Mexican Wedding Cakes

I have always liked these cookies so I decided to make them for Christmas this year. I had help from my granddaughter, Samantha. She liked rolling the dough between her hands. Austin liked stealing bites of the dough!

I found the recipe on Paula Deen's website. The cookies were yummy! I made balls instead of crescent shapes.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces.

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed, gradually add the flour. Mix the pecans with a spatula.

With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 40 minutes. Roll in additional confectioners sugar while still warm. Cool completely on wire racks.

TWD: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

Ulrike of Kuchenlatein chose Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies on pages 146-147.

I made the dough for these cookies the other day. After work, I rolled out the dough and my granddaughter, Samantha, picked out which shapes to use. She and my son decorated them. I found the recipe simple. I just don't like waiting for a dough to chill to finisha recipe, but the cookies are delicious. One of the better sugar cookies I have had. Let's hope Santa likes them just as much!

TWD: Buttery Jam Cookies

Heather of Randomosity and the Girl chose Buttery Jam Cookies on page 80. I made my cookies with Red Raspberry Jam instead of the apricot preserves. Turned out to be a good choice since it's my boyfriend, Doug's, favorite flavor!

I found the cookies absolutely delicious and light. It was like a shortbread cookie with a touch of raspberry flavor. I will definitely make them again. Doug, who is not much of a sweet eater, actually ate two of the cookies!

The recipe was really easy to follow and they made up really quick.

Paula Deen's Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes

Jimmy had a potluck dinner and court of honor to go to tonight for Boy Scouts. I ended up not going since I have been sick for the past week. I couldn't seem to quit coughing this afternoon and seem real congested. I think I will need to break down and call the doctor on Monday. I've been very upset about being sick, since it's the Christmas season. I don't have my insided finished being decorated, the outside lights up, presents down been bought.

Anyway...back to scouts. I made a big pot of chicken and noodles. Then, I made a bunch of mint chocolate cookies. Those are good. Can't give you a recipe since it's pre-made batter from a cookie dough fundraiser a friend at work's son had for school. Then, I decided to make the Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes from Paula Deen. They were super simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 18 1/2 oz package Brownie mix

1 12 oz package peanut butter chips or 24 miniature peanut butter cups

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 regualr muffin cu ps with paper cupcake liners.

Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions for cakelike brownies. Fill the cups half full with brownie batter. Place about 1 tablesppon peanut butter chips in the center of the batter, or press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the cupcakes are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 2 dozen.

TWD: Orange Berry Muffins

November 18, 2008. I had decided not to make the recipe for that week. It didn't excite me. I decided instead to do a rewind of the Orange Berry Muffins on Page 3. The muffins were delicious but could have had a more orange taste to it. I think next time I will do more orange juice.

Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing

I finally found my favorite stuffing recipe. I don't prepare the whole Thanksgiving feast often, but I always fret over the turkey and stuffing. Yes, I know the turkey is easy, but it's the center of the meal. My family came over for Thanksgiving and everyone brought food to share. My boyfriend, Doug, prepared the turkey, which came out awesome. He also helped with the stuffing. (and, cleaning, dishes...such a wonderful guy!)

I mixed two packages of Pepperidge Farm Herb seasoned bread crumbs with 1 pound browned Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage, 2 sticks melted butter, sauted onion and celery, and close to 48 oz of Swanson's chicken broth. Some of the stuffing was stuffed in the bird and the rest baked until heated through.

Yummy! It's my favorite by far. My son must have thought so, too, since he could not stay out of it and finished up the leftovers!


My son digging into the stuffing!

Mini Pecan Pumpkin Pies

My son and I saw this Cooking for Real episode on the Food Network a couple weeks ago. We both looked at each other and went YUM! When I started my Thanksgiving baking on Tuesday, Jimmy asked if I could make these mini pies. I had all the ingredients, so, of course, I said yes. These were super easy to make. I only had on mini muffin tin, so I made 12 mini ones and 4 the regular muffin size. I just baked the larger ones a little bit longer.

They came out so delicious. I will definitely make these over and over again. I think they will be added to our desserts every year for Thanksgiving along with the pumpkin pie and pecan pie.

Since I made these mini pies, I decided not to make the TWD's Twofer pie.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray

For the dough:

• 1/4 cup pecans


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping dough


• 6 tablespoons butter, ice cold


• 2 to 3 tablespoons ice cold water

For the filling:

• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk


• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup (I used light since that is what I had)
  


• 1 tablespoon sugar


• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin filling


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped plus 24 halves for garnish


• Special equipment: 2 (12-cup) mini muffin tins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray the bottoms and sides of the mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

For the dough:

In a food processor, pulse pecans with the sugar, salt, and flour, until the nuts are ground and the ingredients are combined. Add in butter and pulse until dough resembles coarse meal. Slowly pour in ice water through the feed tube, pulsing, until the dough comes together. Remove from processor bowl onto clean work surface sprinkled with flour.

Form dough into a ball and divide evenly into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and evenly press into each cup, until the bottom is covered. If the dough is sticky, dip your finger in flour first.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until the crusts are very golden. Check periodically to make sure they don't get too brown.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and yolk with the corn syrup, sugar, pumpkin filling and vanilla. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Remove dough from oven and spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling into each cup. Top each with 1 pretty pecan half. Return the pans to the oven and continue baking, for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the pumpkin filling is set. Allow to cool before removing from the pans.

Yield: 2 dozen