Simple Holiday Cookie Recipe

Hey everyone!

With the Holidays approaching I try to always have batches of cookies at the ready to share with family and friends. Last night I happened to be feeling festive, and decided to whip up a batch of my signature shortbread cookies.

When making cookies for bulk, I tend to favor simple recipes with simple ingredients, because they tend to store well and be a breeze to make.

These particular shortbread cookies only have 3 ingredients, and store frozen or chilled incredibly easily. I have a batch in my cookie jar for Eric and I and any guests to enjoy, and also a batch in my freezer, ready to give out to friends, bring to work, or attend a last minute cookie exchange.

The Holiday's can be so hectic it's nice to cover your bases when you do have some downtime so you don't become too stressed about the season that you forget to enjoy it.

To spice them up, I try to get creative with the dough. I pressed holiday kisses in some, and made a thumbprint for some Raspberry-Peach Jam with others. In another batch not pictured, I pressed Christmas tree shaped sprinkles into the dough and sprinkled sugar on top to bake!

You can freeze your baked cookies, or you can freeze the dough to bake at a later time. I plan on using my 2nd batch some time this week, so I just went ahead and cooked them up last night since I had the time. If you plan on giving them out pretty soon (1-2 weeks after baking) I'd say you're safe to pre-cook and freeze. Any longer, I'd suggest just freezing the dough and then thawing, then baking.

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Simple Shortbread Recipe

2 Cups Margarine or Butter, cold.

1 Cup Sugar

4.5 Cups All Purpose Flour

Combine ingredients until dough is a firm, play dough like consistency. If a little too dry, add a Tablespoon more butter until proper consistency is achieved.

Roll into balls or roll out and shape cookies, adding any decorations as needed. My favorites are adding kisses, jam thumbprints, and sugar and sprinkles to top.

Cook at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until bottoms are slightly golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

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That recipe yields around 20 good sized cookies and 40 small ones, a perfect amount!

Enjoy, and I hope your Holidays are stress free!

Until next time,

Xoxo, Court

Recipe Box: Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fall is one of my most favorite times to bake. All the warm aromas mixed with the chilly air, there's nothing better than coming in from outside when it's cold and the house smelling like cookies and spices. It's like a warm hug!

My husband and I are suckers for a good chocolate chip cookie, and I usually have our cookie bowl stocked year round. However, this Fall I was feeling festive, and though not ready to break out the Gingerbreads quite yet, I decided a more festive chocolate chipper was needed.

I was sneaky, I tweaked my regular standby, tried and true cookie recipe with a bit of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice!

The pumpkin puree makes the cookies extra moist, and the flavor as well as the spices gives them a little kick perfect for cooler weather. Not to mention your house smells amazing when they are baking.

Short and sweet, but you can't go wrong! Read below for my super easy recipe!

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

Cook at 350 degrees for around 15-20 minutes, until edges begin to look golden brown.

So that's it everyone! Super easy!

Enjoy!

xoxo - Court

Post Thanksgiving Country Boil - Easy Stew

The problem is as age old as the holiday...

Too many Thanksgiving leftovers!!!

You have that big plate of Turkey or Chicken on Thanksgiving, then again and again...and again, in the days to follow. It gets repetitive and boring! We get Turkey-ed out!!

Well, to prevent getting Turkey-ed out,  I have a fool proof way to use the rest of that bird up, not be wasteful, and still have interesting, not to mention delicious dinners. It also stores incredibly easy, so you can freeze to save for when you're not so sick of Turkey!

The Country Boil

I call it the Country Boil because my sweet Grandmother used to always have us save the bones and leftovers from our Thanksgiving Turkeys to whip up into delicious soups and stews. She was the epitome of a "Country Woman" and could turn nothing into something with the snap of her finger.

The need to save the leftovers stemmed from her growing up with not very much in the heart of the country, and thus her family being very resourceful. Turning leftovers into a soup or stew was just smart; it allows for easier storage and less spoilage, and is a nice change of pace!

Frugal and creative.. It's a country thing!

Instructions

Start by placing what's left of your bird into the crock pot, bones, fat, any leftover clinging meat, all of it. If it doesn't fit, don't be afraid to break it up a bit, you won't use any of it, unless you feel ambitious enough to pick off the leftover meat. Boiling the bones is just for flavor to make your broth. Fill the pot up with just enough water to almost cover the bird, in my 4.5 quart crock pot, it was just about up to the rim of the pot, and add in a tablespoon of salt. Allow to simmer for at least 24 hours, mine was pretty much 48 hours by the time I had the time to get to it, the longer, the more flavorful, but I wouldn't leave it for any more than 3 days.

Once done, drain the water into a large stew pot. Be sure to filter with a mesh strainer to catch any bones and leftover bits. Add salt and spices to taste. I used just less of another tablespoon of salt, and a few shakes of Mrs. Dash Table Blend, Tarragon Leaves, and Pepper. That part is personal preference.

Take a hodgepodge of vegetables, I had a whole lot of corn and tiny potatoes left over from Thanksgiving Dinner, and the last bit of a bag of frozen veggies. I threw that into another pot, along with what was left of my Thanksgiving bird, and let it boil. If you don't have any leftovers, you can use fresh. I threw in a few extra carrots because there weren't a lot left, and my husband and I love lots of baby carrots in our stews.

While the veggies are boiling, you can start thickening the stew mixture. I whisked in just over a cup of flour over medium heat to thicken up my broth. This is again, personal preference, and every time will be different. Be loose with your measurements and be sure to test often. I personally, like a thick stew broth, but if you prefer more runny, dial back on the flour.

Once the veggies have softened, drain the water from the pot, and throw them into your broth, mixing until combined.

Enjoy!

I love to eat as stew, spread over toast, even fill a pot pie with it! The stew also freezes better, so you can keep on hand as a prepped meal, or just when you want something quick (a much nicer alternative to microwave dinners!)

xoxo - Court

Home Grown Blueberry Jam

Guys, God gave me a gift.

Half my backyard is completely littered with blueberries! I have never been so excited!

I knew the lot had a small blueberry patch on it when we bought it - beside a Maple a few feet back, there was a small bush. I was super excited about that bush! I also knew a few sprigs would grow along the side driveway that leads back to my in-laws' house, and quite a few in the front ditch, but those always got picked over by birds and other critters pretty early on, so I never had many hopes of getting to them, but the thought of being able to nab a handful for a snack was pretty exciting.

Last year was what I thought was the "golden year". I was able to pick about two cups' worth, and made blueberry muffins! I was so proud of my little home grown muffins... until this year, the first real year the backyard had been clear cut of all scraggily old trees, and the overgrown weeds cut back. The blueberry growth just exploded! It now ranges from the back of the house, in an L shape about 10 feet wide. It's spectacular! My house, which was always my most prized possession, is now worth it's weight in gold to me.

So. Many. Blueberries! And they are HUGE!

That was my collection after only 20 minutes of picking.

For the past two weeks or so, I've been taking about 20 minutes a day, going out and scooping up some berries. and freezing them. When I have the time, I thaw them and clean out the green, un-ripe berries, leaves and twigs, wash them, and get them prepped for cooking. It works out perfectly, because the berry growth has been really staggered this year. When there's ripe ones, there's about 10 un-ripe ones right behind it, so it makes for perfect, un-rushed picking.

I'm nearing about the end of my supply this year, there are more bare branches than leftover blueberries, and ones waiting to ripen. I never like to take them all, I always leave plenty for the birds and animals, to give back to nature as a thank you for the wonderful gift of blueberries I've been given.

I wanted the lovely taste of summer to go on well into the Winter, and also share my little patch of heaven with friends, since I had so many. So, instead of drowning in muffins, I decided to make Blueberry Jam:

Ingredients:

4 Cups Blueberries
3 1/2 Cups Sugar

Directions: 

1. Put a plate in the freezer to allow to chill. With a potato masher, mash up about 1 cup of berries in a medium heavy saucepan.
2. Add the remaining 3 cups of berries and add in 1/2 cup water; allow to come to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up any clumps, until the berries are soft, about 5 minutes or so.
3. Slowly stir sugar into saucepan, adding gradually; once all the sugar is added, let the mixture return to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook at a slow boil until thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. To test for doneness, drop a small amount of jam onto the chilled plate; it should wrinkle when pressed around with your finger.
   
   
   
   

   

   
   

After that, you can spoon your fresh jam into mason jars, but be careful, its HOT! I found my batch sealed extremely well, because of the heat of the jam. Sealing jars is a post all on its own, would anyone like me to work on that next?

I hope your summer has been super sweet!

xoxo - Court

Summer Cookout Favorite: Baked Beans

Image via Google, Edited by Me.

Summer is cookout season, and everyone is forever scrambling to find a quick and easy dish that will knock the socks off your guests.

My husband's family is famous for having little get togethers for whatever the occasion, and the most recent one was this past weekend when cousins came down from Ontario for a few weeks' visit. To welcome them, we had an old fashioned, summer cookout, potluck style, where everyone brought a dish (or in my case, three. Call me cook-a-holic)

The side I brought was an instant success, and gained may compliments. It took a matter of minutes to throw together, and only maybe twenty minutes to cook up. If your're looking for a classic, down home country side dish to bring to a BBQ, then this is your post to keep reading. 

Baked Beans

Feeds 16-20 depending on portion sizes

2 Cans red kidney beans

2 Cans soldier beans (I use the Maple kind)

1 Package Bacon, thawed

1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce 

1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

2-4 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 Medium\Large Tin Roasting Pan

1. Start by dumping the cans of red kidney beans into a strainer, and rinse off the "sauce" they come in. I hate the sauce and think it's icky. Rinsing off the sauce gives you perfectly tender beans without any odd flavor. Add them into the roasting pan.
2. Do the same with the soldier beans.
3. Add in the Spaghetti Sauce, Mustard, Sugar, and Worcestershire sauce, giving a little mix.
4. Cut the bacon in half. Take one of the halves, and set aside. The remaining half, cut into small square chunks. Place these and the longer strips you set aside in boiling water, and let simmer for a few minutes. This removes some of the grease from the bacon.
5. Once bacon appears wavy and pink, take out from the water, and add the small squares in with your bean mixture, and stir.
6. The long strips of bacon, lay over the mixture so it is almost completely covered.
7. Bake at 350 for about 20 or so minutes, until bacon appears crispy, and the edges are bubbling.

What are you cooking up this summer?

xoxo- Court

Cook: Dark Chocolate Amaretto Cupcakes (With Whipped Cream & Rum Icing!!)

Hi Guys!

I'm here today to share with you my favorite, go to, can't be beat, tons of compliments, gone in a flash, trusty rusty cupcake recipe.

Yeah, it's THAT good!

This recipe was almost a happy accident, I found the chocolate cake recipe just floating around on Google one day after looking for a good, moist cake for someone's birthday. Liking the results, I started to play around with what I added into the cake, which made me like it even more!

I  made my best version, with the Amaretto, for my friend's birthday, and they were and instant hit, gone in merely an hour! I've baked a lot in my day, and I have to agree with the party guests, "This is the best cupcake ever!" I think its because the cake is super moist and very fluffy, and the chocolate is a dark, dark, semi sweet chocolate taste rather than the usual "fake box" chocolate or milk chocolate flavor, with hints of mouth watering, almost cherry, goodness from the Amaretto. It really feels like you're diving into something decadent, and not just from someone's kitchen, whipped up in a flash, but of course with love.

I'm going to cut myself off there, because really, the written word does not do these cupcakes justice. You really need to print out this page, get into the kitchen, and whip them up yourselves to experience the wonder!

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (or any other cream, straight milk will work fine too, but I just love the added creamyness)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature (I've used margarine with excellent results as well, though you' cant beat butter... go big or go home)
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 1/3 cup Amaretto (If you're feeling dangerous, you can add really any liquor, I've used Whiskey, Rum, and Kahlua all to date, but the Amaretto has given best results. Seriously. Go buy Amaretto and add it in)

This yields a thin batter, so don't be alarmed. Bake in lined muffin tins for about 30ish minutes, depending on your oven. The best bet is to insert a cake tester or fork, and when it comes out clean, they are done. (I never time my baking, bakers' instincts). Allow to cool before frosting.

The frosting is totally optional, you could use canned frosting, home made butter cream, anything really to adorn these puppies and they would still be fantastic. But if you're looking for added oomph, try this recipe out, you will NOT be disappointed.

Whipped Cream Rum Icing

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2-ish cups icing sugar (a little more, a little less, depending on the consistency you're going for. I started off with 2 cups and wound up adding a bit more, just to give them more fluff since I was transporting them an hour away)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp rum (or any other alcohol you want to add in, Bailey's works wonderfully, too)

Whip together on highest setting until stiff peaks appear. Add to cupcakes once fully cooled.

I've been told it's not the simplest recipes, but like anything good, it's worth the work. I don't find it very time consuming, but I love to bake.

Seriously, try these babies out!

Cook: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is probably my favourite recipe of life!

I'm not big on buying store bought things... Just the basics, bread, meats, veggies, but a lot of my snacks and treats I like to make myself. I like to know what's going into my body, and of course, homemade is always so much more delicious than store bought, not to mention cheaper...

On Sunday's, I usually set up shop in the kitchen for a few hours, and prepare my eats and treats for the week. I usually will whip up a batch of cookies or squares for packed lunch snacks, and muffins and/or biscuits for breakfasts.