On the 11th Day of Christmas, my sweet tooth gave to me Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies!

I am a very traditional person.  On out first wedding anniversary, I insisted on giving my husband a paper product, because that is the traditional wedding gift for the first year of marriage.  I will not let myself listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving because it is tradition.  One of my favorite family Christmas traditions is that on Christmas Eve day my family draws names and then you have 1 hour and $25 to buy the person’s name you chose a pair of pajamas.  We open our pajamas on Christmas Eve and then, on Christmas Day, you have to wear your pajamas all day.  No matter what.  You can imagine that this “rule” leads to some mischievousness.  Everyone tries to get the silliest pajamas so that they can taunt the person who has to wear them all day long.

For example, this is me on Christmas Day last year:

You get the picture.  I could pretend that I hated wearing these, but the truth is, I will always love Hello Kitty and it was cold out!  I can’t think of anything I would have rather worn all day!  Wow, I am really honest with you.  Maybe too honest??

The point is, I love traditions and when it comes to what I bake and make for Christmas each year, my traditionalism shines.  One of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes is an old recipe from my grandma’s bridge club.  These ginger molasses cookies are warm with spices and stay chewy as long as they last.  And they are so easy and quick to make!

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

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Ginger Molasses Cookies

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake dessert cinnamon ginger Christmas cookie

Spicy, soft and chewy cookies

Ingredients (20 cookies)

• 12 Tbsp (6 oz.) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with tin foil and grease foil with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter then add the melted butter to a large bowl.

Combine all dry ingredients (except sugar) in medium bowl and set aside.

Add the sugar and molasses to the butter and beat with an electric mixer until well-blended. Add egg and mix.

Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix to incorporate. Batter will be wet.

Drop batter onto cookies sheet using a cookies scoop or large spoon. Leave 2-3 inches in between as cookies will spread.

Bake 8-10 minutes and cool completely on foil-lined cookie sheets.

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combine melted butter, sugar and molasses

add egg and dry ingredients

scoop onto prepared baking sheets

bake and enjoy one of my favorite cookie traditions!

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Do you suppose there is less crime in the month of December?  I mean with the general feeling of good will toward mankind I have to wonder if crimes against others are reduced.  Every year as I get older, I appreciate and notice the spirit of the season that Christmastime brings more deeply.  The feeling of warmth coming from somewhere deep inside.  A feeling of joy and generosity.  I get so excited to bake and decorate, but it is not a selfish excitement.  I get excited to make someone else’s day by bringing them cookies or giving them a present.

As we get into December and the mayhem that inevitably comes with the holidays will threaten to make us crazy, I encourage us all to stop and remember the reason for the season.  And that is Love.  Let us remember this good living mentality that seems to be most prominent at this time of year and to carry that desire to please others and make them happy through the entire year.  I’m just saying, wouldn’t it be great?  And after all, good living comes from the little things that we do for others that can make the biggest difference.  These things make us feel good and you really never know what an impact a simple act of kindness may be having on someone else’s life.

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Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake snack vegetarian chocolate Christmas

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 oz.) butter
• 1 stick (8 oz.) margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 box (regular size) Crispix cereal
• 1/3 box wheat Chex cereal
• 1/3 box Honeycomb cereal
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• 1/2 bag M&Ms candy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine cereals and pretzels in a large bowls.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, margarine, sugar, garlic powder and worcestershire sauce and heat over medium heat to combine. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 1 minute.

Pour melted mixture over cereal combination and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into roasting pan or 2 cake pans.

Bake for 1 hour tossing every 20 minutes.

Cool before placing into airtight container to store. Can be frozen in airtight container.

Makes about 2 gallon ziploc bags full.

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combine cereals and pretzels in large bowls

in a medium saucepan, combine all other ingredients (EXCEPT M&Ms) and heat to a boil

pour melted butter  mixture over cereals, stir to combine and bake and add M&Ms after cooled

Do you notice the spirit of the season?

And to make your holidays more merry and bright don’t miss this chance to register to win a trip to Greece from Fage!

As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway 

This post is linked at Tidy Mom I’m Lovin’ It Fridays

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I know, I know.  You do not need one more thing to do or make before Thanksgiving.

But what if that thing is super easy, not labor intensive, involves minimal cleanup and will have your Thanksgiving dinner guests remembering how fabulous you are long after the tryptophan has worn off?  What if you had an adorable, bow-adorned jar of this Apple Butter sitting at each guest’s place setting for them to take away with their turkey coma?

I bet you would be the talk of the ‘hood, the toast of the town, the host(ess) with the most(est)!!  And I am telling you the truth (as usual):  this will not interfere with your other mealtime responsibilities because it cooks itself in the crock pot!  You can just set your pot, let it go and come back to warm, comforting, velvety apple butter!  Oh, and it gets bonus points for making your home smell exquisite which will get everyone excited about all of the other fall treats you have in store for them.

Some apple butter facts and tips:

-Apple butter as well as other fruit butters actually contain no butter at all and are actually quite healthy

-When making this Crock Pot Apple Butter, please spray your crock pot insert with nonstick cooking spray to make for easy breezy clean up

-How to serve apple butter:  on toast, english muffins, bagels (you get my drift), out of a spoon, on meat, in yogurt, or my favorite way:  over vanilla ice cream with walnuts and oatmeal sprinkled on top!  I know I have an amazing way of making a somewhat healthy snack naughty, don’t I?

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Apple Butter

by adapted from My Baking Addiction

Keywords: slow-cooker snack spread vegetarian vegan apple fall

Ingredients

• 6 pounds apples – peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Spray crock pot insert with nonstick cooking spray.

Peel, core and roughly chop apples and place into crock pot.

Combine other ingredients and add over the top of the apples. Fold the ingredients into the apples to combine.

Set crock pot to low and cook for 8 hours. Mixture will turn dark brown/amber.

Use an immersion blender to blend all ingredients until smooth, even consistency. (Can also use regular blender or food processor)

Pour mixture into sterile jars and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Can also be frozen.

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I finally broke down and bought a can of pumpkin yesterday.  Forgive me, but it has just been a little difficult to get my pumpkin on when it has been over 80° for the past few days.  I’m not complaining trust me.  But pumpkin is a fall and winter ingredient and I still have my air conditioning on!  But, I had a request for my sister’s favorite pumpkin cake and so despite the heat, let the fall pumpkin festivities begin!

Other people seem to have a plethora of recipes that showcase pumpkin.  I only have 2-3 that are “must-bakes” each year.  Since I am so selective though, my few chosen pumpkin offerings are truly spectacular.  The cake that I am sharing with you today is a recipe that appeared in my local grocery store’s seasonal magazine a few years ago.  It is an incredibly moist pumpkin cake peppered with semi-sweet chocolate chips.  If you eat it while it is still slightly warm (because who could wait for it to cool?) the chocolate is so rich and melty it just softens your little sweet tooth heart.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake dessert pumpkin chocolate cake fall

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 and position rack in center of oven. Grease 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Cut piece of parchment paper to line bottom of pan and grease the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil until well combined. Add eggs. Add 2 cups of the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

Place remaining chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one minute increments stirring in between until completely melted. Pour melted chocolate over cooled cake and spread evenly.

Enjoy pumpkin heads.

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Recipe from Lunds

dry ingredients

wet ingredients

batter combined

don’t forget the chocolate chips

pour batter into prepared pan

be patient, let the baby cool

more chocolate

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Spice Islands.

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I have come across so many enticing recipes to try to use the giant zucchinis that I previously referenced.  I feel a personal responsibility not to let those beautiful state-fair-winning-sized veggies go to waste and so Zucchini Fest 2011 continues!  Are you excited?  I hope so!

You know that phenomenon where you write or say a word so many times that it doesn’t even sound right anymore?  Well that is what has happened to me and zucchini.  But I will press on.  Up next on the docket:  zucchini cupcakes.  These really are delish and as one of my tasters said: “It’s almost like there’s not even vegetables in these cupcakes” .  This frosting is divine and will be my go-to caramel frosting from here now on.  It is maple-y, rich and glossy.  Great characteristics for a frosting if you ask me.

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(Recipe adapted from Taste of Home)

P.S.  I was in Mexico for the 4th of July and my brothers were kind enough to wait to light their fireworks until I returned.  Aren’t these fun photos of the show?

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