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!

[Arrowhead1952]

Yes, we’ve had rain all morning. Nothing heavy but constant showers.

None of the stations show more than .10, but I know it is more than that.

[MEG33]

Thank you, Conor!
(((HUGS)))

[E.G.C.]

Well, I'm looking at iMap Weather Radar and seeing some rain across parts of Texas into Oklahoma. We did get some rain here in Comanche.

Just talked to the vet on the phone yesterday. We're going to go to the vet on Monday. Bo's eyes are looking much better now with the ointment dropping I've been giving him.

Not much else is going on.

[MEG33]

I LOVE chocolate.
We are getting nice rain here..So thankful!
(((HUGS)))

[TheOldLady]

I make a low-carb version of that, "TheOldLady Crack" (it's addictive) with sugar substitute (powdered erythritol plus sucralose), cinnamon, butter, and cayenne pepper.

I stir-fry rather than bake it because pecans burn very easily.

Even low carb, I don't dare make it too often, LOL!

[MEG33]

;o)
I love doing Christmas graphics.
(((HUGS)))

[Arrowhead1952]

We always had to make two of those pies for Thanksgiving. One for the meal and one for my brother in law to take home.

[MEG33]

;o)

[beachn4fun]

that certainly is good news.

did you go running in it? LOL

[beachn4fun]

I can tell.

[Arrowhead1952]

No more running for me. I have a cyst pushing against a nerve in my spine that causes too much pain to run.

[Publius]

It was the greatest gift from my mother, even better than the six figures she bequeathed me that permitted me to retire at age 55.

Most of those recipes came from her mother, who was from Naples and an Artist of the Kitchen. Some came from her mother-in-law, who was from Messina and another Artist of the Kitchen. This made my mother an Artist of the Kitchen, and I'm pleased she handed down to me over a century's worth of recipes. I turned her handwritten notes into a Word document and gave it to family members.

When I first made the Italian Cheese Pie, she gave me a proper tongue-lashing for the pie crust, which was too hard. I never forgot that. She was like a Marine DI when it came to cooking.

[AZamericonnie]

Thnak you for the recipe...looks really good!

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Yum yum. Thanks! *nom nom*

[AZamericonnie]

SALTINE TOFFEE

Well Charles I am going to try this one for sure. I adore toffee & this is really interesting! Thank you!

[AZamericonnie]

Those cookie are beautiful & I bet no one would know they were gluten free.

I have been experimenting with rice flour & gluten free cooking. Wheat seems to disagree with me these days.

[AZamericonnie]

Well rlmorel your tribute to your beautiful mother has brought tears to my eyes.

The cookies sound wonderful & thank you for this very special gift to us all.

God bless you & Merry Christmas!

[fatima]

Hi Arrowhead1952,you countdown is still in progress:)((((Hugs))))

[AZamericonnie]

So many great recipes here FrdmLvr....I’d better start baking soon!:)

[AZamericonnie]

Good morning Beachiekins! *hugs*

Will you be taking off some time from work for Christmas?

Will some grandbabies be with you at Christmas?