- Tue, 15:58: Reminder: Yule is Saturday at Kevin and (Gabriel'a place in West Memphis. 6:30. This is open to all pagan and... https://t.co/xohmY77MW6
- Tue, 18:05: From Walt Kelley Deck us all with Boston Charlie, Walla Walla, Wash., an' Kalamazoo! Nora's freezin' on the... https://t.co/uD8HxCRkG2
- Tue, 19:53: Now I'm imagining Al Pacino with pointed ears. https://t.co/OJVzlJi0xH
- Tue, 20:12: https://t.co/F4266jiSO4 I was looking for the Tomte's Winter Song... https://t.co/ED5rL2O383
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- Tue, 20:22: posted a new entry to 'valarltd' at LiveJournal. https://t.co/3bfA4PCrpX
- Tue, 22:23: Chocolate Walnut Hedgehog Cookies https://t.co/T7KTvAciMp
- Wed, 05:25: https://t.co/gFgAI3zHao
- Wed, 05:26: https://t.co/HRNtR5YZkh
- Wed, 05:29: Thank you, Facebook for sending me the post-by-post of my mother's death.
Dec. 14th, 2016
Sounds of the Season:
Gingerbread recipes:
Easy gingerbread
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup cold water
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream
Directions
Combine egg, sugar, molasses, butter and water; mix well. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, ginger and salt; add molasses mixture. Beat until well mixed. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve warm with whipped cream. Yield: 9 servings.
Cake gingerbread with candied ginger:
1/4 cup dark rum or water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup unsulphured molasses
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup minced dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
1 cup confectioners' sugar, optional
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Place the rum and raisins in a small pan, cover and heat until the rum boils. Turn off the heat and set aside. Place the butter and molasses in another small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the sour cream and orange zest.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Mix with your hands until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix only until smooth. Drain the raisins and add them and crystallized ginger to the mixture with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
When the cake has cooled, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice and pour it onto the gingerbread, allowing it to drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set. Cut the gingerbread into 9 squares.
Gingerbread Cookies
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.
Pepper Cookies.
We made these and cut them out with eye-glass shaped cookie cutters, calling them Potter's Pepper Glasses, because pepper cookies seem such a wizarding thing.
1 c. sugar
1 c. dark corn syrup
1 c. butter
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
5 c. sifted flour
Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and vinegar in small pan and bring almost to a boil. Cool to room temperature, then stir in eggs. Sift together remaining ingredients and stir into butter mixture blending well. Chill overnight. Divide dough into 8 or 9 portions and roll each out very thin on floured board. Cut into diamond (or any other) shapes and bake on greased baking sheet in 350 degree oven for 7 or 8 minutes. Makes about 225 - 3 inch cookies. Store in loosely covered jar in dry place so cookies will remain crisp. They will keep for a long time.
Pics of the Day:

( Read more... )
Gingerbread recipes:
Easy gingerbread
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup cold water
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream
Directions
Combine egg, sugar, molasses, butter and water; mix well. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, ginger and salt; add molasses mixture. Beat until well mixed. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve warm with whipped cream. Yield: 9 servings.
Cake gingerbread with candied ginger:
1/4 cup dark rum or water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup unsulphured molasses
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup minced dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
1 cup confectioners' sugar, optional
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Place the rum and raisins in a small pan, cover and heat until the rum boils. Turn off the heat and set aside. Place the butter and molasses in another small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the sour cream and orange zest.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Mix with your hands until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix only until smooth. Drain the raisins and add them and crystallized ginger to the mixture with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
When the cake has cooled, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice and pour it onto the gingerbread, allowing it to drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set. Cut the gingerbread into 9 squares.
Gingerbread Cookies
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.
Pepper Cookies.
We made these and cut them out with eye-glass shaped cookie cutters, calling them Potter's Pepper Glasses, because pepper cookies seem such a wizarding thing.
1 c. sugar
1 c. dark corn syrup
1 c. butter
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
5 c. sifted flour
Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and vinegar in small pan and bring almost to a boil. Cool to room temperature, then stir in eggs. Sift together remaining ingredients and stir into butter mixture blending well. Chill overnight. Divide dough into 8 or 9 portions and roll each out very thin on floured board. Cut into diamond (or any other) shapes and bake on greased baking sheet in 350 degree oven for 7 or 8 minutes. Makes about 225 - 3 inch cookies. Store in loosely covered jar in dry place so cookies will remain crisp. They will keep for a long time.
Pics of the Day:

( Read more... )