Christmas Blondies

Christmas Goodies Countdown day 11/number 15...oh how yummy these are! The texture is just perfect, soft inside with bite of crispiness outside mmmm.

Link to my YouTube video of recipe "making of": https://youtu.be/bZHPODu8CY8

Original recipe credit: https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/christmas/a25022309/christmas-blondies-recipe/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

240g (2 c.) all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

8 Oreos, crushed

1/2 c. holiday M&M's (plus more for topping)

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate morsels (plus more for topping)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the vanilla extract and eggs until well combined.

4. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add/mix this flour mixture.

5. By hand, fold/stir in the crushed Oreos, M&M's, and chocolate chips.

6. Spread mixture as evenly as possible into prepared baking pan. Top with extra M&M's and chocolate chips, if desired.

7. Bake for 25-35 min (mine took 35), until golden at edges and mostly set (it can have a very slight jiggle). Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

Almond Sandwich Cookies

And the countdown continues! Day 8/number 18 is from a magazine issue called Celebrate! with Woman's Day I recently found on the Libby app. Have never made any from this before...glad I gave it a go, because these are wonderful! They are almost shortbread-like in texture, with a very buttery filling. The recipe makes a very small amount (came out at 10 for me), so you won't be overloaded with cookies :)

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe": https://youtu.be/RzPsvJf7Bfw

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the dough--

1/2 c. salted butter, softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

120g (1 c.) all-purpose flour

48g (1/2 c.) almond flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

for the filling--

1/4 c. salted butter, softened

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T. milk

1/4 tsp. salt

sanding sugar for decorating, if desired (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, set aside.

2. For the dough (use the amounts listed in dough ingredients only)--In the bowl of stand mixer, beat together butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract until creamed/light and fluffy (around 2 min.)

3. In a small bowl stir together flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry mixture. Once it has mixed in, increase to medium speed for 30 seconds.

4. Roll dough into small balls (around 1") and place at least 1" apart on prepared baking sheet. Using a fork, press crisscross pattern into tops of dough balls.

5. Bake for 12-14 min, until lightly golden at edges (took 14 min in my oven). Transfer immediately to cooling rack to cool.

6. Once cookies have cooled, prepare the filling. Add all ingredients in the "for the filling" list (butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, salt) to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together for around 2 min.

7. Spread some filling on the bottom of a cookie, then press another cookie (bottom facing filling) to form a sandwich. Sprinkle sides with sanding sugar (if desired). Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Caramels with Fleur de Sel

Mmm are these ever good! They are soft, buttery, with a hint of vanilla. They are not too difficult to make--provided you have patience and watch the heat carefully :)

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/jWHt2-eR8PU

Original recipe credit: https://www.cuisineathome.com/recipes/desserts/vanilla-bean-caramels-with-fleur-de-sel/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 c. heavy cream

1 vanilla bean (pod and seeds scraped from it)

2 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Line a 9" x 9" baking pan with parchment, then coat (the parchment) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Add the heavy cream, vanilla bean pod, and scraped seeds to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it begins to steam. Remove from heat and let steep for 20 min. When it is done, discard pod and transfer cream to a heat-proof bowl/measuring cup (it needs to have a spout/be able to pour slowly from it).

3. Meanwhile, in a large pan with tall sides (I think the one I used was 6 qt size), stir together the sugar, light corn syrup, and water. After stirring to combine, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down the sides of the pot inside (you don't want any sugar/residue above the mixture line). Place a candy thermometer in the mixture (make sure thermometer does not touch bottom of pot) and put heat on medium-high.

4. Do NOT stir or move the pan while mixture is heating. Once mixture boils, decrease heat to just above medium. Continue to monitor temperature and adjust heat if needed. It should take around 24-30 minutes from the time you started heating, to reach a temperature of 325°F. The temperature will climb quickly at first, then should slowly climb once it's in the upper 200's. When the mixture begins to darken around the edge, you may then swirl the pan to evenly distribute the caramelization (this was around 295°F for me).

5. At 325°F, very carefully and SLOWLY pour in the reserved cream; you do not have to stir as you do this. Immediately after adding the cream, stir in the butter and salt, and keep stirring to get the mixture calmed down a bit. At this point, I lowered the heat to just below medium, as the original recipe indicated it should take about 10-12 minutes to get back to 248°F. I stirred only occasionally.

6. When mixture is at 248°F, immediately remove from heat and pour into the prepared baking pan. Let cool completely in pan (this will take at least an hour, if not longer). After around 20 min, sprinkle fleur de sel (or coarse sea salt) atop the cooling caramel.

7. Once completely cooled, cut into desired number of pieces. Individual pieces may be wrapped in wax paper for preservation/presentation. Enjoy!

Peppermint Cream Squares

Next entry for the Christmas Goodie Countdown are these very tasty squares! (Original recipe called them 'bites', but I think squares is better). Easy to make and addictive right off the bat; I wanted to eat the whole plate after just one lol. 10/10 all the way. And as you can see in the video, using a 9" x 9" pan worked fine. I would still opt for 8" x 8" if you have one (I plan to obtain one quite soon!)

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/nOG5GzIMIhA

Original recipe credit: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/bars/peppermint-cream-bites/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

15 regular Oreos, crushed

3 T. salted butter, melted

2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. salted butter, softened

2 T. milk

1 tsp. peppermint extract

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate morsels (I used Ghirardelli brand)

2 tsp. butter flavored Crisco (can use regular instead)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8" x 8" baking pan (or 9" x 9"; see note above) with aluminum foil and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the crushed Oreos and melted butter. Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and press to make an even layer across the bottom.

3. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool a bit on a wire rack.

4. While it is cooling, place the powdered sugar and softened butter in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for around 1-2 minutes, until butter had combined well with the powdered sugar.

5. With the processor running, stream in the milk and peppermint extract. Continue processing for around another 1-2 minutes, until mixture is smooth and creamy (it does NOT become paste-like as the original recipe indicates).

6. Spread the peppermint mixture in an even layer over the baked crushed layer in the baking pan. Transfer to freezer for at least 45 min. (I went about an hour longer than that).

7. Place the bittersweet chocolate and shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short bursts (15-30 sec, depending on your microwave) and stir after each one, until morsels have melted most of the way (once mixture is that warm, you should be able to just stir enough to make them melt rest of way). Let rest on counter for 15 min.

8. Remove pan from freezer. Spread melted chocolate atop the peppermint mixture in an even layer. Let rest for a couple of minutes, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Cardamom Snaps

Need a quick and easy cookie for the holidays? And something a bit different (in a good way)? Try these! They are very yummy, makes about 3 1/2 dozen :D

Link to my YouTube of preparation: https://youtu.be/dtAEAf4rhMc

Original recipe credit: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/cardamom-snaps/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the dough--

3/4 c. Butter-flavored Crisco (or regular shortening)

1 c. brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 T. cardamom

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. molasses

1 egg

270g (2 1/4 c.) all-purpose flour

for coating the dough balls--

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cardamom

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Place the shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

3. Add the brown sugar, baking soda, cardamom, and cinnamon. Mix on medium until well combined and fluffy.

4. Add the molasses and egg. Mix on medium until well combined.

5. On low speed, mix in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer, then finish the rest by hand with a wooden spoon. (I had about a half cup left to do by hand.)

6. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cardamom to make the coating. Form dough into 1" balls and roll them in the mixture until coated all over.

7. Place coated dough balls on baking sheet, 2" apart (no need to line with parchment, these come off sheet very easily).

8. Bake for 10 min. Upon removing from oven, you may transfer them to wire rack immediately (I waited just one minute). Let cool, and enjoy!

Hot Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

As I said in my video for this entry, I've decided to challenge myself to make a goodie a day until Christmas. I'm going to be sharing these, as we cannot possibly eat this much ourselves lol! Anyway, today, for the first entry, I was inspired by these morsels I found during a recent trip to Aldi: hot cocoa and marshmallow morsels. (They are available elsewhere, too.) And this is the recipe on the bag. It's very yummy, 10/10 :) highly recommend you try these!

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/TXTbSwTcXT8

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

160g (1 1/3 c.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. powdered cocoa (baking type, not hot chocolate mix type)

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened/room temp

1 c. sugar

1 large egg

1/2 T. vanilla extract

1 pkg. (9 oz) hot cocoa & marshmallow morsels

~ 1 c. powdered sugar (I didn't measure; this is just for coating the dough balls)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat/cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.

5. Gradually mix in the reserved flour mixture.

6. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the morsels by hand.

7. Put the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into Tablespoon-sized balls, then roll them to coat in the powdered sugar. Place on a baking sheet, spacing 2" apart.

8. Bake for 10-12 min, until edges are done and centers are just set. Upon removing from the oven, let them cool for 2 min. on the cookie sheet before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Skirt Steak Saltimbocca

Oh very yum, 10/10 for sure on this one! Such an easy dinner to make and so good, make it tonight!

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/fwS9DKrJqjQ

Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/skirt-steak-saltimboca-7484078

Recipe below contains my modifications.

**pardon my dust, work in progress, will have done soon!**

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. skirt steak

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, divided

12 fresh sage leaves, divided

4 thin slices prosciutto

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium, unpeeled garlic cloves

1/3 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 c. Sauvignon Blanc

2 T. cold unsalted butter

• 
  

• 1. Cut steak crosswise into 4 (3-ounce) pieces; lightly pound each piece between 2 pieces of plastic wrap using a meat mallet or rolling pin until each piece is about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over steaks. Place 2 sage leaves on each steak. Wrap 1 piece of prosciutto around each steak, pressing to adhere. (Prosciutto should cover the sage leaves.)

  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add garlic cloves and remaining 4 sage leaves; cook, stirring often, until garlic is lightly browned and sage is crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; remove garlic peels, and set garlic cloves and sage aside. Pour half of oil in skillet into a heatproof bowl, and set aside; reserve remaining half of oil in skillet.

  3. Reheat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add 2 steak pieces, and cook, undisturbed, until prosciutto is browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip steaks, and cook until prosciutto is crispy and steaks are cooked to desired degree of doneness, about 2 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer  to a plate, and let rest. Discard oil in skillet. Add reserved oil to skillet, and repeat cooking process with remaining 2 steaks. Transfer to plate with reserved steaks. Do not wipe skillet clean.

  4. Add broth and wine to skillet, and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet using a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and gradually whisk in butter until emulsified and creamy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve steaks immediately with sauce, and garnish with reserved crispy sage and garlic cloves.