Ahhhhhh 2020, are there no limits to the havoc you will wreak? You’ve got me eating Jell-O! Mixed with Cool-Whip and sour cream, no less!!! Side bar: on all these recipe blogs, the writer always feels the need to clarify that we aren’t talking about salad, as in lettuce and radishes. Really? Is my Jello-laced … Read more
My mom always made cranberry sauce from whole berries for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And like so many of what I thought were “family recipes,” it turns out that she just followed the directions on the back of the package! LOL So I’ve branched out over the years to try fancier versions – but Mom’s … Read more
Let it be known to all that in the year 2020, Thanksgiving SUCKED. It’s been cold and rainy all week – perfectly befitting a “holiday” where we’re all stuck in our own homes, away from family and friends. I was tempted to just pretend the whole thing wasn’t even happening. But it turns out that … Read more
These cookies have lost part of their charm for me, now that a similar confection is so widely available at street fairs. Sometimes called an elephant ear, sometimes just “fried dough,” it’s all basically the same – a very simple batter deep fried and then dusted heavily with powdered sugar. The addition of the lemon … Read more
Along with sandbakkles and pepperkakker, krumkakker are one of the cookies that form the Norwegian triumvirate. If you ever go to a Swedish market, or a Scandinavian Christmas mart, you’re guaranteed to find these for sale – often with a cream filling. But as purists, we Oksendahls/Sahlbergs serve the cookies plain, no filling. Making this … Read more
Cashews are my dad’s favorite snack. Every year, he gets an oversized bag of them in his stocking, and we always have to make these cookies. They’re quite tasty plain, but the brown-butter frosting is what makes them really special. 1/2 c soft butter 1 c brown sugar 1 egg 1 t vanilla 2 c … Read more
These are my favorite cookies, hands down. They’re also my brother Jay’s favorites, as well as the favorite of all his kids. They’re really simple, but there are a few tricks I’ve learned over the years: Don’t make a double batch. The marshmallow will harden before you’re done shaping all the wreaths; and if you … Read more
These look very pretty on the cookie plate, because they’re visually really different than the others – small, round, and dark. Plus they come together really easily. I personally prefer using kalhua to the rum. Bourbon is also good! 1 c Nilla water crumbs 1 c chopped pecans 1 c powdered sugar + extra for … Read more
What makes these cookies really special is the rum-butter icing. It’s also the “hard” part. The cookies themselves are simple drop cookies that are quick and easy to make. Frosting them is what takes a minute. 🙂 Makes 4 dozen 1 c butter 3/4 c sugar 1 egg 2 t vanilla 2 t rum extract … Read more
I love these cookies! They’re rich and buttery, not too sweet (like a shortbread), with lots of flavor. Plus they’re almost “easy” to make – especially if you use a Cuisinart to chop the pistachios. I do recommend a Cuisinart, because the key to this recipe is chopping the pistachios as finely as possible. Otherwise … Read more