HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas to You!

         

Wishing all my foodie friends and readers 

Peace, Joy, and Love
this Christmas Season…

Good health, lots of laughter

good food too!

Have a blessed safe

Merry Christmas!

    

Zesty Cranberry Pinwheels

Rouse your senses with these refreshing little cookies!

Zesty Cranberry Pinwheels incorporate the tart sweetness of cranberries with just the right amount of orange flavor and rich pecans ~ they boast a zesty, slightly sweet filling. 

The pinwheels take a little time to make, as the dough requires chilling time.  Other than that, they’re fairly easy to make; just be sure to tightly roll the dough into a log.

You will love the fragrant aroma that fills the house while they’re baking.   Then, all you need to is a cup of coffee, or a little cup of tea to enjoy with these delicious holiday pinwheels!

Zesty Cranberry Pinwheels

Dough ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cups flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

½ cup finely ground cranberries

½ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

1 tablespoon orange zest

Spread on dough:

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons milk

Method:

Make dough and refrigerate one hour:

In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients, beat until fluffy.

Combine dry ingredients, add to the creamed mixture.

Refrigerate at least one hour.

Make filling, roll and refrigerate several hours or overnight:

In a small bowl, mix together cranberries, pecans and orange peel, set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-inch square.

Combine brown sugar and milk, spread over the dough.

Sprinkle with cranberry mixture, leaving ½” edge at edges.

Roll up tightly, jelly-roll style.

Wrap with waxed paper, chill several hours or overnight.

Slice and bake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut roll into ¼” slices and place on a well-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

Let cool on baking sheet for a minute or two.

Makes 42 pinwheels.  

Zesty delicious!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!

Marvelous Melting Moments...

Melting Moments, aka Yo-Yo Biscuits, are homemade dainties ~ a buttery fragile cookie with both a crumbly and creamy texture that literally melts in your mouth.

They are a traditional biscuit (cookie) of Australia and New Zealand, which you have probably seen many versions of all over the Internet.  My version is from a combination of many. 

They are delicious as is or, with just a dab of frosting, or sandwiched with a creamy filling.  To me, they’re very similar to Russian Teacakes or Mexican Wedding Cakes, without the chopped nuts. 

They taste as scrumptious as they sound, and only last for a moment!

Melting Moments

Ingredients for cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

¾ cup cornstarch

1 cup flour

Method for cookies:

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Blend together butter, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch and flour.

Using a small scoop or spoon, form into small balls of dough.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2” apart.

Bake for 15 minutes until the bottoms are just starting to trun a light brown; the tops will be white.

Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes.

Using a very thin spatula, transfer to a cooling rack.

Cool completely before frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla

Cream or milk to thin

Method for frosting:

Combine butter and sugar well.

Add vanilla and mix.

Add enough cream or milk to make a spreadable consistency; it should be quite thick.

Dab on top of cool cookies and garnish with sprinkles or grated chocolate.

Pam’s notes: 

I use a 1¾” scoop to form dough into balls before baking.

If the dough is too soft to form a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Be sure that cookie sheets are cool so the dough does not spread.

These cookies are very delicate, move them and frost them carefully.

They will be delicious!

Makes 1½ dozen cookies

They’re heavenly!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!

Chewy Chocolate Caramel Bars

Unwrapping all those caramels is the hardest part of this recipe ~ that’s when your assistant comes into play, like Bill did for me.  The rest is easy, peasy!

To tell the truth, I didn’t follow directions very well with this recipe.  The bottom is a sturdy oatmeal base, and then it should be topped with melted caramels, followed by chocolate chips spread over all.

I inadvertently melted the chocolate chips with the caramel, and I’m guessing it didn’t matter.  In fact the bars might be even better, as they turned out creamy smooth and delicious, bursting with that great caramel chocolaty flavor.

You’ll either need a chain saw or a strong man like my hubby to cut the cookies into bars ~ it’s a bit of a fight to get that first bar out of the pan!  I suggest lining the pan with parchment paper, enabling you to remove the whole slab from the pan, before slicing into bars. 

They’re a heavenly delightful mouthwatering sweet chewy bar, best cut small…

Chewy Chocolate Caramel Bars

Ingredients:

¾ cup melted butter

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

32 caramels, unwrapped

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons milk

1 (6-ounce) package chocolate chips (about 1-cup)

½ cup chopped nuts, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small mixing bowl, combine butter, flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda and salt, mix well.

Put ¾ of oatmeal mixture in an ungreased 9” x 13” pan, pressing evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Bake for 10 minutes.

In a saucepan, combine the caramels, butter, and milk and heat, stirring until the caramels are melted.

Pour caramel mixture over the baked crust and sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.

Top with remaining butter-oatmeal mixture. 

Bake for 15 minutes more. 

Cool and cut into bars.

Delightfully divine chocolaty caramelized bars!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!

Hoisin Glazed Salmon

In 46 years of being married to Bill, this is a first!  Who would’ve thought?

It’s an understatement, to say Bill's not crazy about salmon.  So, recently at the fish counter, when he said, “Buy some salmon fillets,” you could’ve knocked me over with a feather!  Huh???  The man has pretty much refused salmon of any kind, for any meal, anywhere!

Salmon is way up there on my list of favorites though, no matter how it’s prepared, and I knew I had to make it especially delicious last night...

And, I did!  This is salmon, the quick and easy way!  The spicy glaze makes it flavorful and delectable.  It’s a perfect blend of ingredients, complimenting the salmon.  Hopefully, it will convert that non-salmon lover in your neck of the woods, like it did Bill!

Hoisin Glazed Salmon

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons hoisin garlic sauce

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

4 (6-ounces) salmon fillets

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.

Arrange fillets in a shallow dish and pour marinade over all, turning to coat evenly.

Let marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle sesame seeds over salmon.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve 

ENJOY! 

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!