Goodies By Anna

Merry Christmas!

 

     Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from the Northern California Bay Area!

Gingerbread House 2013 — Winter Wonderland

 

 

This years gingerbread house is a 21" tall confection that I've named "Winter Wonderland". After showing my dad different pics from Pinterest of house styles that I liked he put together an amazing template that created this over the top gingerbread house.

 

 

 

This year I used a different gingerbread recipe and it is fantastic for making gingerbread houses. Shapes stay nice and sharp and it bakes up really hard and dry. We also ended up "gluing" the house together using two methods: sugar glue for the initial hold followed by a generous coating of royal icing to seal everything together.

 

 

 

I found the sugar glue and gingerbread recipes on this great website of a fellow gingerbread house maker. His site is filled with all kinds of useful info and recipes for making spectacular gingerbread houses! Check it out here.

 

 

 

The windows of the house are made with crushed Werthers Butterscotch Candies. The awnings and the base for the wreath are made from rolled gumpaste. Everything else is made of gingerbread and royal icing and various candies and dragrees. The house is finished off with a dusting of powdered sugar "snow" and a sprinkling of glitter.

 

 

 

For more tips and ideas for making your own gingerbread house take a look as some of my previous houses: Gingerbread House 2012 , Gingerbread House 2011, Gingerbread House 2010, Gingerbread House 2009, Gingerbread House 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some pics of the construction of this years house:

 

 

Paper template of house.

 

 

Baked pieces waiting to be assembled.

 

 

Construction begins!

 

 

Construction continues and details are piped on to house.

 

 

Roof shingles are sketched on with chalk before piping with royal icing.

 

 

Lighting for house and inner structure using wooden dowels for support.

 

 

Wrought iron fences piped with royal icing on clear plastic sheet.

 

 

Gumpaste awnings attached to house with royal icing.

 

Gingerbread House 2013- Sneak Peak! Shhhh....

Helpful Hints For Stress-Free Holiday Baking

Cute Gingerbread Men Cookies!

 

I love baking but during the holidays it can quickly become overwhelming. Over the years I've come up with a simple game plan that helps me space out the work of Christmas cookies and makes holiday baking enjoyable again! Here are my steps for easier holiday baking:

1.) Pick Two or Three Cookie Recipes That You Want To Make. Get all the ingredients together so that you will be ready to make dough. Nothing is worse than getting in the middle of a recipe and discovering out that you are out of eggs! I find that it's just as easy to double or triple most cookie dough recipes and since I'm going to have everything dirty, might as well make a whole bunch!

 

Make And Scoop Cookie Dough For Freezing.

2.) Pick A Day For Making Dough. I find it easiest to set aside one day to just make all my different cookie doughs. Most electric mixers can easily handle a double batch of dough, but beyond that and you risk breaking the mixer. After all each batch of dough is made, scoop out each cookie portion and place on a cookie sheet in the freezer until hard to the touch.

 

 

Place semi-frozen dough balls into labled zip-lock baggies to go in freezer.

 

Transfer the semi-frozen dough balls to zip-lock baggies with the name of the cookie written on the outside of the bag. I like to use sheets of waxed paper to separate layers of dough balls. Place all sealed zip-lock bags into the freezer. If you are making some cut-out cookies just cut out the shapes, freeze until hard and transfer to a zip-lock baggies to store in the freezer.

 

Baked gingerbread men.

3.) Pick A Second Day Dedicated To Baking. Preheat your oven to the desired temperature and bake your frozen cookie dough straight from the freezer– no thawing needed! You may need to bake your frozen cookie dough a few minutes longer than called for in the recipe, just make sure to check them just before they are supposed to be done. Set all your baked cookies aside to cool completely before storing or bagging for gift-giving.

 

Decorating gingerbread men.

4.) Pick A Third Day to Decorate Cut-Out Cookies. If you've baked some cut-out cookies and are planning on decorating them with icing, make sure to have all your decorating tools, icing and piping bags ready to use. Start decorating your cut-out cookies in an assembly line fashion (outline all the cookies, go back and fill in the sections, etc.) and the process will go much faster. Make sure to let decorated cookies dry overnight before storing or bagging for gift-giving.

 

 

Making cinnamon roll dough to freeze.

5.) Make & Freeze Cinnamon Rolls Dough! Cinnamon rolls are so terrific for Christmas morning (or any morning!), hot, spicy and sweet and if you make and freeze the dough ahead of time they are a breeze to bake! Up to a month in advance, make and roll the cinnamon rolls dough into logs, wrap in plastic wrap, foil and place in a zip-lock baggies in the freezer.

 

 

Cinnamon roll logs, semi-frozen wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, placed in labled ziplock baggies to go in freezer.

When you want to bake the rolls, take the frozen log of dough out of the freezer the night before baking and cut into rounds. Place rounds in baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and let thaw in fridge overnight. In the morning, transfer dish with rolls to the kitchen counter while you preheat the oven. Remove plastic wrap and bake, will probably take 5-10 minutes longer than original bake time. Make the icing while your rolls bake. Enjoy fresh, hot cinnamon rolls!

 

 

 

Freshly baked cinnamon rolls made from frozen dough! Easy and delicious!

Hope these hints help and happy holiday baking!

Cranberry, Orange, Pecan Coffee Cake

 

 

 

To start the beginning of the busy holiday season i've made this delicious and easy Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Coffee Cake. This recipe makes two cakes perfect for hostess gifts and Christmas party dessert tables, as well as an easy breakfast treat served with fresh coffee. The combination of the tart cranberry with the bright orange citrus is refreshing and not overly sweet while the chopped toasted pecans add the perfect nutty flavor and crisp crunch. The cake is topped with a steusel-style topping and drizzled with a simple powdered sugar glaze. These two cakes are a great way to kick off the holiday season of baking and giving. Here is how you can make your own.

 

 

 

You can find the entire recipe here. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans with Pam For Baking then line each pan with enough parchment paper to create an overhang on each side of the pans. Spray the parchment with Pam For Baking and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cake: Toast the pecans in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until browned and fragrant. Coarsely chop toasted nuts and set aside to cool before incorporating into batter. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in chunks of the room temperature butter and work into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, fresh orange juice, orange zest and vanilla extract. I added 1 teaspoon of orange extract for a little more flavor. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until well incorporated. Use a silicon spatula to fold in the chopped cranberries and chopped nuts. (Hint: I mixed 1 Tablespoon of flour with the chopped cranberries before adding to the batter. This helps keep the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.) Divide the batter evenly between the pans.

 

 

 

Topping: Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl and rub the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Divide the topping evenly between both pans. I topped each of the loaves with a little pearl sugar for decoration. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, this should be 50-65 minutes. If the tops are getting too dark, tent with aluminum foil and continue baking. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cakes are completely cool, drizzle with glaze.

 

 

 

 

Glaze: Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 Tablespoon milk. Drizzle glaze over cooled cakes. Allow glaze to set up for 15 minutes before cutting.

Thanksgiving Muffins

 

 

 

 

Before the mounds of stuffing and slices of turkey everyone needs something light but filling to start out Turkey Day! These Thanksgiving Muffifns fit the bill! Just enough to fill you up but not wreck your appetite for the main event, these muffins have all the flavors of the season: pumpkin, spice, cranberry and nuts.

 

 

 

The recipe calls for cinnamon chips but I don't care for them, they are too sweet for me so I substituted with chopped pecans instead. I also plumped up the dried cranberries before incorporating them into the batter. I find that this helps to keep the muffins nice and moist. These are so easy to make, why not whip up a double batch and freeze some for later? Here is how you can make your own.

 

 

 

You can find the entire recipe here. Start by lining a muffin pan with papers. Spray the papers and the pan with Pam and set aside. It's important to spray the papers or the muffins will stick and be difficult to remove cleanly from the papers.

 

 

 

In a large bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, dark brown sugar, oil, molasses, salt, spices (I used 2 1/2 teaspoons of Penzey's Cake Spice and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract), milk and 1 cup cinnamon chips or 1 cup of chopped pecans. (I used chopped pecans because I don't like the taste of the cinnamon chips.) Set bowl aside.

 

 

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour (I used all All Purpose Flour for a higher rise), baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the dried cranberries (I like to re-hydrate the dried cranberries by placing them in a microwavable bowl with 1 Tablespoon of water and cook for 1 minute in the microwave then let cool completely before mixing into the batter). Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix by hand until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. While the batter is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

 

 

 

After 30 minutes, use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Top each muffin 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sparkling sugar or Swedish pearl sugar if desired. Bake the muffins for 20-21 minutes then remove from pan to let cool completely or serve warm with butter and jam.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cake with Kahlua & Cream Frosting

I used two similar recipes to make this super easy and delicious pumpkin cake that you can quickly whip up and take to your last minute Halloween party! Although both of these recipes are called "bars" I think this is definitely cake and needs to be served with a fork and plate! The first recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour but I used 2 cups all purpose flour because that's what I had on hand! However, I did use 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce because I wanted to see if the cake would still be moist: It works! Super moist and delicious cake.

 

 

 

 

The frosting is a cream cheese/butter frosting that incorporates Kahlua liqueur with instant espresso powder to create a delicious coffee & cream flavor that pairs so well with the moist pumpkin cake and adds a little unexpected flavor twist. The recipes call for different sized pans but I used a 9" x 13" pan and baked for 30 minutes. The cooled cake is frosted and dusted with ground cinnamon then I added some little pumpkin candies for a festive finishing touch.  Here is how you can make your own.

 

 

 

There are two recipes that I used to make this cake: first recipe and second recipe. I used a 9" x 13" baking pan, sprayed with Pam and lined the bottom with parchment just to make sure the cake would release easily. Set prepared pan aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

 

 

Batter: In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour (or 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour), baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and I added 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for a little extra flavor. Set aside. Combine whisked eggs, sugar, pumpkin, 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or just 1 cup vegetable oil) in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

 

 

 

 

Beat until well blended, approximately 3 minutes. Turn mixer to low speed and beat in the flour mixture until batter is well combined, around 1 minute. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

 

 

 

 

Frosting: When cake is completely cooled, start the frosting. Microwave 3 Tablespoons of Kahlua Liqueur for around 30 seconds or until it comes to a boil. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder until completely dissolved. Set mixture aside to cool completely. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter until smooth then beat in the cream cheese until combined. Beat in the sifted powdered sugar until combined and smooth.

 

 

 

 

Beat in the Kahlua mixture and mix until combined. Spread frosting over cooled pumpkin cake. Dust the top with ground cinnamon and score the pieces lightly with a knife: 6 across and 4 down. Place a candy pumpkin in the center of each square and refrigerate cake until frosting is set, approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cut chilled cake into squares and serve. Covered frosted cake will keep in the fridge for up to a week and can be frozen for up to a month – Remove lid when thawing to prevent soggy cake and frosting.

 

 

 

Old Fashioned Gingersnaps

Ginger lovers rejoice! These gingersnaps are filled with the hot spicy flavor of freshly grated ginger! I've made several ginger-type cookies but none have ever called for fresh ginger until I came across this recipe in the October edition of Better Homes and Gardens. These crispy edge, chewy in-the-middle cookies pack a one-two punch with powdered ginger and freshly grated ginger root to make the most spicy smelling and tasting cookies i've ever had!

 

 

 

 

The dough is easily mixed up by hand and then chilled for one hour before rolling into balls, coating in sugar and baking. Roll the dough balls in a coarse sugar for lots of crunch and texture or use a less-coarse sugar like Raw Sugar for just a little crunch. I rolled some in coarse sugar and some in raw sugar! Make sure to not over-bake these cookies or they won't be chewy in the middle. Take them out when they still look undercooked in the center. Here is how you can make your own.

 

 

 

 

You can find the entire recipe in the October issue of Better Homes & Gardens or here. Start by lining baking sheet with parchment or Silpat. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, molasses, brown sugar (I used Dark Brown Sugar for more flavor), granulated sugar, freshly grated ginger and egg. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1 hour. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

 

 

When dough is chilled use a Tablespoon or #50 scoop to form 1" balls. Roll dough balls in coarse or raw sugar. Space balls on prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers still look uncooked. Let set on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

 

Fresh Apple Yogurt Coffee Cake

This super easy and tasty coffee cake is filled with fresh apples! I used large fuji apples for their sweet delicious flavor that become even more intense after baking. The original recipe from the New York Times calls for a 9" x 13" baking pan, but when I saw this round version topped with apple slices I had to give it try.

 

 

 

 

There were no real directions for making this cake round so I just guessed! I used a 10" springform pan (a 12" would work well too) and topped the cake with one large, sliced apple. I sliced the apple on a mandolin for even slices but you can easily slice them by hand, just try to keep the slices uniform. After topping the cake with the apple slices I brushed on a little milk and sprinkled some apple cinnamon sugar over the top.

 

 

 

 

Just before serving, I sprinkled a little sparkling sugar for extra crunch and shine! The best thing about this cake is that you can make it the night before, keep it covered in the fridge, then bake it the next morning. Nothing beats apples for a fall treat and this apple yogurt coffee cake is sure to please. Here is how you can make your own.

 

 

 

The basic New York Times recipe can be found here. I made my cake in a 10" springform pan instead of a 9" x 13" pan so the cake baked a lot longer than indicated in the basic recipe. I also topped the cake with apple slices before baking, so you will need two large apples instead of one.

 

 

 

 

Evenly slice one large apple to use for the top of the cake. Set slices aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10" springform pan with cooking spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, mace and salt. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

In a medium bowl mix together the grated orange rind, yogurt, cornstarch dissolved in milk and vanilla extract. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Mix in the peeled, chopped apple.

 

 

 

 

Spread batter into prepared baking pan. Top with apple slices and brush with milk. Sprinkle on coarse sugar (I used an apple cinnamon sugar). Bake cake for 60-65 minutes. Use a sharp knife and insert into center of cake. If knife comes out clean, cake is done. If not, cover cake loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes watching carefully that the apples don't burn. When done, remove ring from pan and serve cake warm or cool. Top cake with a sprinkle of sparkling sugar if desired.

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Butter

I love all the delicious fall apples that are available right now, so when I came across this recipe for Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Butter I decided to give it a try! The fresh apples, sugars and spices are slowly cooked over a 14 hour period in a Crock Pot. This slow, low cooking results in an apple butter that has a rich, delicious spicey apple flavor perfect for the fall season. If you have a slow cooker at home, this is the time to bring it out and give this apple butter a try. Here is how you can make your own.







You can find the entire recipe here. Start by peeling, coring and slicing 6 1/2 pounds of apples. I used a combo of tart Granny Smith and sweet Fuji apples. The recipe calls for peeling the apples but if you like a little more texture in your apple butter you can certainly leave the peels on. Set the sliced apples aside.

 

 

 

 

In a medium bowl whisk together the sugars (I used dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. I added a pinch of mace and less that 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom for a little extra spice. Set aside. Place all the sliced apples into the slow cooker and mix in the sugar/spice mixture until all the apples are coated.

 

 

 

 

Place the lid on the slow cooker and turn to low heat. Let cook for 12 hours. Remove the lid, add vanilla extract stirring well. Leave lid off and cook for another 2 hours. After 2 hours, puree the apple mixture with an immersion blender or you can do what I did and puree in a blender.

 

 

 

After 12 hours in slow cooker.

 

At this point you can jar the apple butter or return to the slow cooker for another hour or two to make a thicker apple butter. Place finished apple butter in jars. This will keep in the fridge for two weeks or in the freezer for a month.

 

 

 

After blending in blender.

 

Spiced Apple Butter is excellent with scones or biscuits but can also be used in oatmeal or on pork chops... or just eat with a spoon!