FReeper Canteen - Christmas Cookie Exchange - 15 Dec 2011

A respite place for our troops, vets & military families | The Canteen Elves

[AZamericonnie]

Welcome to the

~ Freeper Canteen ~

Christmas Cookie Exchange

To all you wonderful bakers out there......do you have a favorite cookie recipe?

We've made a few to share....

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack. BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
I know this is not a cookie recipe but a staple in our house every year.

Gingerbread & Lemon Curd Trifle W/ Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup molasses
1 cup boiling water
2 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Lemon Curd Filling, recipe follows
Blackberry Sauce, recipe follows

Directions
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Spray 1 half-sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; spray paper. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix in crystallized ginger. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in brown sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Gradually beat in molasses, followed by 1 cup boiling water. Mix in grated lemon peel. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan sides. Turn out onto a rack and peel off paper. Cool and cut into 1-inch cubes.

To assemble:
Using a trifle bowl, start with an even layer of gingerbread cubes, top with 1/3 of the lemon curd mixture, and 1/3 of the blackberry sauce. Repeat 2 more times. Top with remaining whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Lemon Curd Filling:
2 (11-ounce) jars prepared lemon curd
2 cups heavy cream, sweetened with sugar and vanilla, beaten to soft peaks
Place lemon curd in a large bowl. Fold in half of the whipped cream until combined. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Reserve remaining whipped cream for the top of the trifle.

Blackberry Sauce:
2 pints fresh blackberries, or 1 bag frozen blackberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons framboise (raspberry liqueur)Optional
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Place blackberries, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook until the berries are soft and the sugar has melted. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a bowl. Stir in the framboise and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to use.
Again....not a cookie recipe but sooo very good! If you are in a pinch you can use a box mix for the gingerbread.

Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread

Ingredients
1 cup husked hazelnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place hazelnuts on baking sheet. Bake until they're a shade darker and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Lower oven to 325 degrees F.

Place hazelnuts in blender or food processor and pulse to coarse bits; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to blend; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in egg. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix until distributed evenly throughout.

Form into long cookies and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

In a saucepan over lowest heat or in a double boiler, melt chocolate. Dip 1 end of cooled cookies into melted chocolate. Place back on cookie sheet to harden.

Please share your favorite recipes & maybe you'll find some new ones to try.....and don't forget to leave some out for Santa!

[beachn4fun]

TO THE

Good morning, Everyone.
Good morning to our

AWESOME

Military, our Allies, and their families.

Thank you, Connie, for preparing the Canteen for today's activities.

Love that graphic.

GOD bless them. They can sleep anywhere.

Now our local DC Metroland weather report

~ Today...Partly sunny this morning...
Then mostly cloudy with a chance of showers this afternoon.
Highs in the upper 50s.
South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
Chance of rain 30 percent.

~ Tonight...Mostly cloudy.
A slight chance of showers in the evening.
Lows in the upper 40s.
Southwest winds around 10 mph...
Becoming west after midnight.
Chance of rain 20 percent.

Yum, yum, yum.
Been busy but I guess I need to start whipping up some cookies.
only problem is that I'll be off the week
between Christmas and New Year
and if they're there,
I'll be drawn to them as if they were magnets. UGH!

I've got to make my rounds.
But, you stay right where you are.
Keep the troops entertained and the Canteen clean...
Cause...if you don't...I'll tell Ma!

FR CANTEEN ~ ALWAYS OPEN

Come in and sit for a while.

There's always plenty of coffee, pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

PLEASE REMEMBER THEM ....

DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[beachn4fun]

Nana is making 60 dozen cookies for a church function on Friday night.

Does she ever sleep? LOL

Good morning and ((HUGS)) Jinxie.

[MEG33]

*Thank You To All Who Serve Our Country*

YUM YUM COOKIES!
Happy Thursday Everyone
*HUGS*

[beachn4fun]

#50

[luvie]

...and lots of it!
How do you Early Birds DO this every day! LOL!
Hope all of you have a fantastic day!
*yawn*
((((hugs))))

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning, Kathy!

How are you doing this morning?

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning, Beachy!

*HUGS*

Happy Thursday! Almost there!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning, Meg!

*HUGS*

Hope you have a great Thursday!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning, Meg!

*HUGS*

Hope you have a great Thursday!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning to everyone at the Canteen.
We have some decent showers in the area this morning.

[Arrowhead1952]

This is for REAL chocolate dessert lovers.

Hershey bar Pie
1 8 OZ Hershey Almond bar
Graham cracker (or chocolate) pie crust
1/3 cup milk
1 ½ cup mini marshmallows (or 15 large)
1 cup heavy cream

Break or chop chocolate bar into small pieces and chop almonds

(If desired, save some chocolate pieces to spread on top)

Melt chocolate with milk in a double boiler
Add marshmallows and stir until melted
Cool completely
Whip cream until stiff
Fold into the chocolate mixture
Spoon into crust
Chill until firm

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning ladies and (((HUGS))).

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, night owl ((HUGS))
Shake it off (pun intended LOL) and get a move on!
Days awastin'

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, CMN ((HUGS))

Only Thursday? It feels like Friday. UGH!

Ok, one more day...I can make it.

Got to remember to post my sympathies to the fallen you posted.

thanks for doing that.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Meg ((HUGS))

WOW! another beautiful graphic.

Have a great Thursday.

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, Beach. How’s it going?

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, “almost civilian” ((HUGS))

Happy Thursday.

I heard a rumor that you got some rain. Is this true?

[beachn4fun]

R I P
Sgt. Ryan Sharp, USA,
2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Died 3Dec2011 of wounds sustained in Afghanistan 21Nov2011

[beachn4fun]

R I P
Spc. Thomas J. Mayberry, USA,
2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment,
3rd Brigade Combat Team,
KIA Afghanistan 3Dec2011

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, EG ((HUGS))

All is well. Looking at the Farmer’s Almanac...see we may have a mild winter (finally). Don’t see any major snow predicted for the mid-Atlantic states.

How are thing with you?