And now it's time for...a little Christmas quiz.

I saw this quiz on a few random blogs and thought, ahh why not?!  So here goes...

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Probably neither...Chai is where it's at.
2. Wrap presents or leave them alone? Most definitely wrap.
 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.
5. When do you put your decorations up? As soon after Thanksgiving as I can.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? My 91 year old Grandma's Candied Yams...or her Sugar cookie cut outs.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Being at my Grandma's house.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember exactly, I feel like it just happened gradually.  I was not shocked, scarred, or imbittered by it.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always open gifts on Christmas Eve with my dad's family.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Multi-colored lights with new and old ornaments.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Both.  I like the snow right away, but living in Minnesota, the snow that falls in December will still be on the ground in March.  It doesn't get warm enough to melt here! 
12. Can you ice skate? ha! That's a big fat no!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Gosh, maybe the stereo I got when I was 16.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being with family.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Nantucket Cranberry Pie.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Making lots of cookies.
17. What tops your tree? An angel.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Both.
19. Candy canes: yuck or yummy? Yuck.  I get canker sores anytime I eat hard candy.  :(
20. Favorite Christmas show? Tied between National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Love Actually. 
21. Saddest Christmas song? Ave Maria.
22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Sacred: O Come, O Come Emmanuel.  Secular: (It must have been Ol') Santa Claus by Harry Connick Jr.

Merry Christmas All!!!

Chewy Molasses Christmas Cookies

You know what I just got?  An early Christmas/late birthday gift. It's this beauty.  I've wanted a stand mixer for a very long time and I finally got it.  (insert Hallelujah chorus).  Thank heavens for Cyber Monday. 
Well, the first thing I decided to make with this beloved machine was my Grandma Bea's (my middle name is after her) Chewy Molasses Christmas cookies.  This recipe is particularly special to me because it is written in her handwriting on a 3x5 card and the recipe card is stained, with molasses no doubt.  I LOVE that it's stained.  It makes me feel like she's with me in the kitchen. 

I must say that these cookies live up to their name, chewy.  These were just as chewy and flavorful on day 4 as they were the day I baked them.  The flavor of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon is heavenly and in perfect harmony with the rest of the cookie.  Oh and the glaze...the glaze, the glaze the glaze. It's truly amazing. Now, I know that it calls for heavy cream. And, I know that cream can be a bad word, but I implore you to use it.  It makes an incredibly rich glaze that perfectly accompanies these cookies.
You know what else, these would be perfect cookies to set out for Santa. 

Grandma Bea's Chewy Molasses Christmas Cookies
yield: about 4 dozen 2 inch cookies

Cookies
2 cups sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup shortening
2 eggs

2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups flour
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4-6 Tblsp. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients by hand or with a mixer on low speed.  Add the remaining 5 ingredients and mix until well combined.  Roll into balls the size of a walnut.  Bake at 350 degrees until they puff up and have firm bottoms.  About 7-9 minutes.  The cookies will look not quite done.  In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and cream.  Mix thoroughly. Glaze cookies, while they are still warm.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!

Fresh Cranberries, the other red berry. A last minute Thanksgiving recipe.



Isn't that the most amazing shade of red?  It's my favorite.

Ok, can you make me a promise?  Would you please consider making fresh, homemade cranberry sauce this year? It is incredibly easy to make and tastes infinitely better than that canned stuff, it's almost criminal.  I realize the canned sauce may be tradition for some folks, but maybe this year you could do both canned and fresh. 
I think cranberries have a reputation of being too tart for consumption. Truly, if you were to eat one plain, holy smokes, you would pucker up like Nemo, but add a little sugar and water and simmer them for 10 minutes and you have pure perfection.  The sugar adds enough sweetness to make it palatable, but the tartness of the cranberries still comes through.  A little bite here and there during your Thanksgiving meal will break up all that rich food with a bright and tart flavor. You know what that means, you have an excuse to eat more turkey and mashed potatoes. 



Beautiful Brandy Spiced Cranberry Sauce

 So, this year, I leave you with two amazing cranberry sauce recipes.  The first is the original Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce and the second is a spiced version with a kick of brandy.  (don't worry the alcohol cooks off).
You will find the original cranberry sauce recipe on the back of every bag of cranberries.  But, here it is for you now.

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
(recipe from back of Ocean Spray bag)

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 (12 oz) package fresh cranberries

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a meium saucepan.  Add cranberries and return to a boil.  Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring gently.  Some cranberries will burst during the cooking process. Pour sauce into a heatproof bowl, cover and cool completely at room temperature.  Refrigerate until serving time.  Makes 2 1/4 cups.

The Brandy Spiced Cranberry Sauce I found on the blog The Galley Gourmet.  I gave it the name, but it's Nicole's creation. I will send you there for the recipe.  Brandy Spiced Cranberry Sauce recipe.