Foolish Morsel

Did I mention my husband bakes bread?  He does, and here they are!  This is a rustic white bread on top, and Challah bread on the bottom.  My only contribution was braiding and taste testing (which I don’t mind)!

That means cookies for Santa!  These were taken with my phone, so the quality isn’t the greatest…The chippies were for us, but the snowflakes were for the big man…Judging from the loot, he liked ‘em!  ; )

So I could only make so many of these.  It’s Rugelach with a cream cheese pastry, filled with chocolate chips and currants, and cinnamon sugar, yum! Christmas has been busy here, to say the least! I am hesitant to post the recipe as it belongs to Williams-Sonoma, but if you go to the library, it’s in their Cookies & Biscotti, or you can comment on this post and I’ll send it to you! : )

I hadn’t made caramel corn in several years, and I don’t know why, it’s so easy! I adapted this recipe from Bon Appétit, I didn’t care for how theirs came out, so I omitted some things, and changed it a bit…enjoy!

Pop 1/4 to 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels (old school, not one of those bags)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250F and generously butter a large jelly roll pan.  Mix pecans and popped corn on prepared pan…

Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan.  Whisk over low heat until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved.  Clip on candy thermometer, and increase heat to bring mixture to boil without stirring.  When thermometer reaches 255F removed from heat and mix in vanilla, salt, then baking soda…Mix WELL mixture will bubble up a bit…Gradually pour over popcorn and pecans stirring with a buttered spatula to coat evenly.  This is difficult, but you’ll get another chance to even it out.  Place in the oven for about ten minutes, remove and stir again, gently, with a buttered spatula…let cool and it will last about a week in an airtight container or ziploc bag, that is, if no one eats it!  ; )

I’ve been making some Christmas cookies, here’s a look at Round 1…It’s a Martha recipe and they rock! However, you would think her staff would put together a variety of cookies that last longer than three days. That’s what the recipes say anyway.  So, technically, we’re all supposed bake the 11th hour before a party or get together in order to get the freshest cookies possible? Talk about an overwhelming undertaking… What about shipping them?  A lot of us do that, I mean, how about at least a week refrigerated or something? I mean, I love my fam and friends, but I won’t be spending the cash to overnight them, that’s for sure!  Well, it’s winter, and I say, these things’ll keep in the cooler weather…Tell me what you think!

© andi butler