Christmas Cookies: Butterscotch Fingers

I have made some great cookies from Good Housekeeping over the years.  I was thankful to receive their Christmas Cookies cookbook, from my best friend Nicki.  The following recipe comes from this book.  Butterscotch Fingers are super easy to make and they taste great.  Just keep in mind that they need to chill for a substantial amount of time, before slicing and baking.

Butterscotch Fingers Good Housekeeping

Active time:  30 minutes, plus chilling
Bake time:  12 to 14 minutes per batch
Makes:  66 cookies

2-1/3      cups all purpose flour

1/2         teaspoon baking powder

1/2         teaspoon salt

1            cup butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened

1            cup packed dark brown sugar

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

1            large egg

3/4         cup pecans, chopped


1.  On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

2.  In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Beat in vanilla, then egg.  On low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.  With spoon, stir in pecans.

3.  Shape dough into 12" by 3-3/4" by 1" brick.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to slice, 6 hours or overnight; if using margarine, freeze overnight.  (Dough can also be frozen up to 3 months.)

4.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease large cookie sheet.

5.  With sharp knife, cut brick crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices.  Place slices, 1-inch apart, on prepared cookie sheet.  Bake until lightly browned around edges, 12 to 14 minutes.  With wide metal spatula, transfer to wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining dough.

6.  Store cookies in cookie jar up to 1 week.

Each cookie:  about 65 calories, 1g protein, 7g carbohydrate, 4g total fat (2g saturated), 0g fiber, 11mg cholesterol, 55mg sodium

Christmas Cookies: Melt- Aways

The name says it all - these cookies melt in your mouth.

Active time:  25 minutes, plus chilling
Bake time:  19- 22 minutes per batch
Makes:  42 cookies


Melt-Aways  Good Housekeeping

2      cups all-purpose flour

1/4   cup cornstarch

1/8   teaspoon salt

1      cup butter (2 sticks), softened (no substitutions)

2      cups confectioners' sugar

2      teaspoons vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 325ºF.  On waxed paper, combine flour, cornstarch, and salt.

2.  In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter until creamy.  Beat in 1 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy.  On low speed, beat in flour mixture, then vanilla.  Cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

3.  With hands, shape dough by heaping measuring teaspoons into 1-inch balls.  Place balles, 1-inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.  Bake until set and lightly golden around edges, 19- 22 minutes.  With wide metal spatula, transfer to wire rack to cool slightly.

4.  Sift remaining 1 cup of confectioners' sugar into medium bowl.  While cookies are still warm, roll in sugar to coat; return to rack to cool completely.  When cool, gently roll cookies in sugar again.  Repeat with remaining dough in sugar.

5.  Store cookies in a cookie jar up to 1 week.

Each cookie:  About 90 calories, 1g protein, 11g carbohydrate, 5g total fat (3g saturated), 0g fiber, 13mg cholesterol, 55mg sodium.

Christmas Cookies: Spiked Eggnog Chews

These are on my list of cookies to make between now and Christmas.  I just found the recipe in Redbook magazine.  I hope that you'll try them out.

Photo by: Andrew Purcell

Spiked Eggnog Chews Redbook

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Chilling time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 22 minutes

1      stick unsalted butter, melted

1-1/2      cups sugar, plus more for rolling

1      Tbsp canola oil

1      large egg

2      Tbsp milk

1      Tbsp dark rum (or 1 tsp rum flavoring)

1      Tbsp vanilla extract

2      cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2      tsp baking powder

1/4   tsp baking soda

1/2   tsp nutmeg

1/4   cup decorating sugar

1.  Heat oven to 350ºF.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2.  In a large bowl, stir butter, sugar, oil, and a pinch of salt until combined.  Stir in egg, milk, rum, and vanilla extract until combined.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg; stir until just combined.  Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

3.  Form 3-Tbsp dough balls; place onto pans.  Place sugar for rolling in the same bowl.  Roll each dough ball in sugar and place back on pan, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.  Flatten each dough ball to about 1 inch tick and sprinkle with decorating sugar.  Bake one pan at a time, until cookies' centers have risen and are beginning to crack, 11 to 13 minutes.

4.  Remove pan from oven and tap on counter to help cookies deflate.  Let the cookies cool on pan, 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.  Repeat with second pan.

Makes 15 large cookies.

**  I made a few batches of these and they turned out really well.  They were a big hit at my cookie exchange, too.  I used dough balls about 1 Tbsp in size and the cookies were big.  So, I suggest that you cut the 3 Tbsp down.**

A Book in Review: Waiting for Wren

Well, I have finished this book. First, I would like to thank Cate Beauman for giving me the opportunity to read her work as part of 'First reads' (a signed copy!). Not only did she send the book along, but it came with a bag of Dove chocolates and a pen. Awesome! So, thanks!

If the timeframe in which I read this book tells you anything (1 day... or 10 hours once you cut out sleep and work), you should read this book. I enjoyed the mystery, I enjoyed the connection between the characters. I had the bad guy picked out, but Beauman did a good job of convincing me that it wasn't him. But, in the end, I was right! I didn't really realize that this was a romance novel until I reached the second half and there was a bit of sex. However shocking that was for me at first, I got over it and didn't let it overpower the story line.  And what is life without a little romance every now and again, even if you have to read about it?  I don't have any romance in my life, so this is the route I shall take, for now.

There were some side characters in this book that were the stars of the show, earlier in the series. I now have the pleasure of going back and reading the first four books, when money and time permit.

I recommend this book if you want a fun, easy mystery to get you through your day!

4 out of 5 stars, I really liked it

You may check out this review and many others at my Goodreads page. Plus, it is home to thousands of books and many people share their opinion on any book that you can think of!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

There are songs, there are commercials, movies...

All of which tell me that this time of the year is the best.  It is filled with kindness, heart warming family time, thoughtful gifts, shared meals, cheer, and fun activities.

Usually I agree, but more and more as the years go by, I am not certain.

You see, growing up, my family was the family that got kicked out of my grandparents house on Thanksgiving day.  My family was the family that always got in fights.  My family is the family that has the troubled older brother that causes anguish for everyone, when we should be hugging by the tree.

Luckily, I had people in my life like my Aunt Jeri and the Richey's.  My Aunt Jeri took us in when we got kicked out and the Richey's took me in when my mom worked on the holidays.  I don't think they know how much this has meant to me.  As the years went on, we got invited over less and less, which is just how things happen to go.  I went off to college and my mom moved, but we still lived near.

This has left just me and my mom.  This is sad to me.  My grandma passed away 2 and a half years ago and she was always willing to meet up, if just for a little bit.  Now that she is gone, my grandpa doesn't want to go anywhere.  This year he decided to leave the house, but he won't be joining me and my mom.  No, he'll be going on a cruise with some woman that none of us know.  My brother is always in jail and is really a hard person to get along with, so count him out.

My Uncle never leaves LA and when he got re-married in the late 90's he converted to Judaism.  So, he is out for Christmas, but hey Thanksgiving is still a perfectly suitable holiday for all religions, is it not?  Just before my grandma passed, my uncle and his family joined us twice. It was really nice.  I enjoyed seeing everyone.  We ate food, we laughed, we sang karaoke.  It was grand! I love times like this and I will remember them always.

Because my mom, a nurse always worked on Thanksgiving, we started a tradition of inviting friends over the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  We did this so that we could share the holiday with the people that we really like and love... our friends... those that mean the most to us.  We would plan a menu and make a great evening out of it.  Fewer and fewer people have been coming and this year, no one has responded to my invitation at all.  I was never sad about missing actual Thanksgiving, because I knew we would be making it up a couple of  days later.

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for everything that I have.  I am educated, I have a career, I am able to pay my bills on time, I have a place to live and I am able to buy food.  I am also thankful for the handful of amazing friends that I have.  I cherish the time that we get to spend together...

Now listen, I don't want pity.  I guess my reason for writing this is to understand that while we often focus our attention to those in need (homeless, foodless, etc.), during the holidays, it would be nice to also remember those who do have a home and food, but are left wanting in another way... family.

We all desire a human connection this time of the year and that is what makes it perhaps that saddest part of the year and not the best.  Never stop giving compassion to those in need, but make some room in your heart and home for those who need a surrogate family. I know we all get busy and have our own things to worry about and get done, but friends, for goodness sake open your eyes and perhaps take the time to invite someone to your house to celebrate!

You will probably argue that my mom should be enough and I enough for my mom and you are right.  I am glad that she is alive and is someone that I can connect with on a daily basis, but sometimes it just doesn't feel like we are cared for.  Perhaps that is what it comes down to, our friends say they love us, they say they think about us, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty... are they there for us?  It is great to have friends around when all is well and peachy keen, but it is better to have them around when you are feeling down in the dumps and a little left out.

On a more positive note, I do know that my friends truly do care about me and when it comes down to brass tacks, they would do anything for me and I for them. (I realize that I probably sound a bit off my rocker, pondering if my friends care for me and then declaring that they do moments later, but sometimes thoughts don't make any sense.) So, it is with this at the moment sad heart that I know all will be alright and that all will be well and that I shall enjoy the family I do have and the time I get to spend with them, even if it is made up solely of my mom.

Just something to think about as you plan out your Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas.

After writing this post, I feel better.  I just needed to get it off of my mind and I am thankful for this avenue in which I can do so.  I also realize that in times like these it is in my best interest to rely more heavily on God.  I am just a stubborn person and always try to do things on my own.