Chocolate Cream Filled Puffs

Pastries seem so difficult.  When I think of making pastries, I think of croissants and folding endlessly.  Or I think about working with puff pastry which is my culinary enemy.  Cream puffs are not so.  Cream puffs are easy.  They are my friend.  There's no folding in butter.  The only butter you work with is melted.  The dough is done entirely with a saucepan and a spoon. They come together quickly and almost effortlessly.  The most difficult part is cutting off the tops of the cooked puffs.

One of my absolutely favorite pastries is an eclair.  I know that these are chocolate cream filled and do not have frosting, but I like to think of these as mini eclairs.  Sometimes the richness of the frosting on an eclair is overwhelming for me.  I remember as a child not finishing eclairs that my mother bought for me as a special Valentine treat.  They tempted me and I was indulged, but they always won.  These chocolate cream puffs are a smaller taste of an elegant pastry.  And I plan on making them for my little valentines.  They are so easy!

After making these a few times, I found it easiest to perforate a small section and lightly lift the tops off.  This exposes the soft inside that should be scooped out.  The puff is like a piece of delicate French toast.  Just gently pinch out the excess soft dough.  The puff on the left has not had the soft dough removed but the one on the right has.

 

Chocolate Cream Filled Puffs
chocolate cream filling {recipe follows}
1 c water
1/2 c butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 c all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 tbsp powder sugar
1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Prepare the chocolate cream filling according to the recipe and chill for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 400F.

Put water, butter and salt in medium saucepan; stir continuously until the mixture begins to get foamy.  Bring to a full boil.  Dump flour into boiling water.  Stirring quickly, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 1 minute until dough forms a ball.  Remove from heat.  Add eggs, one at a time and whisking after each one to form a smooth dough.

Drop dough by tablespoonsful onto lightly greased cookie sheet, making 16~18 puffs.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden.  Let cool slightly before slicing tops off horizontally and set aside.  Remove soft dough from inside of puffs.  Cool puffs and tops completely before filling.

Fill each puff with chilled chocolate cream, about 3 tablespoons, and replace top of puff.  Combine 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder.  Dust tops of puffs with sweetened cocoa.  Keep chilled until serving.

Chocolate Cream Filling
3 egg yolks
1 1/4 c sugar
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3 c whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla

Place egg yolks in a small bowl; blend together to break up yolks.  Set aside.  In a saucepan whisk together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt.  Add milk and whisk to blend smoothly.  Heat over medium heat, whisking slowly but continuously, until mixture bubbles {you should notice the mixture thickening considerably and steaming as it reaches this point}.  Continue to whisk slowly and let mixture continue to cook, bubbling, for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add a small amount, about 1/4 cup of chocolate mixture, to eggs.  Stir well to temper.  Add eggs to chocolate mixture in saucepan. Whisk til smooth.  Return to medium heat and continue to cook for about 30 seconds, until mixture begins to bubble again.  Remove from heat immediately.  Stir in butter and vanilla, until smooth.

Transfer filling to a bowl.  Cover chocolate filling with parchment paper, touching the surface to keep from forming a film as it cools.  Chill in the refrigerator at least two hours before using.

Tips and Tricks~
*Crack eggs and empty into a bowl to have ready for the recipe.  When instructed to add one at a time, just tilt the bowl of eggs so one yolk comes out.  Most of the egg white will stay with its yolk.  It just does.  You don't want to crack eggs directly into the batter though.  If you drop a piece of shell, that ruins your puffs.
*Use of a cookie dough scoop {looks like a small ice cream scoop} to put batter on foil lined cookie sheet makes this job quick, easy and less messy than using a spoon to divide batter
*If you want larger puffs, use a traditional ice cream scoop and make about 8~10.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
*While cooking the chocolate filling, watch carefully as the bubbling is not easily noticed unless you are looking for it.
*These make an elegant but easy dessert for a dinner party or reception.  Make the puffs and filling ahead of time, up to two days.  Earlier in the day before serving, assemble and keep refrigerated.  Dust with sweetened cocoa just before serving.
*If you need to save time or are intimidated by making the chocolate filling, just use a boxed pudding mix.  It works just very well.

New Year's Eve Countdown Cookies

Here's an easy way to add some festivity for children to your New Year's Eve~ Countdown Cookies!  I am certainly no master cookie baker or decorator but these are relatively simple {as far as shaped and decorated cookies go}.  I use a basic sugar cookie dough.  It's a great recipe to use when you will be decorating cookies with sprinkles or frosting since the dough isn't too sweet.  There are a plethora of recipes and tips out there for cookies, but I'll give you some of my own to add to them since I really suffer in the shaped cookie making department.

*When making your cookie dough, do not add all of the flour called for.  Wait and see how the dough balls up.  You may not need all the flour.  If your dough is too dry {too  much flour} the cookies will crumble.  Baking is affected by the humidity in the kitchen as well.  Just add a half cup at a time {already mixed with the baking powder} until the dough starts pulls together in a ball.
*Have cookie trays, sprinkles, cookie cutters and any other equipment you will be using ready to go before removing dough from refrigerator and beginning to roll.
*Work with half or a third of the dough at a time, leaving remainder of dough in the fridge.  Soft dough is your enemy when rolling and cutting cookies.
*Transfer cut cookies from work surface to prepared cookie sheet using a large metal spatula.  You can easily tear excess dough from around the shaped cookie after the spatula is carefully slid underneath of shape.
*Use powdered sugar on cookie cutters and spatula edges to 'flour', making removal of dough easy from cutter edges.
*Don't use leftover dough {from around the cut shapes} for more cookies.  Conserve space when doing initial cutting.
*Sprinkle cookies with sugar crystals once they are on the tray but before they are baked.  Don't worry about extra sugar crystals around the the edges.  Lightly press them into the cookies to keep in place while baking.
*Place cookie trays in freezer for 10 minutes before baking to help keep cut shapes while baking.

We save our small frappuccino and juice bottles to make festive drinking containers on such occasions as these.  Add party ribbon and curl.  The final touch is a festive straw in colors to match the occasion.

Another easy yet festive decoration is a 'clock' plate.  Any plastic plate {or inexpensive ceramic plate} will do.  Use a permanent marker to mark the numbers around the plate edge.  I found it worked best to start with 12, 6, 3, then 9 and fill in the remaining numbers.  The children will love snacking on these New Year's Eve Countdown Cookies as they wait to ring in the new year!

New Year's Eve Countdown Cookies

1 c unsalted butter, left at room temperature for 45~60 minutes
1 c white sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 c white flour
1 tsp baking powder
powdered sugar {for working with dough instead of flour}
tinted sugar crystals for decorating

Blend butter and sugar in stand mixer til grainy but smooth.  Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla.  Blend well, scraping sides and bottom of bowl again to incorporate all ingredients.

In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder with a whisk.  Working with a half cup at a time, blend into creamed butter and sugar.  Once the dough starts to pull together into a ball, remove from bowl.  Working on lightly floured surface {with powdered sugar}  shape dough into a smooth disc.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour {dough should be firm but not too hard}.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare cookie sheets {I like to line with foil and spray with a nonstick spray}.  Roll cookies to 1/4" thickness.  Cut, using a bit of powdered sugar on cookie cutters to keep from sticking.  Transfer to prepared cookie sheets.  Place cut cookies, on cookie sheets, in freezer for 10 minutes before baking.  Bake in 350F for 8~10 minutes, until edges begin to brown.  Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  Makes enough dough for about 2 dozen large {2"~3"} cookies.

I don't throw out the leftover but allow my younger children to use them for making their own sugar cookies.  They did all the rolling, shaping, cutting and sprinkling them selves and there were no worries about wasted dough or mistakes.  And a multitude of sprinkles hides any mistakes!

Brunswick Stew ~ A Family Favorite Recipe

Of the dishes you make how many are family recipes?  I often think that favorite recipes are always the handed down ones written on old index cards.  As I looked at my family's favorite dishes that I make over and over, I realized most of them are new to us.  There are really no recipes that I make that are from my mom or grandmother.  Most likely because my mom was not a cook; she was a secretary who made meals for five children and her own mother after she came home from a long day on her feet.  Dinner was usually something inexpensive, simple, and quick, like dried out hamburgers.  No cheese, that would have been too costly.  Don't get me wrong.  I have an immense awe for what my mom did for us and now realize how difficult it is to cook a pleasant meal for a whole family, every night!

I do see the influence of my mother's cooking on the recipes I love.  They are directly inspired by dishes my mom made when I was a child.  Brunswick stew was a staple in her kitchen.  If you aren't familiar with this stew, it is like a thick vegetable soup with meat. She made a typical Virginian Brunswick stew with lots of chicken and lima beans.  Sadly, when I was served this for dinner, I would hide it in my drink cup underneath a crumpled up paper napkin.

My children have clear drink glasses that I can easily see the contents of so no hiding unwanted food for them.  Though there is no need in the case of Brunswick stew; they aren't as hostile to this southern classic as their live in cook.  Sure, the tomato soup appearance and the quantity of vegetables may strike them and make them a bit hesitant at first glance.  But every time {no exaggeration}, every time~ they finish their bowls by the sway of their own taste buds.

The difference? The addition of barbecue sauce and some ground pork.  I learned this from a restaurant.  A tremendous flavor, sweet and smokey, is added with the barbecue sauce. And the ground pork just gives a contrasting texture to the smooth vegetables and stew.  My six~year~old commented how he "really does not like lima beans except in this stew."

Throughout the fall and winter this stew reappears at the dinner table {and sometimes if lunch when there is rarely enough left}.  Sometimes I start from scratch with my own roasted chicken. Or I plan to use leftovers like Christmas turkey.  And southern style green beans, the ones I simmer with bacon for hours are great in this stew.  Just gather between 6~8 cups of vegetable {green beans, corn, potatoes, and tomatoes are all good choices} and about 4 cups of shredded or chopped poultry {turkey, chicken or even pork work} and you have the foundation of a great dinner.  Your family won't even know that you are using up leftovers!  Don't forget corn muffins or bread.  Can you say mmmmmm?

Family Favorite Brunswick Stew
1 lb ground meat {recommend ground pork}
1 lb poultry {about 3 chicken breasts or 4 c meat}, cooked and chopped or shredded
1 lb frozen lima beans
1 lb frozen corn kernals
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1.5 cup bbq sauce {recommend Sweet Baby Rays}
salt, pepper, thyme to season
chicken broth, as needed
shredded cheddar to garnish as desired

Directions
Brown ground pork in skillet; drain fat and set aside.  Heat olive oil in stew pot or dutch oven.  Saute onion and bell pepper.  Add browned meat, shredded poultry, and crushed tomatoes.  Season with salt, pepper and thyme.  Heat to simmer.  Add frozen {or leftover} vegetables; as they heat, the frozen veggies will thaw and thin the stew a bit.  After it has all simmered, add chicken broth if you want a thinner stew.   Continue to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour to allow flavors to blend and stew to thoroughly heat.  Alternately, after meat is browned and the veggies sauted, add all ingredients to a crock pot and heat on low setting for 5~8 hours.

Cranberry Pistachio Snack Mix

Need a small gift for someone such as a teacher or teacher's helper, or a neighbor?  Here's a sweet and salty holiday snack mix that you can make today.  It's simple.  It's tasty. It's gluten free!
teacher gifts, neighbors, church friends, anyone you may need a small gift for

All you need is a something to package it in.  I suggest mason jars to show of the contents with its festive colors {red cranberries and green pistachios}.  A jar can quickly be dressed up with a cupcake liner on top.  I always have a few leftover after baking.  You can even add a tag with an ingredients list to clarify for allergens.  If you want to avoid nut allergies, just leave the pistachios out; it will still be a sweet treat from your home.

Cranberry Pistachio Snack Mix
1/4 c white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c butter, melted
6 c Chex cereal {recommend rice}
3/4 c dried cranberries
3/4 c shelled pistachios

Whisk or shake together sugar and cinnamon.  Pour cereal into a large bowl.  Pour half of the butter over the cereal; toss.  Pour remaining butter and stir well to coat cereal.  Sprinkle with half the sugar and cinnamon mix and stir; repeat with remaining sugar mix.  Toss in cranberries and pistachios; toss to combine.  Store in airtight container.  Makes 4 pint size mason jar gifts.

Walnut Cranberry Pie

Berry pies are evocative of summer time, and pecan pie is almost always alongside a pumpkin pie at the Thanksgiving dessert table.  I make a Honey Crunch Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving every year; it seems rather strange to me to make it for Christmas.  So what to make to followup a fabulous Christmas feast?  I found a new family favorite, just as fun to make as to eat.

A highlight of making this pie with my three~year~old son was making the cranberry 'jam'.  The cranberry layer doesn't take long to cook, and as it does, the cranberries crack and pop.  Placing a screen over the top of the saucepan {not a lid, but a mesh splatter screen} helps ensure no hot cranberries pop out onto little helping hands.  Watching the cranberry and orange juice mixture instantly turn to a jelly consistancey once the cornstarch paste is added is amazing for little eyes, too.  You'll want to let the 'jam' cook a bit longer after this point though, letting some steam off so the liquid evaporates a bit more.  Cook just about one minute longer.  Another note, all of the berries may not pop.  You can remove the unpopped berries or not; there should not be more than a few.  I prefer to leave them in.

This pie was really a nice treat, not exceptionally sweet like a pecan pie but with a similar texture.  The cranberry layer is a beautiful contrast to taste buds with its tartness.  Don't be concerned.  It's not overly tart because of the sugar and orange juice.  Try it and see if it becomes a family holiday favorite at your dessert table!

Walnut Cranberry Pie

Filling~
1 1/2 c fresh cranberries
6 Tbsp orange juice
3 Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water

Pie~
2 eggs
3/4 c dark corn syrup
1/3 c packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp grated orange peel
2 c walnut pieces
Unbaked pie shell {either deep dish or a 9"}

Prepare the filling: In a small dish mix cornstarch and water.  Combine fresh cranberries, oj and white sugar in saucepan; stir.  Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes stirring frequently.  Stir cornstarch paste into cranberry mix and continue to cook until thickened to jam consistency.  Let cool to about room temp.

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a bowl, beat eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and orange peel. Stir in walnuts.  Spread cooled cranberry filling in bottom of unbaked pie shell; top with walnut mixture.  Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes; check crust after 20 minutes of baking and top loosely with foil if browned to keep from burning.  Let pie cool to room temperature before serving.

Pots of Gold Pudding Cups

Most holidays in our house are purely an occasion for fun.  St. Patrick's Day is certainly one of those occasions.  We are not Irish, we do not celebrate saints' days, but we do have fun.  I was thinking of making cupcakes, but I get lazy and sometimes making frosting and decorating cupcakes is way more effort than I want or am able to put into something.  So I opted for pudding cups.  Pots of Gold to be exact.

Pudding cups seem to always be a hit with my children and their friends.  There is one exception, my four year old son.  He ate all the candy from the top and left his pudding.  His brother, before taking the pudding for himself, asked him why he doesn't like pudding.  The older brother said, "It's just chocolate."  To which the four year old responded, "It's melted chocolate and I don't like melted chocolate."  He's a funny one, but I love him.

These are really simple and rather quick to put together.  Once you have made the pudding mix {I always fold in freshly whipped cream}, spoon it into 9 ounce cups.  I used gold.  You could use black or clear.

If you are making these for later in the day, you'll want to skip the following steps until just before serving {otherwise the crumbs will get soggy and not be so pleasant}.  Top each pudding cup with about 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs.

Take a strip of rainbow candy {I found some sour rainbow candy in the dollar section at Target}, and tuck in each end into the sides of the cup.

Add a couple of gold coins or more.  Then tuck in a spoon.  Instant happiness.

Pots of Gold Pudding Cups
2 {6 serving} boxes of instant chocolate pudding
6 c cold milk
1 c whipping cream
1 c graham cracker crumbs
rainbow candy strips
chocolate coins

Mix pudding mix and milk with wire whisk for two minutes.  Set pudding in refrigerator to completely set.  While pudding is chilling, whip the cream until stiff.  Fold whipped cream into pudding.  Divide chocolate cream pudding between nine cups.  Top with graham cracker crumbs.  Decorate with rainbow candy and chocolate coins.

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Irish Coffee Ice Cream

My taste is pretty simple when it comes to ice cream.  Vanilla is my favorite and if that's not available, I'll take chocolate.  The most exotic I get with ice cream flavors is coffee.  It reminds me of being eight years old and tracking across town with my mom.  I can distinctly recall driving down a major highway, as there were tons of towering light poles shining down, towards a store where she would pick up a gallon of ice cream to last her a while and the children each picked out a single serving for themselves.  I would frequently get the coffee.

I don't often buy coffee ice cream because I would eat just about all of it; my children don't share my taste, but thankfully my husband does.  The problem is I really like the more expensive brands of ice cream when it comes to coffee, like Haagen Dazs.  One night we were sitting around the table enjoying our ice cream when my son {or perhaps my husband} said, "I wonder what Haagen Dazs means."  I was intrigued and grabbed a laptop and googled it.  Guess what?  It doesn't mean anything.  It's not even Danish!  I thought it meant something like 'Happy Days'.  I also found out that my favorite coffee ice cream isn't from Denmark.  A Polish imigrant came up with the idea after sitting around for days making goofy sounds that he thought sounded Danish.  Go figure.  I then shared my disappointment with my family over Haagen Dazs being from New York rather than from Denmark, explaining that as a young teenager I only liked it because it was from Copenhagen.  It even had a map of Denmark with Copenhagen starred.  That's official, right?!

Back to my ice cream.  A blogging friend, Monica, posted a recipe for peppermint ice cream.  Not only does it make brilliant use of candy canes, it requires no ice cream maker, just use your stand mixer to whip up the ingredients.  I love the idea of not using an ice cream make and making fresh ice cream, that has real cream in it.  I was so excited that I even got somewhat exotic with my flavoring~ Irish cream mixed with coffee.  Just in time for St. Patrick's Day.  How festive!

Irish Coffee Ice Cream
based on recipe from Sweet Peas and Happy Things
2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2  c whole milk
1/4 c Irish cream
1/4 c brown sugar
2 tbsp instant coffee granules

Combine all ingredients and stir to help coffee and sugar dissolve.  Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer {there may be some bits of sugar and coffee at the bottom, that's fine, they will get mixed as the cream is whipped}.  Using the whisk attachment, whip ingredients until fluffy but not stiff {about 7~10 minutes}, beginning on low speed and moving to medium as mixture thickens.  Place ingredients in freezer appropriate container and freeze for 8~12 hours.  Makes about 2 quarts of ice cream.

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Shrimp Etouffee

Etouffee is a bit different from jambalaya {not tomato based} or gumbo {thicker} but very Creole. It features shellfish, usually crawfish or shrimp; I prefer shrimp, mostly because I can easily buy it already deveined and shelled, though if you do shell your shrimp, you can use it to make a shrimp stock to cook your rice in {I just use chicken broth}.

Etouffee means to smother, which is a Cajun cooking technique of simmering a small amount of liquid to make a gravy that is heavily seasoned then served over rice {rice should be simple, cook with stock or broth and season with salt and pepper once cooked, maybe a tad bit of butter so it isn't too sticky}; it is quite popular in Louisiana, especially New Orleans.

Great dish to have for Mardi Gras {which is February 21 in 2012}. Most equate Mardi Gras with riotous parties but it is actually a day that is meant to prepare for the season of Lent.  It is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the eating of rich food before fasting begins on Ash Wednesday.

Shrimp Etouffee
1 c butter
1 c flour
2 bell peppers
1 medium onion
2 c chopped celery
5 c broth
1/3 c fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic
1 lb shrimp {small, salad shrimp}

Melt butter in a deep sauce pan or dutch oven over low heat.  Whisk in flour and continue to cook over low heat, whisking frequently, for 20 minutes.  While roux {flour and butter} is cooking, chop the onion, celery and bell peppers.

Add veggies to to roux and stir, coating the veggies.  Increase heat to medium~high.  Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring while doing so.  Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic.  Stir.  Once the sauce has come to a boil, lower heat to maintain a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir in cooked shrimp and cook to heated through.  Serve over hot rice.

Tips and Tricks~
*The base of the recipe is a roux that takes time to make. It is important to cook the flour and butter over a low heat so it doesn't burn but should cook for about 20 minutes, til it deepens in color to a mellow caramel.
*The roux doesn't deepen too much in color, but after all the other ingredients have been added and it simmers for 30 minutes, it will get a bit darker.
*Don't be alarmed at the thin soup when you first add all of the broth.  After simmering, covered, the sauce will thicken quite a bit.
*If you use frozen, precooked shrimp, make certain it is completely thawed and drained.  If not, your etouffee will more soupy.

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Love Them~ A Valentine's Day Lunch

When my children are at school all day long, I really miss them.  Yes, there are perks and moments I like {such as having a chance to clean up without having them leave more things behind to pick up}, but I don't enjoy it every day of the week.  I much rather the days of winter or summer breaks when they are home and I can spend some time with them.

That being said, it is important for me to let them know that I love them with little treats or notes and such.  I may not make a conscious effort daily to do this, but I try.  And on Valentine's Day, I feel it is almost expected.  In addition to the treats I help the children make for their classmates, I like to give them a treat.  It can be as simple as a sweet lunch.

This Valentin'es lunch includes~
a bag of sliced strawberries {sliced to resemble miniature hearts} and a note 'I love you bunches!'

cheese and ham cut into heart shapes with a croissant {find a set of nesting heart cookie cutters at your local craft store to use for smaller sizes}

a snack bag of Hershey's kisses and Rolos with pretzel sticks for a tic~tac~toe game of Hugs and Kisses.

For my older children who may think the heart shape cheese and ham are just a tad too cutsie, I'll make a chicken salad sandwich featuring dried cranberries for a touch of festive red and a hint of sweetness served on a flaky croissant.

Package it all in a regular brown paper bag, perhaps tied with some curly ribbon {again, maybe skip that for the older ones}.  This should let them know I love them!

What about those remnants of cheese and ham? Toss them into some scrambled eggs for a breakfast burrito to send the kids off to school with. There's no stopping the loving them.


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Lucky Purses

As I posted earlier this week, at our house we have started making Chinese food instead of getting take out.  Mostly we do this to avoid headaches and the cost, but the food really isn't difficult to make, and I've learned to make some dishes rather well.

When we did frequent restaurants, we tried P.F. Chang's a few times.  I honestly don't remember what their food was like, it didn't overwhelm me in either way of yum or yuck.  Except for one thing, a dessert called Lucky 8.  I tasted it twice but on one of our last visits, to my disappointment, it was no longer part of the menu.

For a few years I have thought about recreating the Lucky 8.  As I recall they were eight sticks made of thin spring roll dough filled with chocolate and served with a peanut butter caramel sauce and toffee bits.  I thought about how it would be difficult to fill and roll a thin stick of chocolate.  But an idea came to me, mostly inspired by images I've seen floating around the web of Hershey kisses baked inside of wonton wrappers.

I changed the order of fillings and sauce and decided on using Rolos, caramel filled chocolate candies, inside a dumpling wrapper.  A sauce of melted peanut butter and chocolate would accompany the little purses.  The name comes about from the gifts given to children on Chinese New Year.  Red envelopes are filled with money, an even amount is considered lucky {8 is the most common lucky number}.  Thus, these little tasty bites are named lucky purses.  Make some, perhaps more than eight.  They are easy and come together rather quickly.

Lucky Purses
Rolos candies, unwrapped
dumpling wrappers {recommend Shanghai style for a thinner crust}
small bowl of water {for moistening wrappers}
vegetable oil for frying
1/4c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c semi~sweet chocolate chips
toffee bits


Heat oil in small sauce pan over medium heat to about 325F.  While oil is heating {it will take a 5-10 minutes}, form purses.

Place number of wrappers needed {8-16} on a damp paper towel and fold paper towel over top to keep dough moist.  Place a wrapper on your hand, add a Rolo to the center of the wrapper.  Moisten the edges of the wrapper.  Bring edges together over the Rolo; press in side edges, then squeeze to keep together and form the purse.  Set aside while forming remaining purses.

Fry purses in hot oil for about 1 minute.  You want the dumplings to be golden but not burnt {they will cook quickly}.  Remove to plate lined with paper towels to remove oil.  Make sauce.

Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in a small sauce pan and heat over low heat to melt.  Stir frequently; once chips are melted, remove from heat and stir.  Spoon into serving ramekin.

Place lucky purses on a small serving plate and sprinkle toffee bits around them.  Place ramekin of chocolate peanut butter sauce on same plate.  Dip a lucky purse in the sauce then dab on toffee bits.

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Easy Fried Rice

Everyone in my family enjoys Chinese food but we don't like the headache and puffy hands and face that often come later from the high MSG content in most restaurant Chinese food. I've learned to make dumplings or wontons, spring rolls and now the best fried rice. I especially like to have our Chinese 'make~in' around Chinese New Year {which is January 23 this year}, complete with chopsticks and tea and a bright red table covering.

Why red?  The holiday has its roots in a myth that a monster, Nian, would come on the eve of the new year and eat animals and even children.  To keep him appeased, villagers would set out food on their doorposts.  Once someone noticed a child wearing red running toward the monster, and it was terrified and ran off.  It was decided that red would scare Nian away.  Today children receive red envelopes filled with money as gifts on the Chinese New Year.

So what about the food?  Often the feasts in China include chicken and fish, dumplings and mandarin oranges as well as some sweets like Chinese rice pudding.  We just enjoy a festive occasion therefore we eat  some of our favorite, very Americanized Chinese dishes, like fried rice.

Tips and Tricks for No Fail Fried Rice~
*The key to fried rice is using cold, day old rice.  Make your rice at least one day ahead and use it to make this no fail recipe.
*Use sesame oil, not vegetable or canola or another.  The only seasoning you need for this recipe comes from the sesame oil and the soy sauce.  And they are the only seasoning you need.
*I prefer white rice in this dish.  Before I actually made fried, I thought the brown color came from brown rice.  After making it I learned the color is from the soy sauce.
*This is wonderful even after it has been made and sits in the fridge for a day or two.  My children love it when I make extra so they can pack it for their lunches.
*Easily add pork, beef or chicken to the dish by sauteing the meat in sesame oil first, then add veggies with a bit more sesame oil.  Follow remainder of recipe as written.


Easy Fried Rice
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 c frozen mixed veggies
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 c cold, cooked rice {recommend white}
1/3-1/2  c soy sauce {recommend low-sodium}
1/4 c sliced green onions

Heat sesame oil in large skillet or wok over medium~high heat.  Add veggies and onions and cook until onions are slightly tender.  Move veggies to sides of pan, making a circle in which to place eggs.  Lower heat to medium and add eggs; scramble in middle to slightly cook then mix with veggies.  Add cold rice and soy sauce {just 1/3 cup, use 1/2 cup if you like the salty taste to come through more}; increase heat to high and stir fry to heat through.  Garnish with green onion slices before serving.

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Cookie Nativity with Cream Cheese Cookie Dough

As a child I was often enticed into requesting a gingerbread house when I would see them at a friends or in bakery shops. I could sympathize with Hansel and Gretel. If we could have a gingerbread house in our home for Christmas, everything would be perfect. My dreams of having a gingerbread house did not come true in my childhood. The closest I came was helping a friend eat some of one her father bought for her {which was already assembled with elaborate decorations}. After tasting a bit of that dream, I was actually very satisfied that my mom had never bought a gingerbread house for us. It was a fanciful treat for the eyes, but left me not wanting to enjoy the taste of one again anytime soon. Maybe the gingerbread had too much of a licorice flavor or perhaps the icing and candies were hard and dried out. That experience helped me to realize that I would probably enjoy something a little more pleasing to kinder palates.

When I had children of my own, instead of a traditional gingerbread house, I helped them decorate mini graham cracker houses. They are easy. They are inexpensive. And they are great for parties. Just set out graham crackers, icing and candies. My children loved these. As my children have grown, they still enjoy making the graham cracker houses, but I think some of the older ones would enjoy something different.

I saw this adorable picture of a 'gingerbread' nativity. It reminded me of the graham cracker houses and I think it would be delightful for the children to make, but it actually inspired another idea. Visions of cookies cut to animal shapes and stars, I imagined a nativity scene made of cookies. And, it was quite different than a gingerbread house. Instead of the colorful decorations and heaps of frosting, I envisioned a simple monochrome scene. Something that was more peaceful instead. Any embellishments would be simple. Just a few sprinkles on the stars and and perhaps some lights as a backdrop. And the figures would be few.


I began with a soft and velvety cookie dough~ cream cheese cookie dough {see recipe at end of post}. The dough is perfect for children to work with. It has no raw eggs. It is easy to shape even without cookie cutters~ roll into balls or sticks.
I like to double the batch to have extra, especially if kids will be decorating {have a few extra cookies on hand for mistakes}.

Roll out the cookie dough, working in small batches. Cut out the stars. Place a skewer on a cookie sheet and place star at one end. Lightly press onto skewer. Sprinkle sugar crystals over top before baking.


Next, work on animals and figures. In a traditional nativity scene there are three animals {a donkey, sheep and a cow}, but I had to settle for two. I could not find a donkey cookie cutter. Use animal cutters for cow, sheep and donkey {if you have one}. For the figures, I used an exclamation cookie cutter. Just turn it around and it is Mary or Joseph in a robe or the Wise Men.


For the manger, use a round cookie cutter. After it is baked but still warm, move it to a rolling pin to cool. It will take on a curved shape. This will be place on a 'frame'.


Make a support for each piece {except the stars} in the nativity scene; the manger will need two supports. Do this by cutting a long rectangular shape divided into two triangular shapes.


Once cookies have cooled completely, work on assembling the nativity. I used a small rectangular block of Styrofoam wrapped in plastic wrap with double sided tape on the bottom and back. The tape secures it to the surfaces it will be on and against. {I set up our scene in a wall niche but it could also be set up on a table against a wall.} If desired, hang a piece of sheer material from the wall and over the table surface to hide the Styrofoam. Place the stable in front of the Styrofoam piece {you could make one from sheets of cookie dough; I used one found at Target for $2.50}. Tie a couple of strands of ribbon onto the skewers just below the star. Stick the skewer into the Styrofoam so the star is visible above the stable.


Spread fried rice noodles over the floor of the stable.


Now, work on attaching supports to back of the figures. Use any decorator frosting to 'glue' the supports on. Then set the figures in the nativity scene.


For the manger, attach two supports to the convex side.


Then fill the concave part with toasted coconut before placing the baby inside.


Adjust your figures to complete your cookie nativity scene. For the shepherd, I added a skewer to his side using frosting.



Cream Cheese Cut~Out Cookies
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 c butter, softened
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Using a mixer, blend cream cheese and butter together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and cream til fluffy; it will look like icing. Combine flour and baking soda; add to cream cheese mixture and blend well.

Shape dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 325F. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes and transfer to ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-18 minutes {smaller cut cookies such as stars will need less time, while larger ones like the trees need more} until edges begin to brown. Cool on pan for one minute than transfer to wire rack to cool completely.


Tips and Tricks~
*When working with cookie dough, sprinkle the work surface with powdered sugar instead of flour.
*To help keep pin from sticking to dough, place a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough while rolling.
*If you would like to make a traditional gingerbread house, here are some helpful instructions for gingerbread with templateshttp://www.kingarthurflour.com/baking/documents/gingerbread.pdf



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