12 Days of Cookies--Day 2 Moravian Spice Cookie Wafers

Day 2
November 29, 2007
Moravian Spice Cookie Wafers
The Food Network

This cookie comes to us from North Carolina by way of Central Europe; it's a classic, peppery spice cookie brought to the U.S. by Moravians in the 1700s. The key to this cookie is rolling it super-thin to get that characteristic snap; it's a lot easier to roll it that thin between waxed paper. If you don't have the patience, go thicker, for chewy gingerbread-style cookies. Either way, these cookies would be fantastic on your holiday table.

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and mustard together in a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until just combined and lightly fluffy. Beat in the molasses and egg yolk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix together on low speed until dough is just combined and still crumbly, about 3 minutes. Give dough a few turns with a spatula to bring together.
Lay out wax paper on a clean work surface and put about 1/3 of the batter on top. Lightly press down and top with another sheet of wax paper. Using your hands or a rolling pin, gently pat into a rectangle. Roll out with a rolling pin until dough is as thin as possible without breaking, no thicker than 1/16 inch thick. This is the key to these cookies: they really can't be too thin. Gently peel back the layer of waxed paper and then replace it loosely.
Transfer rolled batter to a flat baking sheet and freeze until firm and can easily be peeled away from the waxed paper, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cut dough using a small (2- to 3-inch) fluted round cookie cutter and return to the freezer for 15 minutes to set. Transfer frozen cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until crisp and lightly, evenly colored (but not brown), about 10 minutes.
Busy baker's tips: Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days. The dough can be frozen, between sheets of waxed paper and well-wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks. Baked cookies can be wrapped in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month.

Cook's note: Don't be intimidated by how many cookies this recipe makes. This dough freezes well, and you can roll out far in advance -- so when you need cookies, you can cut and bake as needed, which is a great holiday timesaver.

"While You Were Sleeping" by Casting Crowns

If you would like to listen/watch the video, you will probably want to turn the other song player off first.

12 Days of Cookies--Day 1 Almond Lace Cookies (Florentines)

Each Christmas, I receive an email from The Food Network for the "12 Days of Cookies". They always have a lot of neat recipes, so I thought I would pass them along to you. I am going to post the recipe, but will also include the link to the recipe in case you need more info. Hope you enjoy!!

Day 1
November 28, 2007
Almond Lace Cookies (Florentines)

These Tuscan cookies are a Christmas classic. They're nutty, lacy and crisp, as well as deceptively simple to make. Drizzling them with chocolate turns them into the perfect holiday indulgence.

1 3/4 cups sliced, blanched almonds (about 5 ounces)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping, optional: 2 to 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.

Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.
Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.

Bake 1 pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.

Optional chocolate topping: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)

For sandwiches: Drop about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.
For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.

Busy baker's tips: Store baked cookies carefully, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Florentines are best stored separated from moist cookies and cakes.

Holiday Baking

Actually this first recipe is from the Pumpkin Pie that I made for Thanksgiving, but obviously it can be used/made for anytime! I got this recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/ and it got a 5 out of 5 rating! Their note on it says "A good pie for the diabetic and doesn't have an aftertaste!"




Sugarless Pumpkin Pie

1 (9 inch) pie shell
1 egg
6 packets artificial sweetner (I actually used 8)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (again, I improvised and used a cinnamon, ginger, and cloves mixture, since I didn't have the pumpkin pie spice)
1 cup pumpkin puree (do not use the pumpkin mix)
1 cup evaporated milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl whisk together egg, sugar substitute, and pumpkin pie spice until well blended. Add pumpkin and milk to egg mixture, and stir until smooth. Pour mixture into pie shell.


Place pie on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until set in center.

This next recipe also came from http://www.allrecipes.com/. These cookies turned out good and chewy just like it says! It made approximately 3 dozen (actually a few more than that)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-pupose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat over to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stire into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

**HINT** If you will make the dough and chill it for about an hour, the cookies will not "spread" out as they cook.

It's Official!!

At least my official time for putting up Christmas decorations!! I would have had them up the day after Thanksgiving, but I had a nasty stomach virus all last week---what a way to enjoy all the yummy Thanksgiving food, huh??

Well, I was pretty much out of commission last week so, I have a lot to catch up on! First let me catch you up on some news "from the family". Two weeks ago, Conner got a mild concussion at wrestling practice. He is doing fine now, but went through a few days of headaches and nausea. It was a good thing that they have had a few weeks off from wrestling matches for the Thanksgiving holidays. It gave him a little while to recuperate.

That same week, Mari Cate sang in the choir for the annual school play. This year the play was The Wizard of Oz. The play is performed on Friday and Saturday nights. They did a great job--especially the choir!! : )

Wishing all of our friends and family a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday

Unconditional Love

Another Great Christmas Giveaway!

Here is another great Christmas Giveaway from MamaSpeaks! Take at look at the Holiday Gift Guide 2007--there are lots of neat items for the Fresh and Green, the Rockin' Tots, the Girly Girls, Daddy Dearest, Knocked Up, Toy Joy, Baby Makes Three, Deck the Halls, and last but not least Making a List Checking It Twice. So many neat goodies!

Hope you enjoy!

Memory Moments on Monday

BABY--The Dog

About a year after Frank and I got married, we bought a house. Little did we know that along with the house came a stray dog...and her puppies.

A stray dog started hanging around our house and she looked like just a pup herself and she was scared to death--of EVERYTHING. She looked like she hadn't eaten in forever and I couldn't even tell that she was pregnant. I felt so sorry for her that I started feeding her. I would put food on our doorstep and go inside and watch her sheepishly come to the door and gobble the food so quickly that she turned the bowl over and scatter food everywhere! After a week or two, she finally began to realize that we were not going to hurt her. So then we started coaxing her into the house (what were we thinking??) She came inside and loved it, although she was still scared. I enjoyed her company at night because Frank was working 3rd shift at the time. One day when I came home from work, she didn't come to the door and I got a little worried about her. She stayed gone for a couple of days (oh and by this time we knew she was pregnant), but finally came back to eat and then left again. A week or so went by of this routine. Then one day she came out from the woods and with her came a little puppy, and another and another, 7 puppies in all. As sickly as she had looked, I really didn't think any of the puppies could have possibly survived, but they were very healthy! We ended up giving them all away to homes that lots of land for them to play on, since they looked as if they would be pretty big dogs and need the room. Well, Baby turned out to be one of the best dogs anyone could ever ask for. She lived 14 years. She died around this time of year 3 years ago. Every one should be so lucky to have a dog like her as a friend and companion.

Thanksgiving Dinner--A little early!

Well, last year we tried something new...we went to Cracker Barrel for Thanksgiving Dinner. Normally we have always gotten together with my family and Frank's family (yes, all of us together--we actually all get along well enough to have dinner together!) and had the traditional Thanksgiving meal with each of us contributing something. But for some reason we changed the tradition last year. Well, we went about 4:00 in the afternoon and just as they seated us, they informed us that they had run out of turkey and dressing. What???!!!! Ran out???? On Thanksgiving??? So they offered free pumpkin pie to make up for it. Well, I wasn't to thrilled about it, but stayed anyway. My parents wanted their turkey and dressing and so did Conner, so they left and went to another restaurant. So Thanksgiving didn't turn out like we really like it. Somehow the decision got made to go to Cracker Barrel again this year, but we are going around 11:00 instead. I figure that they should have turkey and dressing still available at that time. However, my sweet, quiet husband, didn't speak up until the other day to let me know that he didn't really like this decision that we had made. He wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner at home they way we have always done it. Of course it is really a little late in the game to change our plans now, so I decided to "The Meal" myself. This is a first for me. I usually bring 3-4 items, but my mother always does the turkey and dressing. So I attempted it! I bought a turkey breast (instead of the whole turkey) and my mother came over yesterday and taught me how to do the turkey and how to make the dressing. I made mac-n-cheese, green beans, broccoli cheese casserole, pink cherry salad, and rolls to top it off. For dessert I made a pumpkin pie (a diabetic one at that!!) and chocolate chip cookies for the kids. Normally we do have a lot more when it is all of bringing items, but these were the foods that Frank requested. I must say he was so sweet about it and thanked me several times for making the meal just for him.

I will come back and add the recipes for several of the items tomorrow (probably).

Share Something Sweet

As I have mentioned before, one of the blogs I enjoy visiting is http://www.adventuresinbabywearing.com/. On her site, Stephanie shared that the Ferrero company (you know the one that makes that wonderfully, delicious and beautiful chocolates!) has partnered with Share Our Strength (SOS), one of the nation's leading organizations working to end childhood hunger in America, has created a Web site called Share Something Sweet.With this site, you can send virtual electronic snow globes to friends and family that can be customized by uploading photographs as well as personal messages. As part of its work on SOS, Ferrero will be donating $20,000 to the charity. You can share, too, by sending a personalized e-card snow globe and spreading the word.

It's fun and it's sweet! : )

Oh and by the way, here is a link to a FREE sample of their newest chocolate! Hurry--it's a limited time offer! http://www.ivillage.com/0,,c6rr989t,00.html

Wordless Wednesday

Memory Moments on Monday

I wonder as I wander

Out under the sky

How Jesus the Savior

Did come for die

For poor ornry people like you and like I

I wonder as I wander

Out under the sky

Ok, so I am dying to get my Christmas tree and decorations out, but I have always held to thought that you must wait until after Thanksgiving to put them up!! The "holiday" season starts at the beginning of November to me and I like to make sure that I include them all. Please don't get all upset when I say "holiday" season...I say that phrase because I truly include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all in it, although Christmas is definitely the most special. But I don't like to see Thanksgiving getting passed up by the retail end of Christmas. I want to enjoy ALL of it! So that has always been my reason to not put my tree up until at least the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I am not so sure that I will make it this year! I guess add in the fact that I fear that the further along I get in my pregnancy the less I will feel like putting an decorations up, also makes me want to go ahead and do it now. Other than my own made up tradition of when to do it, the only other thing stopping me is that all of our decorations are in storage at Frank's office, so I have to have his help!

So back to the picture....I always liked this picture of Mari Cate and Conner. I think it makes them look sweet and innocent (notice I said "look"--haha!!). Seriously the picture is from Christmas 2005 and I hope you enjoy taking a "memory moment" with me on this Monday.

Check out the great giveaways at 5minutesformom.com ! This is a great blog to check out!

Way to Go Conner!!

Last night was the opening match for Wrestling Season and Conner's very first match EVER!!

And I must say congratulations to my son for winning his very first match (which also happened to be the first match of the night--so he got the team off to a good start). He won the match 12-8, which we thought was awesome!!

Frank and I didn't realize that Conner would be the first one to wrestle and the match was supposed to start at 4:30 and we got there at 4:35 to find him already on the mat, so I missed a few good "starting" pictures and almost cried when I thought about almost missing his first match! I was so excited about him winning that I didn't even think to get the picture of them "holding is arm up" in victory. So please excuse the "first time wrestling mom" errors, but enjoy the couple of pictures I did get (one of them is kind of blurry--so sorry!)