store wrapped, wait 12-24 hours before slicing.