Shamrock Sugar Cookies

A couple days ago I was sorting through some loose recipe pages I had in my "Oh!, I want to try making this" pile. You know... the pile of recipes printed from Pinterest.com or Allrecipes.com that sit around for a little while (okay, months maybe) until you get a chance to try them out. Trust me, mine is quite the pile.

There was a new sugar cookie recipe in the stack. I already have a “family favourite” sugar cookie recipe and it's great. It uses sour cream, which gives the cookies a richer flavour. However, I didn't have sour cream and I did really want to try this new recipe. 

Perfect Sugar Cookies (adapted)

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract (I use clear vanilla extract)

2 TBSP milk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the sugar and blend thoroughly. Add the egg and vanilla extract and blend. Add the milk and beat again.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture until combined. Once the dough holds together, wrap the dough in plastic wrap or in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to two days.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake each sheet of cookies for 8 - 10 minutes; until edges are just starting to turn golden. This will give you a cookie with a slightly chewy center. If you like a crisper cookie, then bake them a little longer.

Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and transfer to wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Frost and decorate cookies once completely cool.

So I'm making up the dough and I thought, "Hey, St. Patrick's Day is coming up!" So I grabbed my Wilton's Kelly Green food gel and added just a little dab to the dough. I use Wilton's gels because I like how little I need to use to get great colour. Check out that green!

   

Once the dough came together, I divided it into two discs and stuck them into Ziploc bags, then put the bags in the refrigerator for a day. I like to give the dough a chance to rest and for the flavours to get all mellow and happy together.

I had picked up a cute shamrock shape cookie cutter from Scoop n' Save in Langley. This place is amazing! It has everything you would ever want to bake and decorate. I also bought some green sanding sugar and some shamrock sprinkles. They offer them in bulk, and you just scoop out how much you need. Hence the name...Scoop n' Save.

Yesterday the weather was terrible. So much wind, so much rain. A good day to stay inside and bake. I was a little worried the power would go out before I'd had a chance to bake all the cookies, so I made quick work of getting the dough rolled out and the shapes cut and into the oven. Luckily, the power stayed on and all the shamrocks came out fine.

Today my mom and I spent some time decorating the cookies with royal icing using Wilton's Meringue Powder. I use this in my royal icing to get it to harden faster. I only add in about a teaspoon to the mix; just kinda sprinkle it in. So we had to be quick about getting them iced and dipped into the sanding sugar before the icing started to set.

We opted for a random pattern zig-zag over the cookies. These cookies are going to my Oma's homecare center, so we didn't want to ice the whole cookie but still wanted them to be whimsical. We left some with plain icing, some with just sanding sugar and some with both shamrock sprinkles and sanding sugar. Here they are all in a box ready to go.

And then I did some research. It turns out that while all shamrocks are clover, not all clover are shamrocks. And while even botanists do not always agree on what makes a shamrock, most Irishmen (and women) do. Irish legend claims that St. Patrick used the tri-lobed leaf to illustrate Christianity's holy trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Four leaf clovers are a genetic mutation of the three leaf clovers. Although four leaves are considered lucky, they are not considered to be shamrocks by those passionate about their Irish traditions and legends.

So ultimately, my "shamrocks" are not shamrocks and are simply four-leaved clovers. And while they may not be particularly Irish, they taste delicious.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Pumpkin Pie meets Cheesecake

A few days ago we celebrated Thanksgiving. Mom put together a fine feast with help from Dad. Because of work and scheduling, I took a very minor role in this year's celebration: I was on taxi duty to pick up my brother and his girlfriend from the ferry terminal. This meant that I couldn't be at the house to help with the preparations.

Usually each year we have a big feast with all the fixings. And when it comes to dessert, we usually offer not only pumpkin pie but also an apple pie. However, this year time only permitted for one pie; a pumpkin pie. It was delicious; not too sweet, not too heavy. Mom whipped up some cream with Bailey's and it was perfect. The drawback was that there was no leftover pie, not even enough for a second piece.

Which leaves me still craving pumpkin pie a few days later. So today I thought I would combine two classic desserts that I enjoy making: pumpkin pie and cheesecake. I didn't want to make one big dessert, so I opted to make tarts instead. And to be honest, I cheated a little. I had a box of Kirkland brand tart shells from Cosco in the freezer, and I thought, "Well, why not? I gotta use them up sometime."

The tart shells completed, I started with the filling. I just more or less added things into the mixer and gave it a whirl until it looked about the right consistency.

2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

3 eggs

4 tbsp SpiceBox Whiskey

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground ginger

dash ground cloves

Oh yes! Did I forget to mention the SpiceBox Whiskey? I love this stuff for fall baking. It gives pumpkin pies an ADULT flare. I also like adding it to brown butter frosting. Or pecan cookies. But those recipes are for another day.

Anyhow, everything into the mixer starting with the cream cheese. Once that was smooth and creamy, I just added everything else in and let 'er spin until well blended. Then I poured the mixture through a funnel into a couple empty ketchup bottles (the large ones) that I've kept for this purpose. They are so handy for filling tart shells or muffin tins or anything where you need to control the pour of the batter from one place to another. I digress.

I separated the frozen tarts shells onto a rimmed baking sheet. I decided not to let the tart shells thaw out because I knew the baking time for the pumpkin mixture would take about 20 minutes and I didn't want the pastry to over bake while the filling was still firming up. Once the tart shells were each filled 3/4 full, I popped the tray into the center of the 350 degree oven and let them bake for about 20 minutes. When the center filling was firm and slightly domed with small cracks and no jiggle, and the pastry shells were a nice golden brown, it was time to take them out and set them on a cooling rack. 

When the tarts had cooled down, the domes had flattened back down and the cracks sealed up. Because the filling is more dense than a fruit pie, pumpkin pie sweats a little as it cools. This causes the top of each tart to become slightly glossy and caramelized, almost a bit of a brulee effect. Perfect for topping with a little dollop of that Bailey's whipped cream. 

Honey Crisp Apple Sauce

It was a beautiful crisp fall day today. The sun was shining bright, but there was a definite chill to the air. Over the weekend, my mom and I went to Ralph's Produce on Fraser Hwy and picked up a 20lb box of Honey Crisp apples to make applesauce. Even though the boxes were labeled "seconds", the apples were perfect for chopping up and simmering down to a delicious sauce.

Honey Crisp apples are fairly sweet, so they make wonderful applesauce apples. We find we don't need to add a lot sugar to the apples. This year (maybe because of all the warm sunshine through the summer) we found we didn't need to add anything to the apples. Which means each jar is 100% pure apple yumminess.

We start with washing all the apples. A little bit of bruising here and there is okay. No worm holes or rough scale spots to cut away this time, so we are good to go. Next the apples are quartered and then cored, and the seeds are removed. We don't peel the skins off the apples; they boil down with the apple pulp. Then it's into the big stew pot on the stove over medium-low heat.

Basically, the apples turn mushy and soft, and then we take a potato masher and squish them down into a warm, yummy pulp. It's really super technical. Once it's at the consistency we like, Mom (or sometimes Dad) ladle scoops of the mush into the food processor. Couple spins and the skins and apple pulp become one. Then it's into the hot sterilized jars, put on the lids, screw on the rings and into the hot water bath cooker to seal them.

From a 20lb box of apples, we made 23 pint jars of applesauce. We could have made an even 2 dozen jars, but we wanted to keep one open for tasting.

Applesauce is perfect with a number of different dishes, so it is always great to have it on hand in the pantry. Classic pairings include pork chops or pork tenderloin, or fried chicken. A number of muffin and coffee cake recipes call for applesauce. But one of my favourite ways to have applesauce is warm over ice cream with a little cinnamon. The other is chilled and stirred into plain Greek yogurt.

Applesauce is also the last thing we preserve for the winter months and so it marks the end of canning season. Time to put away the canning equipment and start going through those Christmas baking books.......

Patio Fare Featuring Pesto and Focaccia

Sundays are definitely meant for relaxing; and today was no exception. The day started with a cup of hot tea and watering my patio plants. Then it was in the car and off to Oma's house for coffee (well, she and my mom had coffee; I had more tea). After a nice visit, I drove to my parents' place and wandered around the garden with them; smelling the roses and looking at all the things coming up in the vegetable and flower beds.

Mom and I both had a bit of a nap, and then around 2pm we woke up and decided we better do something productive with our day. So we decided to make lunch. (I know, extremely productive of us.)

My mom has been on a bit of a bread baking binge. She had made some sun dried tomato focaccia bread the day before, and I knew there were some tomatoes and a container of burrata in the refrigerator. We also keep cubes of pesto in the freezer. So it only seemed natural to make a Toasted Focaccia with Fresh Tomato, Burrata and Pesto Mayo sandwich.

First, we took the focaccia bread and sliced it in half horizontally. Next, we thawed the pesto cube and mixed it with a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise. This was spread over the open faced focaccia. Then came slices of ripe tomatoes, followed by bits of burrata. Little bit of ground pepper, sprinkling of Kosher salt and a a bit of dried oregano over the top. Here it is ready for the oven.

We baked the loaded bread for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees; just long enough to heat the bread and tomatoes without melting all of that beautiful burrata.

Once out of the oven, we drizzled it with some rosemary balsamic reduction. Man oh man, was it good! The three of us (mom, dad and myself) enjoyed this quick and easy lunch with a fresh green salad with shredded cold chicken and crumbled corn tortilla chips.

A nice internationally festive lunch on a lazy Sunday in May.

Cinnamon Hearts Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

I've said it in the past and I'll say it again . . .I am not a fan of Valentine's Day. It's just not my thing.

However, this Hallmark occasion does give me an excuse to bake cute little treats and decorate them. And so, may I present you with...... Cinnamon Heart Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows!

I have been on a home-made marshmallow kick lately. I made Eggnog Marshmallows right after Christmas. They were amazing, and a great way to use up leftover eggnog. Then I had some limes and WAY too much coconut; which I turned into Lime Pie Toasted Coconut Marshmallows. They were super delicious, and went very quickly when I brought them into work on a slow Sunday shift.

I was going through my baking supplies cupboard (yes, I have a cupboard just for baking supplies), and I came across a small bag of leftover red cinnamon hearts. They were from last year, so I didn't really think they would be that great to eat. Then again, they are sugar, flavouring and food colour so I guess they can't really spoil or go bad. Anyhow, I started thinking about what I could make with old, hard, hot cinnamon flavoured candy while holding a couple in my hand.

Then I had a small brainstorm. What if I could dissolve them in water, and then use the flavoured red water as the liquid in a batch of marshmallows ??? Genius!

The recipe was part experiment, part science. So I guess technically it was a science experiment. Dissolve a solid in a liquid, then apply heat and add that hot liquid to more liquid infused with a gelling agent, then apply friction and incorporate air to turn it into a foam. Easy, right?

Making marshmallows at home is not terribly tricky, but it does require attention and timing. First, your liquid to gelatin ratios have to be correct. Too much gelatin and the marshmallows turn gummy and tough; too little and they don't firm up and you have a sort of marshmallow fluff. Second, you really need to whip that hot liquid with a stand mixer. Because it needs to spin for a good ten minutes. Give it the full ten minutes to ensure it triples in volume. And finally, be sure you have a couple of greased rubber spatulas and an off-set spatula close by. Warm marshmallow goo will stick to anything and everything if you don't apply a thin coat of either cooking spray or butter/margarine. I save the paper wrappers that blocks of butter or margarine come in and use those to grease pans, parchment paper and my utensils. I have bag of them in my fridge and just pull out a couple and have them on the counter by my work area to use as needed.

Oh, and you need a candy thermometer. Seriously, you do. The mixture can very quickly go from 235 to 240 to 250 if you're not watching closely . . and then you recipe is hooped. You want to reach 238 to 240 degree F. No higher.

Okay, on to the recipe:

Cinnamon Hearts Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

Ingredients:

20-30 red cinnamon hearts
1/2 cup water
3 envelopes gelatin powder (I use Knox brand)
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups granulated white sugar
3 tbsp white corn syrup

8 oz good quality melting chocolate (dark, milk or white)
pink, red and white sprinkles or decorative trimmings (optional)

Place cinnamon hearts and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Give it a stir. The water should start to turn colour. Let this sit for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often. You want to dissolve the hearts into the water. Strain out and discard any lumps that don't dissolve.

Place 1/2 warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let this sit for about 30 minutes so the gelatin can bloom.

Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan on the bottom and sides (here is where the wrappers from the butter or margarine come in handy) Cut two pieces of parchment paper 9 inches wide by 11 inches long. Fit these into the pan so that you basically have an overlapping cross with the long ends extending up and over all four sides of the pan. Press the parchment into the greased sides to hold it in place. Lightly grease the parchment.

Place the sugar, dissolved hearts liquid and the corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Clip that candy thermometer to side of the pan. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook without stirring until candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F. If needed, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down the sides of the pan to avoid crystallization.

Slowly pour the scalding hot syrup mixture into the bloomed gelatin mixture and whisk on low until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until thick and fluffy and mixture triples in volume. This will take about ten minutes, so be sure to give it the full amount of time. The outside of the bowl should be no longer hot and comfortable to touch.

Now you need to work quickly. Using a lightly buttered rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. You are not going to be able to get absolutely everything out of the mixer bowl; it's just so sticky and it cools off too quickly once the main mass of marshmallow goo is removed. Using a buttered offset spatula, try and smooth out the top surface of the mixture, pressing it into the corners. You want to get it as even as possible to have uniform marshmallows, but trust me.....getting it completely even while not getting it to stick to everything else is nearly impossible. Set the pan aside and let it cool to room temperature; about 8 hours (or overnight).

In a heat-proof bowl, melt the chocolate. Lift the block of marshmallow out of the pan using the parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice the block into strips about one inch wide and then cut those into one inch pieces. You should end up with a kind of one inch rectangle; about the size of a regular store-bought marshmallow. I usually end up with 80-ish pieces (9 inches by 9 inches in the pan)

Dip each piece into the melted chocolate about half way. Gently stand each piece up on the non-dipped end on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper. If you dip the "uneven / top side", then the bottom or flatter end will stand up better. If it doesn't, just trim it with a sharp knife. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with decorating trimmings. I dip a few, then sprinkle; dip a few more, then sprinkle those. Carefully move the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Here you can see my small army of finished marshmallows. So cute !

Marshmallows will keep in an airtight container for up to five days. These would be so sweet (pun intended) done up in little packages with pretty ribbon for Valentine's gifts for a child's classmates, co-workers or anyone that would appreciate home-made treats.

Banana Rum Muffins

Ever buy a bunch of bananas and have every intent on eating them, but then days go by and they seem to languish on your counter? I personally believe that's why banana bread recipes were invented....to use up the over ripe bananas. Because let's face it, the texture of super ripe, mushy bananas in your mouth is not the most appealing. Mashed up on toast? Sure. Pureed in a blender with milk and honey? Of course. But eating on their own while they squish through your fingers trying to hold onto them? No thanks.

This morning I made some Banana Rum Muffins. My mom can not have a lot of nuts (potassium rich foods are on her "in moderation list" for kidney disease), so I left out the toasted walnuts. You could use other nuts such as hazelnuts or pecans. Toasting them in the oven before chopping them up really brings out their flavour.

Banana Rum Nut Muffins

1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large bananas, mashed (be sure the bananas are really ripe)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp dark rum (or 1 tbsp rum extract)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts), toasted and chopped

In a large bowl, combine the flour. baking powder, baking soda and salt. If you are going to use nuts in this recipe, add those in now and coat with dry ingredients. Form into a well and set aside.

In another bowl, stir together the mashed banana, sugar, egg, rum and melted butter. Pour the liquid mixture into the center of the dry ingredient well and mix until just combined and dry ingredients are moistened.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (12-15 minutes for mini muffins. Remove from oven when tops of muffins spring back when touched. Allow to cool in pan on wire cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

We had some of these warm with hot earl grey tea before heading out to run errands. It was especially foggy here and we were not looking forward to having to go outside. So it was nice to linger for a moment and enjoy the warmth of the muffins and the tea, which gave us a little bit of a push to start our day.

Hope you enjoy!

A Year of Pretty - December 01, 2014

Inspiration for all the Christmas baking that is about to begin . . . .

Today on Etsy - January 31, 2013

Wow! Where did the first month of 2013 go? It's already the end of January. Which means it's that much closer to spring. In the meantime, look at these fun repurposed canning jars from BeachBlues.

 

Lovely for a spring table, a side table, and entrance way.

Today on Etsy - January 26, 2013

I’ve been ordering button sets from mariiam for a couple years now. I like how the buttons are all a little different, but all matchy-matchy. This makes them great for craft projects such as card making, scrap booking, button flowers, pillow accents …..the list could go on and on.

Shown here is an example of the Valentine mix. There are two size options to choose from: small-medium or medium large. I usually choose two sets in the medium large and one in the small medium so that I have a nice mix of sizes in the same colour range.

The Valentine mix would be perfect for making class cards for Valentine’s Day. An idea is to have your child draw some flower petals and then glue the buttons in the centers. Or cut out some simple hearts and glue the buttons on for decoration, and then write “Cute as a Button”.

Trust me…kids+ buttons+glue=magic.*

*As with all craft projects that involve small children with scissors and small objects, supervision is strongly advised to ensure the safety the child. Ingestion of glue, buttons, glitter or other equally appealing craft supplies is/are not recommended. These items are non-digestible and from experience, a child that eats sparkles will in fact poop sparkles. And buttons. And Lego blocks. Just saying.

Pomanders

Pomanders. The smell of spices and citrus.

During the Middle Ages, people didn’t bathe much. But they still wanted to smell nice otherwise it became increasingly difficult when trying to pick up a date for Friday nights.

The word Pomander comes from the French pomme d’ambre or apple of ambergris (nothing says “wow, you smell good like a bit of dull grey or blackish solid, waxy, flammable substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales). Originally made from gold, silver or ivory, the small filigree balls were filled with fragrant spices and ambergris; which was used as a fixative. The pomanders were then worn either on a long chain around the neck or at the waist.

A modern version of a pomander is made by studding citrus fruit with whole cloves and a mixture of ground spices containing orrisroot instead of the ambergris. Orrisroot will dry out the fleshy inside of the fruit so that it doesn’t rot. What you’re essentially left with is a light, hollow ball.

Now, keep in mind that I do bathe. Quite regularly. So I don’t need to wear one of these around my neck or waist. Instead, I use them for decoration or gifts. When studding the citrus, I leave about a 3/8 inch space all the way around. When the fruit has dried, I then wrap a long ribbon around in the space and then tie it in a double knot with a bow at the top. The long tails I then tie together to form a loop to hang the whole thing in the Christmas tree or from a chandelier in the dining room (the warmth of the lights really bring out the smell of the spices).  You can also cover the whole surface and then display them in a pile in a pretty bowl as a centerpiece with candles.

Pomanders also make a great hostess gift. When placed in closets, the help scare away the moths.

I choose small, round oranges with thin skins, or nicely shaped lemons. Once studded with the cloves and allowed to cure, the scent will usually last for several years. When the spicy scent starts to wane, I dip them is warm water and then roll them in fresh ground spices with a drop or two od cinnamon or clove oil. I then leave the pomander in the spice s for a couple days to dry.

Want to make your own? Here’s how:

6 to 8 assorted thin skinned oranges, lemons and limes (some people say apples, but I haven’t tried these)

½ lb (8 oz or 1 cup)              whole large-headed cloves

¼ cup                                    ground cinnamon

¼ cup                                    ground cloves

¼ cup                                    powdered orrisroot (the pharmacy / health food store should have this)

2 Tbsp                                   ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp                                   ground all spice

I find having a slim nut pick or a large needle handy for piercing the skin very handy. Holding the fruit firmly, insert cloves at ¼ inch intervals; either in rows or at random over the surface. The fruit will shrink as it dries, closing up the spaces between the cloves. Repeat with all fruit.

Combine all the ground and powdered ingredients and mix thoroughly. I place my mixture in a large Christmas cookie tin. Begin to roll the fruit in the spice mixture until completely covered. Leave fruit in mixture, and spoon additional mixture over fruit, covering as much as possible. Leave in open container for 2 days (more or less).

Turn fruit in container and recover with spice mixture. Repeat this process, turning fruit every couple of days until fruit is hard, light and completely dried out. This should take about 2 weeks.

Once the fruit has dried out, remove from spices and shake off the excess. Tie on the ribbon if you plan to hang these, or place in a decorate bowl for on the table.

After the holidays, you can either store them in the remaining spice for next year, hang them in the closet (just be sure they don’t touch your clothes or the coats) or leave them out on display.

PS: If you’ve made these and have suggestions or questions, please drop me a note and I’d be happy to help. And don’t’ forget the voting buttons below to let me know what you think.

Happy Holidays

Another Beautiful Idea - September 25, 2012

Loving the colours and grouping of this series of photographs. The way they are formatted around the corners remind me of drink coasters.

 

Making your own drink coasters is not difficult to do. First, decide on your images. They should be ones that work well as square shapes, since the coaster itself will be square. Then, gather the following:

 

• good quality paper. This doesn't have to be photo paper, but it should be colour fast and sturdier than regular every day printing paper. Opt for a matte finish though instead of a glossy one (unless you want super glossy coasters). 
• paper trimmer. You can use scissors, but I find a paper trimmer works easier and gives a straighter line (mine is laser guided).
• Modge Podge for outdoors. This is specifically made for moisture, which drink coasters tend to attract.
• foam brushes for spreading on the Modge Podge.
• spray adhesive. This is optional, but if you spray the tiles first and press the photos on before applying the Modge Podge, they stay in place better.
• spray sealant. Again, this is optional. Modge Podge for outdoors has a built in sealant, but it doesn’t hurt to give them an extra coat. I use a matte finish, and it helps cut down the sheen that Modge Podge sometimes leaves behind when it dries.
• square tiles from a home improvement store. Home Depot, Rona and Lowe’s are have a good section of square tiles. The best ones I’ve used are a non-glazed, porous stone tile. I find they absorb more of the Modge Podge and sealant.
• fuzzy feet. Okay, they’re not really called fuzzy feet. They’re those little fuzzy felt sticky things you peel and stick on the inside of your cupboard doors so that they close softly, or on the bottom of a jewelry box so that it doesn’t scratch the top of the dresser. They also come in clear acrylic.

 

There are several photo editing tools available. I use Picasa by Google to crop my photos and muck around with border options. Once you have your photos set up, print them out. Be sure the ink has dried thoroughly.

 

Trim down any white edges and bits so that all you’re left with are your photo squares. Lay out your tiles and lightly spray with the adhesive. Carefully place your photos onto the tiles and press down, ensuring there are no bubbles. Following the label instructions, coat the surface of the photos with the Modge Podge. You may need to do more than one coat.

 

After the tiles have dried, spray a thin coat of the sealant to the backs of the tiles and allow to dry. Add the fuzzy feet to the bottoms of the tiles and turn over. Lightly spray the tops of the coasters and allow to dry again.

 

Once dry, smile and admire your handywork. Then pour yourself a glass of wine and test run the coasters. To ensure quality, you may need more than one glass of wine.

Today on Etsy - September 01, 2012

So it's the start to a new school year. Well, it will be on Tuesday the 04th, anyhow. To celebrate, I am starting a new feature called "Today on Etsy". Essentially, it will be a short post with something lovely that I have found on Etsy. Some of these items will be coming to live with me, some of them I will just crave and covet from afar.

Some days I will add text and talk about the item and the story behind it. Some days I will just keep quiet and let you enjoy. I welcome your comments. Thumbs Up? or Thumbs Down? AND....if you purchase the item, leave a comment below about the item once you receive it.

And of course, some items will be more popular; which means an item might be sold before you are able to get to it. While this will not be my fault, I do feel your pain.

To start, here is a sweet little hat from happydayvintage.

A Lighter Side to Fruitcake

Fruitcake seems to perpetually have a bad rap. Not entirely sure why. I mention the words "fruit cake" to someone and they are often met with "ehwww....I hate fruit cake. So gross.". Why? What did fruit cake ever do to them?

Many find fruit cake too dense and heavy. True, a number of fruitcakes are made this way. I have discovered that most commercially made fruitcakes contain too much fruit to batter ratio and this is what makes them so heavy. Added to this is a thick layer of overly sweet marzipan (personally, I'm not a fan of the stuff in any season).

I've been making our family fruitcakes for years. I like to make two types. One with the traditional candied cherries and peel and nuts and dark raisins. The other I make with only the light fruit. Golden raisins, dried citrus peel, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. This mixture gives the cakes a more blonde appearance with the red dried cranberries giving just a bit of colour.

I also separate the egg yolks from the egg whites (trivia question - what is the egg white called . . . besides "egg white"). The yolks get blended into the cream mixture while the egg whites are beaten stiff and then folded in at the end. This makes for a lighter, airier cake.

Another problem with fruitcake is that it can be dry. Good fruitcake remains moist. This comes from properly curing the fruitcake. And this takes time. And brandy. And a dark closet. So I usually start the fruitcakes in mid October.

So here is the recipe our family has used as far back as I can remember.

Blonde Fruitcake

Fruit Mixture

2              cup         golden raisins

1              cup         diced candied citron

1              cup         dried cranberries

1              cup         candied pineapple, chopped

1              cup         slivered almonds

1              cup         brandy, orange brandy, asbach or spiced rum

Batter

¾             cup         milk

¼             cup         brandy, orange brandy, asbach or spiced rum

1              tsp          almond extract

1 ½          cup         butter, softened

2              cup         granulated sugar

6                            eggs, separated

3 ½          cup         all purpose flour

1              tsp          cream of tartar

Cheesecloth for wrapping cakes

2              cup         brandy, orange brandy, asbach or spiced rum

In a large bowl, combine the raisins, candied citron, cranberries, pineapple and slivered almonds with the 1 cup liquor and toss to coat. Cover and allow to sit for two days. Toss, and allow to sit for another two days. Repeat until all liquid has been absorbed by the fruit mixture (about a week).

Butter 4 standard sized loaf pans (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ “). Line bottoms with brown paper. Butter brown paper. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Combine the milk, ¼ cup liquor and almond extract and set aside. In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour alternately with the milk mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour over fruit mixture. Mic well and set aside.

In a clean mixer bowl and with clean beaters, whip the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until still peaks form. Fold into batter. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans. Pack evenly by pressing down batter with the back of a wooden spoon.

Bake at 275 degrees F for 1 ¾ hours until skewer inserted into center of each cake comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and cool in pans on wire racks for 30 minutes. Run knife around edge of cakes to loosen. Remove cakes from pans. Peel off paper and allow cakes to cool completely.

Wrap each cake with a double layer of cheesecloth. Using extra liquor, brush each cake with enough liquid to dampen cheesecloth. Wrap cakes in aluminum foil and store in a dark closet for 2 to 3 weeks, brushing occasionally with more liquor.

Cured cakes can be frozen for up to a year.