Most bloggers celebrate their blogaversarys with a grand cake of some sort and a giveaway. If you’ve been following my blog lately, I’ve baked enough desserts to last me a year, and frankly… the giveaways tend to get tiresome. I’m celebrating with words and reflection.
Jan. 1 will mark the beginning of the second year of [...]
Monthly Archives: December 2008
1st Year of Blogging… Reflections, Tips for New Bloggers, and Future Plans for RecipeGirl
December 30, 2008 – 10:00 AM
Pancetta- Wrapped Mushrooms
December 28, 2008 – 1:00 PM
We have a ‘Gourmet Club’ in our neighborhood with eleven couples participating. They’re all hand-picked, fun friends who are into food and entertaining. We meet monthly, with couples attending as they’re available. Usually we end up with 16 or so people at a single gathering. The hosts plan the menu, prepare the main dish and [...]
Gingerbread Waffles
December 25, 2008 – 10:00 AM
Happy Holidays to all of my blogging friends and visitors!
It’s that “Gingerbread” time of year… and despite one fun adventure with making a Gingerbread House for the holidays, I haven’t sampled any actual gingerbread cookies this year. It’s safe to say that I’m all ‘cookied-out,’ (for the moment), so I satisfied my craving with a [...]
Spinach & Sundried Tomato Puff Pastry Pinwheels
December 22, 2008 – 1:00 PM
I’m still baking away in the final moments before Christmas, but I’ve decided to turn my attention toward blogging about a nice appetizer that would be terrific for Christmas or New Year’s celebrations.
Here’s a colorful little bite: Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Puff Pastry Pinwheels.
Super simple… here’s the how to:
Red Velvet Cheesecake
December 20, 2008 – 1:58 PM
If you’re undecided about what sort of delicious dessert to make for Christmas this year, look no further. I found one for you… Red Velvet Cheesecake.
I don’t gush about recipes all that often, and I’m a horrible critic of my own creations. I usually have to ask others what they think in order to get [...]
Fudgy Eggnog Pretzel Bark
December 18, 2008 – 1:00 PM
I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not really addicted to eggnog per se, but rather it must be the spices within. I’m equally enamored with things like Snickerdoodles and Cinnamon Fudge and so it must be those spices that grab me.
Since the addicting Cinnamon Fudge made a welcome appearance in my life last season, [...]
Candy Cane Coffee Cake
December 16, 2008 – 1:00 PM
Disclaimer… there were no actual candy canes used in the making of this Candy Cane Coffee Cake. It’s just the shape people! If you don’t have opportunity to make this for the holiday season this year, you should save it for next season. It’s impressive and delicious.
Here’s the how to:
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Icing
December 15, 2008 – 1:00 PM
Every holiday should have their own cupcake. Or every cupcake should have their own holiday. One of those. In my next life I might be a cupcake blogger. I ‘get’ why those cupcake bloggers are incredibly popular. Cupcakes are just so darned cute, and they seem to make people happy.
My happy self chose Chocolate Cupcakes [...]
Chocolate- Mint Thumbprints
December 14, 2008 – 1:00 PM
My baking projects are in full swing, my Christmas shopping is complete, and my home is decorated to the hilt. Next up is wrapping gifts… something I don’t really enjoy. So I’ll continue to put that off and bake more cookies instead! Cookie #8 of this holiday baking season: Chocolate- Mint Thumbprints.
Here’s one where you [...]
Eggnog Coffee Cake with Nog Glaze
December 12, 2008 – 1:00 PM
I view eggnog as virtually one of the most evil decadances invented (I mean that in a good way). It’s brilliant in ice cream, it works in cookies too, and there’s really nothing better than eggnog bread.
I remember sneaking several cups of hot rum with floating homemade eggnog at a family Thanksgiving as a teenager [...]
Cinnamon Bun Cookies
December 10, 2008 – 2:15 PM
When I was little, my mother used to make ‘pie dough cookies.’ She took leftover pie dough, rolled it out, spread butter and cinnamon & sugar, rolled it up, cut slices and baked. That was some good stuff. Love the memory of it too. Thanks Mom.
Cinnabon fan?Schedule time at the gym now so you can [...]
Chocolate- Almond Toffee
December 9, 2008 – 1:00 PM
You know the stuff… pink wrapping… chocolate & toffee rolled in almonds… Almond Roca? It’s just about my favorite thing in the whole world. Dangerous stuff that roca is. I can’t have it in my house for fear of a major gorge-fest.
I tempted danger though and made my own homemade Chocolate- Almond Toffee. Surely I [...]
Magic in the Middles
December 7, 2008 – 1:00 PM
In need of a little peanut butter fix, I whipped these up recently from KA Cookie Companion:Magic In the Middles. They’re a chocolate cookie with peanut butter ‘magic’ in the middle.
Chocolate and peanut butter doughs are made separately.
A scoopful of chocolate dough is flattened out and wrapped around gobs of rolled pb dough.
Cinnamon- Sugar Stars
December 5, 2008 – 1:00 PM
I’ve always loved looking at Christmas trees that have gourmet additions like strands of popcorn & cranberries. We’ve never done that sort of thing, but this year I opted to try a cookie ornament for our tree: Cinnamon- Sugar Stars.
This cinnamon-tainted dough is rolled out and stamped with stars. Use a straw to poke holes [...]
Butter Brickle and Pecan Cookies
December 3, 2008 – 1:00 PM
Back in the 70’s, my little friends and I regularly searched under our couch cushions to scrape up spare change. Dad was notorious for napping on the couch with pockets full of change, so we usually scored pretty well. We often took that change to the drugstore to get cheap ice cream cones… they seriously [...]
Chocolate Dipped- Espresso Shortbread Cookies
December 2, 2008 – 1:00 PM
This is a good one for for chocolate-covered espresso bean lovers…Chocolate Dipped- Espresso Shortbread Cookies
The cookies themselves are a simple shortbread cut-out cookie flavored with powdered espresso. Cut them into whatever shapes you like. For dipping, it’s good to find shapes that are symmetrical, like circles, Christmas trees, hearts, diamonds, etc.
These cookies are dipped into [...]
