Recipe ReRun: Spinach, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin

The next Recipe ReRun I'd like to share with you is for this Spinach, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin.

Recipe ReRun: Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Looking for another breakfast idea for Christmas morning? How about these Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls! (click for recipe)

National Cookie Day

When I first saw it was National Cookie Day, I thought to myself,  "Self, you have so much on your plate this year, are you really going to make a ton of cookies like last year?" My first reaction was "Of course I am! I love blaring Christmas music throughout the house while baking up a storm in my kitchen. I do it every year!"

And then my chest started palpating and anxiety started to set in. When would I make these cookies? Which new ones am I going to make, photograph and share? How many commitments do I have in the next month?

And there it was in black and white. "How many commitments do I have in the next month?". 

Walnut Crescents

Here it is, Recipe #12 for the Holiday Baking theme. I have many favorites around the holidays and this one has been a favorite of mine since I first ripped it out of the pages of Parents Magazine back in 1998. I mean, this is so old after many internet searches, I still can't find the exact recipe online which was created by Penny O'Connor from Waterloo, Iowa. 

They are SO easy to make and like she says, they truly melt in your mouth and disappear quickly from my cookie platters as well.  I hope you enjoyed my baking theme the last few weeks. Tomorrow I'll be back to savory recipes; which are more my forte. :)

Walnut Crescents
2 Sticks Butter (I used salted, but she calls for unsalted), room temperature
1 1/4 c. Confectioners Sugar (aka 10x sugar or powdered sugar)
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 tsp. Water
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt (I omitted since I used salted butter)
1 c. Walnuts, finely chopped (you can also use pecans)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Add the butter and 1/4 cup of sugar to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy; then add in vanilla and water. 
3. With the mixer on low, gradually add in the flour (and salt if using unsalted butter); beating until well blended. 
4. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon. 
5. With lightly floured hands, roll dough into 1 1/4" balls, then shape the balls into crescents (or moon shapes). 
6. Arrange 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned (my oven tends to be set higher so I cooked mine on 350 for about 12 minutes). 
7. Remove from oven and while cookies have cooled slightly, toss the cookies into the remaining 1 cup of sugar to coat; then cool on wire racks completely. Makes 33 cookies

Enjoy! 

Hazelnut Biscotti

I know. You're probably tired of my variations of biscotti, but this is the last one...well for 2012 anyway! I just love adding different nuts to biscotti and this hazelnut version brings us to Holiday Baking recipe #11. Besides, I had to find more uses for that Frangelico my brother in law gave me recently. ;)

Hazelnut Biscotti
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 c. Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp. Frangelico (hazelnut liquor)
3 Large Eggs
1/2 c. Hazelnuts, chopped
Cooking Spray


Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda until well blended. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, Frangelico and vanilla. 
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix well until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.  
4. Next, fold in the hazelnuts. 
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky, then form two, 12” long log shapes and flatten down so that it is no higher than 1”. 
6. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, add the dough and bake at 325° F for 30 minutes.  
7. Remove from oven and let cool, then slice diagonally into 1/2" thick slices and put them back on the baking sheet. 
8. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes per side, then remove from the oven. Let cool and allow to harden before serving. Makes 2 1/2 dz.

Enjoy! 

Baklava

I normally don't like overly sweet desserts, but I'll always make an exception for Baklava, which is our Holiday Baking recipe #10.  I couldn't go another year without trying to make it myself, especially since visiting Greece and Turkey last summer, where this is a common sweet treat and found at EVERY local  bakery. 

Baklava is a sweet pastry layered with phyllo dough, chopped nuts, then topped with syrup or honey. Though the origin of Baklava is uncertain, many believe that it was first created in Turkey and there are many different variations to this recipe. The recipe I chose to follow was one I found several years ago in the Food Network Magazine   and was created by Michael Symon. It was a Greek version which has 33 layers of dough; one for each year of Christ's life. This baklava was DELICIOUS, but here are some changes I'd make next time. 

1. His recipe calls for either zwieback crackers or breadcrumbs, I used Panko breadcrumbs.
2. I would prepare the syrup the same; however, I wouldn't pour it all on top of the cooked baklava. It was a little too sweet and wet for my taste.
3. He also states to let it soak for 6 hours after pouring the syrup over the warm baklava; I couldn't wait and according to several of my Facebook readers, they don't wait the full time and it's fine. I would have to agree...3 hours was enough for me to wait to dig into these beauties! 

Enjoy! 

Cappuccino Chocolate Biscotti

I had such a good time on Around the Kitchen Sink radio show with Heather Tallman (aka Basilmomma) last week. If you missed the podcast, you can listen to it here. 

Today is recipe #9 on the Holiday Baking list for these Cappuccino Chocolate Biscotti. They're so crunchy and go perfectly with your favorite hot beverage. 

Cappuccino Chocolate Biscotti
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 c. Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
3 tbsp. Brewed Espresso (or you can use coffee)
1/2 c. White Chocolate Chips
Cooking Spray



Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda until well blended. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, espresso and vanilla. 
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix well until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.  
4. Next, fold in the chocolate. 
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky, then form two, 12” long log shapes and flatten down so that it is no higher than 1”. 
6. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, add the dough and bake at 325° F for 30 minutes.  
7. Remove from oven and let cool, then slice diagonally into 1/2" thick slices and put them back on the baking sheet. 
8. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes per side, then remove from the oven. Let cool and allow to harden before serving. Makes 2 1/2 dz.

Enjoy! 

Anise Biscotti

One of my all-time favorite desserts is Anise Biscotti or Anisette Toast. And in my younger years, that would be my favorite nighttime snack with a cup of tea or coffee. I hadn't made these in a while and was so glad I added them to this years baking theme because I just love the simple licorice flavor of anise in this light, crunchy dessert.  

Here is Holiday Baking recipe #7...

Anise Biscotti
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 c. Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp. Anise Seeds
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs
Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and anise seeds until well blended. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. 
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix well until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.  
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky, then form two, 12” long log shapes and flatten down so that it is no higher than 1”. 
5. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, add the dough and bake at 325° F for 30 minutes. 
6. Remove from oven and let cool, then slice diagonally into 1/2" thick slices and put them back on the baking sheet.
7. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes per side, then remove from the oven. Let cool and allow to harden before serving. Makes 2 1/2 dz.

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Walnut Bars

I hope you are all enjoying my Holiday Baking theme so far. This week, I'll have four more desserts for you to try.

I can't tell you how long I've had today's recipe in my recipe box or even where I originally got it from, but I can tell you that I never even made them! You know how it goes. You copy a recipe down, think to yourself "Self, I'm going to make these next year for sure", and then, Christmas comes and goes and you forgot. Well, at least that's what happens here (or maybe it's just because I'm over 40!) Anyway, for the longest time, especially when my kids were younger, I went YEARS without baking for the holidays at all...who had time! I was lucky enough if I had time to buy a 5lb. tub of refrigerated sugar cookie dough so that I could roll it out for the kids to decorate the cookies they leave for Santa on Christmas Eve (a yearly tradition in our home). 

So here is #5 on the list--Chocolate Walnut Bars. Like I mentioned last week, I like to cut my holiday cookies smaller than usual so this does make quite a bit, but they are so rich and chocolatey and nutty that a small taste is all you need! 

Chocolate Walnut Bars
1-13oz. Box Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 1/2 Sticks Salted Butter, melted
1-14oz. Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
24oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 c. Walnuts, chopped

Directions:
1. Combine the graham crackers with the melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture firmly onto a non-stick baking sheet; then bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes until the edges start to turn a light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. 
2. Next, add the milk, chocolate and vanilla to a pot and melt; stir constantly so that it doesn't stick. 
3. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crumbs, carefully spreading it out without releasing the crumbs from the pan. 
4. Top the chocolate with the nuts and gently press down on them. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting. Makes 4 dz. 

Enjoy!

I put pan in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes after the pan was cool enough to make sure they were really cooled as the first time I made these, I don't think I used enough butter or my pan was too deep and the crust never set. 

Garlicky Stuffed Mushrooms

As promised, I'm saving Friday's for savory recipes for the next couple of weeks while we're on our Holiday Baking theme. And since it's the season for holiday parties, I wanted to share an easy appetizer. 

I hadn't made stuffed mushrooms in a while so I decided to make them as an appetizer for Thanksgiving. I was going to make a version I had made already, but realized that I hadn't made a basic stuffed mushroom with breading yet. I mean, I've made them over the years, but I never posted it here on the blog. I know. I know. Never make a new recipe for a holiday. But, in actuality, I made these the day before and took a picture when no one was home so it's all good. :) 

These are so easy to make and I like that you're utilizing all parts of the mushroom. If you don't have Ritz crackers, you can use breadcrumbs, but I like the extra buttery-ness that they give to this recipe. As for the garlic, well that part was kind of an accident, a good one at that. My cloves were pretty large so it really took on the garlicky flavor. If you don't like garlic, you can omit it and they'll taste just as great. 

Garlicky Stuffed Mushrooms

2-10oz. Packages White Button Mushrooms

1 Scallion, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

42 Ritz Crackers

2 Sprigs Thyme, removed from stem

2 tbsp. Butter, melted

Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rinse mushrooms to remove any dirt, then destem the mushrooms by holding the base and tilting the stem from left to right until it snaps out. 
3. Chop the stems using a knife or put them in a food processor. 
4. Heat the oil in a saute pan and add in the chopped mushroom stems, scallions, garlic and thyme. Saute until the mushrooms soften. 
5. Next, crush the Ritz crackers either by using a food processor, blender or putting them in a bag and using the back of a glass; then add the crackers and melted butter to the mushroom mixture and mix well.
6. Stuff the mushroom caps, line them on a baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray and bake for 25-30 minutes until the mushrooms are lightly brown. Makes approx. 28 pieces.

Enjoy!

Note: I breaded, covered and refrigerated them the day before. Then, when ready to serve the next day, I removed them from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking so that they would come to room temperature.

Ritz Crackers has come out with handy packaging called Fresh Stacks. I love this new packaging as they are less likely to get stale. They're packaged in 8 packages of 14 crackers. For this recipe, I used 3 packages of 14 crackers. 








*Ritz Crackers did not compensate me in any way for this post. It is based on my own personal opinion.

Kisses® Peanut Butter Blossoms

 For as long as I can remember, Holiday Baking Recipe #4 Kisses® Peanut Butter Blossoms have ALWAYS been on every holiday cookie platter. They're timeless and classic with just the right amount of peanut butter and chocolate. 

Comment below if you make these each year too! 





Did you know that these cookies were create in 1957 by Freda Smith from Gibsonburg, OH who entered them in the Pillsbury Bake Off Contest and lost? 

Pecan Shortbread Bars

I found a recipe years ago for Cherry Shortbread Cookies in a magazine and even though I had saved it, the magazine name had been torn off over the years. The base recipe called for most of the same ingredients listed below, with the addition of dried cherries instead of pecans, they used unsalted butter and added slightly more flour. 

I had always wanted to try making my own "Pecan Sandies" and used this to create Holiday Baking #3--Pecan Shortbread Bars. I have to say, that I wish I had doubled or even tripled this recipe because they are THAT good! I also LOVE the fact that there are only 4 ingredients...how easy is that?! I hope you enjoy these as much as my family did. 

Pecan Shortbread Bars
1 c. All-Purpose Flour
4 oz. Salted Butter, chilled and sliced
1/4 c. Granulated Sugar
1/2 c. Pecans, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Add the flour, sugar and chilled butter to a food processor and pulse until the butter is chopped; then add in the pecans and pulse until it's mixed together. 
2. Add the mixture to a 8"x8" nonstick baking pan and press the dough into the pan.  
3. Place the entire pan in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (I had mine in there for about 30). 
4. Remove from the refrigerator and bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the sides start to turn a light brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting them into squares. Makes 25 bars. 

Enjoy!




When making holiday cookie platters, I prefer to make my cookies much smaller than I normally would make them or how a recipe often calls for them. This allows you to add a wider variety to your platter and allows people to sample several different kinds. 

These bars can also be frozen; however, I suggest you put them in some sort of stable container with an airtight lid so that they do not crumble in transport. 

White Chocolate Blueberry Biscotti

For Holiday Baking Recipe #2, I'm sharing these White Chocolate Blueberry Biscotti. To me, biscotti is the perfect dessert. It's not too sweet, has a little crunch and it goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea. Each year, I try to make up some new combinations and have four new ones that I'll be sharing with you during the next few weeks. This one was the family's favorite one so I've decided to start here. I can't say I blame them, just look at these!  

White Chocolate Blueberry Biscotti
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 c. Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs
1/2 c. Dried  Blueberries
1/2 c. White Chocolate (chips or chopped)
Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda until well blended. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. 
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix well until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.  
4. Next, fold in the blueberries and chocolate. 
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky, then form two, 12” long log shapes and flatten down so that it is no higher than 1”. 
6. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, add the dough and bake at 325° F for 30 minutes.  
7. Remove from oven and let cool, then slice diagonally into 1/2" thick slices and put them back on the baking sheet. 
8. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes per side, then remove from the oven. Let cool and allow to harden before serving. Makes 2 1/2 dz.

Enjoy!

The dough will be a little sticky before turning it onto a floured board, so I prefer to use a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon rather than my standing mixer to mix the batter. It makes for easier cleanup!







Shared at littlebluedynamos.com

Shared on Thursday's Treasures 12/6/12

Eggnog Cookies

For the next three weeks, I'll be posting holiday baking recipes Monday-Thursday. And since I am not much of a baker, most of these recipes will be easy to make and perfect for beginning bakers. They don't have a lot of obscure ingredients or fancy decorations; however, they are all extremely tasty and worthy of sharing.  Most recipes are ones that I have found over the years and some are those that I have experimented with on my own using a combination of several different recipes.

Holiday Baking Recipe #1 Eggnog Cookies

I first found this recipe for Eggnog Cookies back in 2007 while searching the internet for some new baking inspiration. That is when I found these cookies at Northpole.com created by Karen Hamlin and have since made them year after year.  I printed out the recipe and my paper is so stained and tattered,  I thought it was about time that I share them here on the blog so that I could finally have a clean copy.

These cookies are easy to make and are extremely moist with the wonderful flavors of eggnog, nutmeg and cinnamon. They make a lovely addition to your holiday baking and freeze beautifully until you're ready to add them to your cookie platters. 

Enjoy!

You can freeze most cookies for up to 6 months in an airtight container. I generally begin my holiday baking after Thanksgiving and store the well-cooled cookies in a Ziploc Freezer Bag. Then, when I'm ready to make a platter of cookies, I pull out only what I need at that time. 

Homemade Irish Cream

This technically isn't "baking" but I did need to make some to make some of those Bailey's Irish Cream Truffles that are on my list (coming next week!). This makes the perfect last minute hostess gift or just to have some for holiday baking or entertaining. When making this, make sure to buy the freshest heavy cream and eggs so that it will last longer. It should be kept in the refrigerator and expires the same date as your heavy cream or eggs; whichever comes first. (It may last longer but I'm not sure how long and wouldn't want to get anyone sick~Mine will last through the holidays until January 4th).  Just get yourself a decorative bottle, a nice gift bag and Voila! 

Homemade Irish Cream
1-14oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 c. Heavy Cream
3 Eggs
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1 tbsp. Chocolate Syrup
1 tsp. Instant Coffee granules
1 c. Rye (Whiskey)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour in sealed container or decorative bottle and keep refrigerated. Makes 4 cups. 

Enjoy!

Holiday Baking #1: Hazelnut Truffles

How is everyone doing today? I have been busy, busy. busy with some of my holiday baking. I still have a few more cookies to make but I'll be creating separate posts for each item that I've made so far so you too can get a jump on what you might need to get at the store today if baking was on your agenda this weekend. 

Many years ago I found a recipe for Bailey's Irish Cream Truffles from Chef Judy Contino from Ambria Restaurant in Chicago, IL. The paper is so tattered and barely readable at this point because I have to make these every year for my niece, who absolutely adores them. I love this basic recipe because the texture is wonderful no matter what you add to it. So this year, I will be making the Bailey's Irish Cream Truffles (and I also made some Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream!) but I also wanted to try a few different variations. I also decided to make them smaller, as they are so rich and found these cute petit four paper cups at my local party store but you can certainly make them larger. So here is my Holiday Baking Experiment #1. 

Hazelnut Truffles
Adapted from Chef Judy Contino, Ambria Restaurant
12oz. Dark Chocloate
1/2 c. Nutella (Hazelnut spread)
1/2 c. Heavy Cream
2 Egg Yolks
1 tbsp. Butter
4 oz. Finely Chopped Hazelnuts

Add the chocolate, Nutella and heavy cream to a medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until all of the chocolate has melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks (I save the whites to use for my breakfast). Next, whisk in the butter until melted. Pour in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until firm. Using a spoon, mold the mixture into 1/2" balls. (If it starts to soften, put it in the freezer for a few minutes to stiffen while you work). Roll the balls in chopped hazelnuts. Keep refrigerated. Makes 3 1/2 dz.-1oz. truffles.  

Enjoy!