Hot Buttered Rum

Only a few days till Christmas.  Our house is surrounded by lots of snow, the lights are up, and the blow-up Tigger is waving happily as he comes out of his blow-up Christmas tree... (Our boys love it!)  Our tree is up, and I have Christmas music blaring as much as I can.  Right now I'm listening to a rocking version of the Carol of the Bells by David Crowder.  Rockin'!!!! (it's very therapeutic to rock out to Christmas carols you know....)

And I am slowly thinking about Christmas goodies.

I don't like to rush the whole baking thing....I don't want any extra "gifts" attached to my thighs and stomach this year.  I like to wait to bake....and then let everyone else eat it up!   But my LIST is up on the fridge.  I'm trying a new gingerbread cookies recipe as we speak, Monkey Munch will be made in a few days, David's cookies - though I'm on the look out for cherry flavoring....eeeek., maple fudge, almond roca....and I think this year....Candied Orange Peel.  I think I may be the only one who will eat it though...but I am okay with that. :)

Anyways, one neat thing my husband David and I are doing this year is watching Christmas movies each night whilst snacking on lovely cheeses and sipping on wines...or hot toddys.  We've watched movies like "White Christmas", "Christmas in Connecticut", "Holiday Inn",  "Home Alone", and last night's was "A Christmas Carol - with Patrick Stewarat... HIGHLY recommend!!!"

But tonight, I have a new drink to try.  Hot Buttered Rum.  You can buy the mixes at stores, but why not try it with REAL BUTTER!!!  So we are. 

Here's how.  Go pop some popcorn, Catch a Bing C. flick, and sip on this.

Hot Buttered Rum

adapted from: A Thousand Threads

What You Need:

3/4 cup of softened butter ( I used salted...you can use unsalted)

2 cups of light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp of ground cloves

1 tsp vanilla extract

Rum (dark or spiced)

boiling water or apple cider

What to do:

1.  Cream together butter, sugar, spices, and vanilla.  Roll into a cylinder and wrap in parchment paper.  

2.  Freeze.

3.  When ready to make, cut of 2 tablespoons of butter mixture and place in a small mug. Add 1-2 oz of  rum and then top off cup with boiling water.  Stir and serve immediately!

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

We truly just came out of some crazy, crazy weather these past few days.  Lots of snow, wind, and freezing rain....makes for an interesting week.  My oldest has been having "Snow Days" for the past couple of days, and we only ventured forth today....because we needed groceries.

Looking on the positive side to the Great Blizzard...WE WILL HAVE SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS!  Lots o snow....:)  Good thing too, shhh, we got the boys some GT racers.. (Good thing they are not proficient readers yet...that,  and my blog doesn't have Lego or Ninja Turtles in it...so no interest what so ever....)

BUT, the boys WERE interested in these AMAZING cookies.

I will put this out there.  These are my favourite Oatmeal cookies so far.  They were eaten up with great gusto and I have to make another batch here soon.  SOOO GOOD.  Definitely on my go-to list.  So here it is.  Add it to your Christmas baking list.  You will not regret it.  :)

ICED OATMEAL COOKIES

adapted from Mother Thyme

What you Need:

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups all purpose flour

1 TBSP of baking powder

half a tsp of baking soda

half a tsp salt

2 tsp of cinnamon

half a tsp of ground nutmeg

1 cup of hard margarine or butter (softened)

1 cup of brown sugar (packed)

half a cup of granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

For the glaze:

2 cups of icing sugar (confectioners)

4 TBSP of milk

What to Do:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Have baking sheets prepped with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2.  Place oats into a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds.  

3.  In a medium bowl combine, oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4.  In a large bowl, beat margarine, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat a bit more.

5.  In small batches add the dry ingredients while you are beating.  Beat until combined.

6.  Using about 2 TBSP of dough for each cookie, roll dough into balls and place onto baking sheets.

7.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Until golden brown on bottoms.

8.  Remove to cooling racks.  Cool

9.  Make glaze: combine icing sugar and milk and stir to make glaze.

Dip tops of cookies into glaze and allow to set.

Eat with gusto or savour with a cup of hot chocolate.  So yummy!

Citrus Hot Toddys

As the weather is cooler....I yearn for comfort and warmth.  I sit by the fireplace, have a warm blanket around my legs, slippers... Oh so cozy!  I love it!  My husband and I usually spend our evenings this way watching our favorite tv show when the kiddos are asleep.  We usually make ourselves a cracker and fancy cheese plate and have grown-up drink.  And we've discovered.....TODDYS....

And not just a simple toddy of rum, hot water and cinnamon....This toddy takes it up to another level!  Citrus!!!!  I've combined fresh lemon and orange juices, sweet honey, and cinnamon.  Add to that some spirits (we like spiced rum) and some hot water....you have a perfect cozy drink!  This would also be very comforting after a day out on the slopes, or sledding, or shovelling, or staying inside watching everyone else....shovel.....

:)

So, break out a couple of your favorite mugs, mix up these easy ingredients, light a fire (or turn on that fireplace station on tv) turn on some Christmas tunes...(NO ITS NOT TOO EARLY!!!!) and sip this sweet nectar....

Citrus Honey Toddys

adapted from:  Camille Styles

What you Need:

(serves 2)

- juice of one lemon

- juice of one navel orange

- 2 TBSP of honey

- 1/3 cup of spiced rum

- 1 cup plus 1/4 cup of hot water

- 2 lemon wedges

- 2 cinnamon sticks

What to do:

In a glass bowl combine, juices of lemon and orange, honey, rum, and hot water. 

Divide into mugs.  Check to see if its your desired temperature for hot drinks.

Add lemon wedges and cinnamon sticks

Enjoy!

Glazed Chocolate Mini-Donuts

So we've finally had our first big snow!  And I am okay with it.....I'm not ready for extreme cold yet and thankfully we've had decent temperatures for our area.  Snow gear is out in full force and we've already had our first mitten casualty....Lost forever in the bowels of the Elementary School lost and found bin....

I gotta go buy some more mittens.  I'm slightly anal about it when one is lost.  I go searching for it...

In grocery store parking lots...

tearing through bins.....

Yep...apparently I've got a problem with lost mittens...

But I don't have a problem with donuts....mini ones to be precise!  I bought myself a new silicone mini-donuts baking pan..So fun..Yes, I could use my mini muffin pans for the same purpose...but mini donuts are so cute!  So to try out the pan I made these sweet babies...And they are GOOOOOOOOD!  Easy to make, easy to eat!  If you don't have a mini-donut baking pan....don't sweat it...use that mini-muffin pan that I know everyone has hidden amongst the  bundt, cheesecake (various sizes) jelly roll, and every size cake pan...

:)

Glazed Chocolate Mini-Donuts

adapted from Buns in My Oven

What you Need:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup of cocoa powder

1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of vanilla

1 egg

6 TBSP of sour cream (preferably full fat)

1/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

For the Glaze:

1 1/4 cups of powdered (icing) sugar

6 TBSP of milk

1 tsp of vanilla

What You Do:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2.  In a large bowl combine dry ingredients for the donuts.

3.  In a small bowl whisk together vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil. Once well-mixed, pour wet ingredients into the dry.  With a spatula or wooden spoon stir to combine.  Don't over-mix.

4.  You can spoon batter into a greased mini-donut pan (or mini muffin pan), or you can spoon batter into a piping bag and "pipe" the batter into the pans.  I did this and found it less messy.

5.  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes in oven. 

6.   Remove from pan and cool on rack.

7.  Make Glaze.  In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine glaze ingredients.  Heat and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

8. Dunk cooled donuts into glaze and place on rack to cool and allow the glaze to harden.  This may take a bit of time...be patient....:)

Enjoy.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking soda.
In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon in a greased donut pan.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze:
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat.
Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set.
Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/04/01/glazed-chocolate-donuts/#SXgWSlVi51mRZpQB.9

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
6 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

To make the donuts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking soda.
In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon in a greased donut pan.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze:
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat.
Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set.

Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/04/01/glazed-chocolate-donuts/#SXgWSlVi51mRZpQB.99

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
6 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

To make the donuts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking soda.
In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon in a greased donut pan.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
To make the glaze:
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat.
Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set.

Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/04/01/glazed-chocolate-donuts/#SXgWSlVi51mRZpQB.99

Jiffy Cinnamon Buns

As a busy mom I do appreciate things that are "jiffy".  Things like canned soup, KD, apple sauce, yogurt tubes, and juice boxes.  Yes, even store-bought cookies and microwave popcorn are nice on occasion too.  When you don't have all the time in the world....these things are helpful in a pinch.

That is what I think about cinnamon buns.  I do like....um...love cinnamon buns.....but the time it takes to make them.  They can be.....well.....not so....jiffy.  This can be a problem for the mom who is running to skating, swimming, pre-school, play groups, pick up school kids, groceries, mail, clean,....ya...you get it...I bet you get it REALLY GOOD.  I'm speakin' your language....:_

So there are these babies...A jiffy, biscuit-based cinnamon bun that really takes no time to make...OK...a bit of time....but it is so manageable. So next time you get a hankerin' for some cinnamon bun love.....try these....:)

Jiffy Cinnamon Buns

adapted from Company's Coming

What you NEED:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 TBSP granulated sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine

1 cup cold milk

for filling mixture:

1/3 cup butter or margarine softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3 tsp cinnamon

**if you like raisins or currants you can add 1/3 cup to the filling mixture..

What you DO:

1.In a large bowl combine, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the first amount of butter until crumbly.

2.  Add milk to bowl.  Stir to form a soft dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead dough 8 - 10 times.  Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle about 1 cm (1/3 inch) thick and 30 cm (12 inches) long.

Width will vary...no worries.

3.  In a medium bowl cream second amount of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together.  

*** at this point I put muffin liners into a muffin tin.  Its easier for me.  You can just grease a muffin tin if ya like.  

4.  Place 1 tsp of filling mixture into bottom of each muffin liner or tin.  Spread remaining mixture onto the dough rectangle.  Sprinkle with the raisins or currants if you like these.

5.  Roll dough up length ways like a jelly roll.  Mark first with knife 12 even lines/spaces for the rolls.  Cut.  Place cut side down into muffin pan.  

6.  Bake in 400 degrees oven for 20 - 25 minutes.  

7.  Let cool 10 minutes in pan once removed from oven.  Remove from muffin tins.  

ENJOY!!!!  with a coffee is really good.  

 

Choco-Chip-Pretzel-Candy Corn Cookies

Ok, as the name above may show....I MAY have gone a bit overboard with these cookies...BUT it WAS WORTH IT!  I like regular Choco-chip cookies....but  I wanted some more.....how you say.....layers to the cookie....Some depth....a little sumpin sumpin....if ya know what I'm sayin'


Sooooo, I looked in my cupboards...and discovered that HEY!   I have pretzels......I have Candy Corn!!

What is with Candy Corn anyways?  It's kinda just a sweet blob of sugar.....3 colors in the shape of a triangle.....maybe its an older generation thing.....or an American thing?

Anyways, I had some in my cupboard (for nostalgia's sake...or maybe for my American friends sake...) So I thought I would add them to my cookie creation!  And they are gooood!  So to celebrate the up-coming gorge ourselves with our children's hard worked for candy.....after they go into a sugar induced-come on the 31st....here are my cookies....

Enjoy!

Choco-chip-Pretzel-Candy Corn Cookies

What you Need:

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt

1 cup of butter or margarine softened
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of Candy Corn chopped
3/4 cup of chopped pretzels.

What you Do:

1.  In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside

2.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Beating after each addition.

3.  On a low speed, slowly add dry ingredients to wet, until combined.  Add chocolate, candy and pretzels.  Stir to combine.

4.  Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto an un-greased baking sheet.

5. BAKE for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes and then remove to cooling racks.

ENJOY!!!

 

Pumpkin Loaf with Maple Glaze

We are full on into October!  I am so thankful that there is no snow yet.  :)  When you live up as north as we do you are grateful for everyday that is snow-less.

So I've got my Pumpkin everything groove on.  I made these lovely Pumpkin Spice Meringue cookies a couple of weeks ago.  They were GOOOOOOD.  Though Auntie Evelyn wasn't so sure about them.  Oh well.  I had requests to bring them for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Funny thing about Thanksgiving dinner....No one made Pumpkin Pie.....Thank goodness I had a slice left at home.  David and I enjoyed it with a glass of red when we got home.

This past week I decided that I still haven't had enough pumpkin in my life and one MUST go overboard in this area....So I made this delicious Pumpkin Loaf with Maple Glaze.  The glaze is a must!!!!!!  Totally adds to the loaf.  The loaf is good on its own....It's my mom's recipe!!!.....but made stellar with the glaze.

So we must continue the Pumpkin TRAIN!!!!  October is only half over....


What happens in Novemeber?  We transition to chocolate???

ANYWAYS!

Pumpkin Loaf with Maple Glaze

What you Need:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of corn syrup
2 eggs
1/2 cup of oil
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Glaze:

2 TBSP of butter or margarine
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar


What to do:

Loaf

1.  Beat sugar, syrup,oil, and eggs in a large bowl.  Add pumpkin puree, and beat to combine.

2.  In a smaller bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Stir to combine.

3.  Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and combine well.  But don't over mix.

4.  Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake in a  pre-heated 325 degrees F. oven.

Bake for 60 minutes.  Check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into middle of loaf.  If it comes out "clean" it is done.  If it comes out with a bit of batter on it, continue to bake for 5 minute intervals until the skewer comes out clean.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove from loaf pan.  Let cool.

Make glaze:

In a small saucepan, melt butter and maple syrup over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in the icing sugar.

Pour over Pumpkin Loaf.

You may want to let the glaze harden, but one is more than welcome to slice the loaf with warm drizzly glaze running down each slice...Mmmm.  I think a cup of chai tea would go lovely with this.....I'm gonna go brew a mug.  Enjoy!