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!
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.
Isn't if funny how food trends change? Growing up, I can't remember a picnic without Waldorf Salad, which is a salad made with apples, walnuts, grapes and was mayonnaise based (And for those of you who have never heard of it, it was very popular back in the early 70's). Though as an adult, I don't think I've eaten it or even seen it as an option on a menu or picnic in years. It's not the healthiest salad you can eat, but I always loved the combination of flavors in the salad.
I decided a while back that I was going to give it a try this summer but here it is, the end of August , and I still hadn't gotten around to it! I had made a roasted chicken for dinner last Sunday and wanted to make a chicken salad for lunch out of the leftovers, but didn't want the same type I usually make. I decided to combine my favorite chicken salad with Waldorf Salad and this was a hit! It was slightly sweet, crunchy and nutty. I happened to have some apple yogurt to give it a little extra apple flavor, but you can use plain yogurt instead.
Waldorf Chicken Salad
2 c. Cooked Chicken, diced
1 Apple, washed and cored
1-2 Stalks Celery, rinsed and chopped
1/2 c. Chopped Walnuts
Prepared Dressing
Directions:
1. Add the chicken, celery and walnuts to a bowl.
2. Next, chop the apple into bite-sized pieces and add to the chicken.
3. Add the prepared dressing and mix well. Keep refrigerated. Makes 4 cups.
Dressing:
1/2 c. Hellmann's Mayonnaise
1/4 c. Yoplait Light Apple Yogurt
2 tsp. Honey
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
Add all ingredients to a small bowl; then whisk together until creamy.
Enjoy!
Good morning everyone!
First, I just wanted to give all of you a brief update on the progress of the cookbook. The book is in its final stages of editing and the final manuscript should be completed by April 15th. We also have solidified a title, which will be "Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals". Still no word on the actual release date, but after editing it will go to cover design and layout. I'll keep you posted as I get more definitive news.
And now for today's recipe!
I'm always looking to try new ways to make some of our favorite comfort foods. Like this baked, breaded chicken. You can either buy an entire chicken and cut it down yourself (which is usually the most cost effective way to do it) or you can buy them already pre cut into pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings). If you have never cut your own whole chicken before, I found this video from My Recipes that shows you exactly how to do it and figured "Why recreate the wheel!". The breading was simple to make and gave it a nice, nutty flavor.
Oat and Walnut Baked Chicken
1 Whole Fryer Chicken, cut into pieces
1 c. Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
1 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
1 c. Walnuts
2 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Egg Wash (2 eggs + 1/4 c. 2% Milk)
1 c. Flour
Rinse chicken pieces, remove skin and pat dry. Add the oats, breadcrumbs, walnuts and rosemary to a food processor and blend until you get a fine breading, then add to a bowl. Prepare bowls for your egg wash and your flour. Dip each chicken piece first into the flour, then into the egg wash then into the breading mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour until all pieces have achieved the proper internal temperature. Serves 4-6.
Enjoy!
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Walnut Crescents
