Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Santa’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Sharing another new 2024 cookie this morning.  These are Santa's chocolate chip cookies.  You know I met Santa this summer while on vacation and he shared some recipes with me that he enjoys.  I also learned a little about his reindeer too.  They can't eat carrots.  They are too hard for them to eat.  They like oats and barley.  But back to the cookies.  These are easy to make and you can use whatever kind of sprinkles you might have. 

These are nice and warm from the oven.  You don't want to over bake them. 

This recipe uses a white cake mix for the base of the dough. 
Start with one white cake mix.  If you have a favorite go with that or whichever one is on sale. 
Add 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour to the mix. 
2 egg whites
1/2 cup oil
Mix well. 
Add 3/4 cups chocolate chips. These are milk chocolate.  Mini chips would work well too.  Use what you like and what you have.  You could use a mixture. 
1/4 cup sprinkles.  Use whatever kind you have.  If you want to make these for another holiday you could use different colors. 
Mix well. It is a little crumbly.  
These are my test cookies.  Place in a preheated 350 oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.  
These are going in the freezer. 
These cookies will not get golden brown so you have to be careful and not overbake.  Check the bottoms because you don't want them to burn. 

Then enjoy Santa's cookies.  You might want to leave a couple for him on Christmas Eve.  I'm sure he will appreciate it. 

Santa's Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
1 box white cake mix
2 egg whites
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 c oil
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup holiday sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 8-10 minutes. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Old Fashioned Soft Butterscotch Cookies

 This is the second of my new cookies for 2024.  This is a classic and a favorite.  It's a simple cookie but it packs in the flavor.  It also invokes memories of Christmases past.  Yes an old fashioned butterscotch cookie.  

These smell so good fresh from the oven. 

Keep a bag of butterscotch chips in your pantry so you can mix them up anytime you need something a little sweet. 
Start with 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar.  Also 1 stick of softened butter.  I guess I got in a hurry. 
1 egg
Mix these well.  You want the butter nice and fluffy. 
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Mix that well.  Scrap down the sides. 
Add the bag of butterscotch chips and mix well.  It couldn't be any easier. 
These are my test cookies.  Place in preheated 350 oven.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. 
These are going in the freezer for later. 
These are cookies that even Santa will enjoy.

Old Fashioned Soft Butterscotch Cookies Recipe

1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
 12 oz bag butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Monday, November 4, 2024

Brownie Mix Cookies

 Christmas 2024 cookies are now in the freezer.  I will be sharing with you in the coming days and weeks the recipes for these new cookies.  I'm starting today with an easy but delicious cookie.  This cookie uses a little help, brownie mix.  Use your favorite brownie mix or wait and use the one that is on sale. 

These are nice and fudgy cookies.

Very simple ingredients.  The size of brownie and cake mixes have gotten a little smaller so you need to use a little additional flour to the recipes. 
Start with a 20 oz box of brownie mix. 
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Mix it up a little bit.
2 room temp eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Mix everything well.  It will be thick and sticky. 
You might need to mix a little by hand to get the bottom. 
Now it is all mixed together. 
I scooped out some for a test bake.  Place in a preheated 350 oven for 8-10 minutes.
These went into the freezer.  I flash froze them and then put them in labeled freezer bags for later. 
But I got to enjoy these today.  They really were good warm.

Brownie Mix Cookies Recipe
1 20 oz box brownie mix
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons water
2 eggs
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 8-10 minutes. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Christmas Jam

 So I made this recipe early this morning.  I found this recipe a month or so ago and I saved it because I wanted to make it this holiday season.  Then I couldn't find the recipe.  I turned my recipes upside down looking for it.  I was beginning to believe I had imagined it.  Well I found it, and then I had to wait on the cranberries.  As soon as they became available I added them to my grocery cart.  Guess what?  They were out of them.  So I say all that to say this.  This was a recipe worth all the hassle.  It smells like Christmas.  Now I know some of you will scratch your head at that, but others will know exactly what I'm talking about.  But when I sampled it, it tasted like Christmas.  I've already thought of all kinds of ways to use it this holiday season.  Maybe with some brie cheese, over cream cheese.....

I saved out a jar this morning to put in the fridge so I could try it.  So while I was waited for my pot to boil I made some toast. 

So let's get started.  There are a couple of things you need to do before you get to these ingredients. 
Take the lids and the rings off the jars and place in a pan with some water.  Put it on the stove and bring to a boil.  This sanitizes the lids and also makes them warm when you use them.  That rubber seal will stick better.  If you want to try this and have never made jam before there are lots of articles about water bath canning on Pinterest. 
Bring them to a boil and then turn them down some.  You want them to stay warm. 
This is the water bath canner I borrowed from a friend.  No pressure to it at all just boiling water.  You can use a stew pot if you do not have one of these.  
There is a wire rack in the bottom so the jars do not sit right on the bottom. 
Put some water in the pot, I used hot water to try and not have to take as long to boil.  Then put the jars in.  Water goes in the jars too. 
Have about an inch or two of water over the jars.  Turn on the heat and bring to a boil or close.  This sanitizes the jars but also makes them warm before you put hot stuff in the jars. 
Now wash and check your cranberries.  I really thought there would not be as many mushy ones since it was early in the season but there were. 
You need 4 cups of cranberries.  This is a little over one bag.  But that all depends on how good your bag of cranberries are. 
!/2 cup water
1 cup orange juice. I used some with no pulp.  I don't know if it makes a difference or not. 
1 1/2 cups sugar. 
You are going to put all this in a pot and place over medium heat.  Stir well. 
While you are waiting for the cranberries to pop, measure out the spices.  1 teaspoon cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.  These are all warm spices and they smell so good. 
You want the cranberries to pop.  You can see some are beginning to pop.  And they will splatter on you if you are not careful. 
It is beginning to boil and pop.  
It starts to thicken a little as they pop. 
Once they have popped and it starts thickening add the spices.  Stir. 
Then add one packet of Sure Jell pectin.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring the whole time.  It will begin to start thickening.
Stir.
Stir.  It's thicker. 
Before I started I put this plate in the fridge. 
To test to see if it is thick enough, take the plate out and put a splat of jam on the plate.  Let cool a little. 
Then drag your finger through it.  If it doesn't fill back in you are good to go.  
Now move your pots close to your jars. 

The directions said use a magnet to get the lids out of the hot pot.  I happen to have a magnet so I used it but you could use tongs or something else. 
This is a handy jar retriever. 
Take out a jar.  Turn on side in pot and let the water drain out.  I couldn't safely take a picture of that. 
The funnel is a lifesaver.  It keeps your jars clean. 
Add the fruit to the jar.  You do not want to fill it all the way up.  There's a ridge on the outside and you can use that as a guide. 
Add the lid
Put the ring on and "finger" close.  You don't want it tight. 
Use the jar retriever and put it back in the pot. 
I have 5 filled jars back in the canner. 
Turn it up to canning. 
Put this pan on top of the jars.  It says to evenly heat the jars.  Wait for it to start boiling. 
While waiting for the pot to boil I made some toast to try it out.  It is so good. 
It's beginning to bubble. 
Put the lid on and boil for 10 minutes. 
My google picture frame is the best timer.  It is voice activated and you can see the time count down. 
Take the lid off. 
There's my jars.  Remove them from the pot. 
They all popped soon after being taken out of the pot.  You listen for that pop. If one does not pop you can put it in the fridge to eat now.  When they cool take the rings off and store. 


Christmas Jam Recipe

4 cups fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 packet fruit pectin

The recipe says you can add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice when you take it off the stove.  I chose not to add the lemon juice.