Hot Chocolate Baubles

Several years ago, I discovered clear glass Christmas bulbs that can be used for personalized baubles.  The first year I used a favourite picture of each of the kids printed on acetate for a very special Christmas keepsake bauble.  Each year I have used the clear baubles to create decorated baubles for gift giving and adding to our collection.  The clear glass baubles can be decorated in so many ways!

This year I discovered clear plastic baubles (88¢) at Walmart.  Unlike the clear glass version, the plastic bauble filled with candies or other seasonal dry goodies without the fear of breakage.  I also discovered Kraft Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits (dehydrated mini marshmallows), a new product that is perfect for gifts in jars or this purpose.  They are in the same aisle as the hot chocolate mixes not the aisle where the marshmallows are if you are looking for them.  I used Nestle hot chocolate packets for convenience but any hot chocolate mix including homemade can be used.  Each bauble uses 2 packets of hot chocolate mix.  I crushed a 100% natural candy cane to add that holiday sparkle to the mix. 

Filling the baubles is not difficult but can be a bit tricky given their design.  There is no flat bottom so they won't stand up by themselves for easy filling.  I used a bowl to help steady the bauble for filling.   A funnel really helps with the filling to keep the layers neat and tidy.  A make-shift funnel can be made using a sheet of wax paper.  I poured two packets of the hot chocolate mix into the bauble.  I removed any hot chocolate powder film from the inside with a Q-tip.  There wasn't a lot but I like neat layers for these types of projects.  I added the mallow bits being careful not to disturb the hot chocolate powder.  I used a knife to help distribute the mallow bits.  Then I added crushed candy cane, not a lot, just enough to give the hot chocolate a holiday sparkle.  It's important to keep the bauble level so the layers don't mix together.

Once the bauble was filled, I added the curling ribbon bow.  This ribbon easily forms spiral curls when lightly pulled over the back of a knife or scissors.  It isn't expensive and comes in a variety of colours including prints.  Most dollar stores carry a good selection of curling ribbon.  With the ribbon in place, I added the bauble top and a piece of curling ribbon for hanging.  I was quite pleased with the results.  I'm sure the grandkids will be pleased to get their hot chocolate baubles!

The clear plastic baubles could be filled with: loose leaf tea, fruit and tea blends, candies, trail mix, dried fruit mix and so much more.  I recommend filling only half full and use light weight ingredients for the filling.  The bulk food store (eg. Bulk Barn) is an excellent source for fillings suitable for the baubles.  Depending on the recipient, you could also add a small toy if desired.  The limitation will be the size of the opening of the bauble which is about an inch.  Other than that, just let your imagination create a special unique gift for those on your gift giving list.  I hope you enjoy making these Christmas baubles!

Gift From the Kitchen - Cookies in a Jar (White Chocolate Chip Cookies Revisited)

 A few days ago, I mentioned I would be focusing on holiday related topics for the remainder of December.  Gift giving is a big component during the holiday season and what better way to bring a smile to a loved one's face than with a gift from the kitchen.  These gifts need not be complicated or expensive but rather they are a gift from the heart :)

So it is with cookies in a jar!  In November of 2009, I shared a very easy white chocolate chip cookies in a jar recipe, perfect for holiday gift giving.  The complete instructions can be found in that post.  A jar of the white chocolate chip cookies in a jar was gifted to one of our kids who still has it on display in their china cabinet!  It brings a smile every time I see it.

Any cookie recipe can be used for a cookie in a jar gift.   Just follow the basic instructions for the white chocolate chip cookies in a jar.  In general, drop cookie recipes with nuts, baking chips, or other chunky ingredients work best for the layering effect. 

Cookies are not exactly health food but you can substitute healthier ingredients if desired.  Use organic granulated cane sugar rather than plain granulated white sugar.  You can substitute any sugar with a sugar replacement like Truvia (natural) or Splenda (artificial).  If you use Truvia, the conversion is ½ c Truvia equals 1 c sugar.  If you use Splenda, it is a 1 to 1 substitution.  Use organic, unbleached flour or substitute organic spelt flour.  The healthier ingredients will increase the cost of each jar slightly but not enough to make them cost prohibitive.   On average, a cookie in a jar gift will cost about $2 in ingredients.  Healthier ingredients will add about 50¢ or less per jar.  You can save on the cost of the ingredients by buying them at a bulk food store. 

The decorative mason jar lids are available year round at Canadian Tire and Home Hardware or online from Bernardin.  Bernardin also sells plastic storage lids for mason jars in standard and widemouth sizes, also available year round.  The one litre mason jars are available year round from the same sources as well as Walmart Canada, and many grocery store chains.  They can often be found on sites like Kijji, or at yard sales and thrift shops.  Older mason jars with glass lids are also suitable for this application giving a retro touch sure to please.  I do not recommend using older mason jars with glass inserts (eg. Gem jars) as these jars are more valuable for home canning use.  Vacuum sealing of the cookies in a jar is optional but a nice touch to keep the mix fresher longer for the recipient.

If you need a few last minute gifts, then cookies in a jar may be just for you! 

Perfect Gift for the Holidays - Apple Butter

Our little grandkids love apple butter!  Apple butter is one of those culinary delights that can be difficult to find in the grocery stores and if you do, it is likely filled with sugar, artificial flavours and colours or preservatives.  However, all natural apple butter can be found at farmer's markets as well as specialty food shops.  Apple butter is extremely easy to make!
 

Essentially apple butter is cooked down applesauce.  I don't add any sugar or seasonings but many do.  I wash the apples and quarter then place the unpeeled pieces in a stock pot with just enough water in the bottom to prevent sticking.  I allow the apples to cook until soft, stirring often.  Once the apples are cooked, I run them through the Kitchen Aid food strainer attachment to remove the peels, seeds and core.  At this point depending on the apple used, the purée is thick enough to be canned as applesauce.  Sugar and seasonings (eg. cinnamon) can be added at this point also.  If they are added, the sauce is reheated and boiled down to the desired thickness.  Applesauce is home canned in a boiling water bath canner for 10 min at altitudes 1,000 feet above sea level.  At higher altitudes, the processing time is 15 minutes. 

Once the applesauce is made rather than leave as is, it can easily be made into apple butter or apple leather.  Both are excellent for gift giving!  To make apple butter, pour the prepared applesauce into a large Dutch oven.  Cover partially then let bake at 120°C/250°F, stirring occasionally until reduced by about half.  The butter with be thick with a nice caramelization and mounds on the spoon.  Once it has reached the desired thickness, the apple butter can be ladled into hot jars and processed in a boiling water bath canner as per applesauce. 

Our grandkids will be elated to find a jar of apple butter for each of them under Grandma and Papa's Christmas tree!  Shhh...we won't tell them about the other jars of apple butter stored safely in Grandma's pantry :)

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Eco-friendly Tips for Gifting Kitchenware

Last week's Frugal Kitchens 101 discussed a few ways to save on buying small kitchen appliances and equipment, specifically the best time to buy these items.  During the pre-Christmas season, the end of January and the two weeks before Mother's Day, great bargains can be found on all things kitchen related.  This is the best time to buy kitchen items for your home as well as gift giving.  Gift giving usually involves some type of wrapping because let's face it part of the gift includes the surprise of opening it.  Traditionally, the wrapping is some type of themed wrapping paper with a bow and card or tag.  Unfortunately, wrapping paper is not only expensive, it is not eco-friendly.  Wrapping paper can't be curbside recycled and while there are some novel ways to reuse wrapping paper, you are essentially paying for something that you know will end up in the landfill.  The same is true of gift cards.  A frugal kitchen seeks to reduce waste wherever possible including gift giving.  There are many ways to 'wrap' small kitchen appliances and kitchenware without resorting to wrapping paper and cards although a homemade gift tag is still a nice touch.  Here's a few tips for wrapping those kitchen items for gift giving without breaking the bank while being eco-friendly:

• baskets - Baskets are an ideal way to give small kitchen items like mugs, tea balls, milk frother and those types of things.  Add in a jar or two of homemade jam or coffee mix, or tea bags to compliment the gift.  Tuck in a recipe to go with their coffee, tea or hot chocolate.  The basket can be reused by the receiver for a multitude of purposes.  The best places to find baskets in order of price are: resale shops, dollar stores, department stores (eg. Walmart, IKEA).  Keep in mind, you can spray paint baskets or dye wicker baskets for a personalized touch.  Larger baskets with or without cloth liners are perfect for holding some small kitchen appliances.  Picnic baskets are an ideal way to gift someone with a set of dishes, glasses and cutlery.  
• metal/plastic containers - Metal containers are usually used for food items like fruit cake or cookies when gift giving.  The dollar stores usually have the best price on these containers.  However, there are metal storage containers with lids meant for the office that could be used to wrap kitchen utensils or gadgets, t-towels, and smaller items.  Plastic totes come in all sizes and colours, just perfect for wrapping all types of gifts in pluse the plastic tote is very useful in the pantry.  Think outside of the box.  One year we bought a stainless steel kitchen waste can then stuffed it with all kinds of kitchen essentials (eg. dish soap, t- towels, dishcloths, garbage bags, etc.) for one of our kids that was just setting up their kitchen.  A new recycle bin can be used much the same way as a basket.  
• textiles - Textiles (eg. t-towels, tablecloths, cloth napkins) can be used to wrap a kitchen item for gift giving much the same way you would use wrapping paper.  Reusable cloth shopping bags are ideal for wrapping small kitchen appliances.  Smaller cloth bags are available for potpourie, soaps, and wine but you could use them to gift a wide range of kitchen related items.  They are available at dollar and department stores but if you are handy with a sewing machine, make your own.  Be sure to buy the material on sale.  If you crochet, there are several nice, free patterns available online for shopping and gift bags making your gift and wrapping personalized.  If you happen to know the receiver also needs a sheet set, use it to wrap small kitchen appliances or you can use sheets bought on sale to make gift bags.  

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Saving on Gifts From the Kitchen

The past two Frugal Kitchens 101 have focused on when the best time is to buy all things kitchen related.  As a reminder, the best times are just before Christmas, the end of January and the two weeks before Mother's Day.  It's not that you can't find good bargains on kitchen related items the rest of the year, just you have a better chance of getting excellent deals during these time frames.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 will focus on how to save money when making gifts from the kitchen, and we all know these are some of the best gifts to give or receive.

Gifts from the kitchen require raw ingredients and containers.  That means you need to do a bit of planning and frugal shopping prior to making your homemade goodies.  It is a bit easier than you would think though.

• sales - Traditionally, about 6 weeks prior to Christmas the baking ingredients will go on sale and they will remain at reduced prices until at least Boxing Day.  Take advantage of any of these sales to restock your pantry and make gifts from the kitchen like cake mixes, cookies in a jar or regular holiday baking.
• buy in advance - Certain ingredients can be purchased on sale well in advance of the actual assembly process for mixes.  
• buy in bulk - The bulk food stores are a perfect resource for making up several batches of your favourite mixes (eg. hot chocolate, seasoning mixes, cake and bread mixes) for gift giving.  You can buy as much or as little as you need.  If you do not have a bulk food store, opt for the largest sized package with the smallest unit price for those ingredients you need a lot of to put your homemade mixes together (eg. flour, sugar, pasta, etc).
• plan ahead - I know it is hard to think of Christmas gift giving in May but if you are home canning with the intent of gift giving you need to.  Make a batch of whatever specifically for gift giving and keep it away from your own pantry stock.  Know how many containers you will need and what you will be using as far as containers.  In general, two quarts of berries will give a yield of 4 - 250 ml/half pint jars.  So when canning for your home needs, simply make a separate batch for gift giving.  If you are making mixes, assemble all the ingredients then it is easy to make them in about 15 minutes of time.  Making dry mixes is as simple as assembling the ingredients unless you are using an ingredient that has been home dried.  In that case, you will need to dry enough of that ingredient in addition to your own needs.
• KISS - When it comes to homemade gifts from the kitchen, use a bit of creativity but rely on KISS (keep it simple silly).  
• containers - Buy these ahead as you can find them on sale.  Mason jars are the norm for home canned foods but can also be used for homemade mixes.  They will cost between $5 and $12 depending on the style and if bought on sale if bought new but used mason jars work just as well.  You can find these through freecycle, Craig's List and resale stores.  Just be sure you aren't paying more than new would cost.  New mason jars come with lids and rings.  If buying used, you will have to buy these separately.  A dozen box that includes both will cost about $3.50 but if you have a lot of rings, the cheapest source I have found for canning lids is Dollarama at $1.25 per dozen.  The dollar and department stores are also the least expensive places to buy gift style plastic and metal containers although specialty craft store (eg. Michael's) also have rather good prices.  

Frugal Kitchens 101 - 'Tis the Season

Today is November 25 aka Black Monday which really ushers in the holiday season.  All the stores put on the best possible sales hoping to get you to part with your hard earned money in lieu of wonderful gifts to bless your family and friends with.  The Home Hardware and Canadian Tire sales flyers came out last week and oh my gosh, it is time to do a bit of power shopping for kitchen inspired gifts.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 discusses how to make frugal choices when buying kitchen gifts.

• know the home cook's cooking style - If you don't know how a person cooks then don't buy a kitchen gadget or small appliance for them. Back when my husband brought me home a bread machine courtesy of the Christmas sales he knew I would use it.  Sadly many rather expensive bread machines ended up in the garbage or second had stores because their owners were gifted with an appliance the neither wanted or would use.
• know the person - It is far easier to gift a person with the perfect gift if you know them.  Those who are elderly or who have health problems may need specialized kitchen equipment.  Ask to see what they need.  It can be something as simple as an ergonomically designed paring knife, easy lid remover, grip extender and even a kitchen step stool.  Seriously, if I were gifted with a bag of unbleached flour, I would be elated!  It's all about know who the gift is going to.
• avoid the gimmicks - Most home cooks will not use a lot of the gimmick small appliances like cotton candy machines, chocolate fountains, individual pie makers and that type of thing.  My rule of thumb when buying someone a small kitchen appliance is to ask what they need.  I honestly have the fondue set that our kids were gifted with as a wedding present that I have yet to use but it has moved with us twice.  These types of things tend to add kitchen clutter.
• don't buy knives - Knives are a very personal choice that are best left to the individual person rather than gifting unless you know that person well.  The knife must meet the hand feel for the user.  My husband and I both love cooking but the knives that work well for him are too bulky for me.  I particularly have a knife requirement that it must be one solid piece tip to handle end but that is because of a horrid family event.  
• choose neutral - If buying kitchen textiles or serving ware go neutral so it will match if the person receiving the gift decides to change their kitchen decor.  Classic white or black always works with most decor as does clear glass.
• collectables - I collect antique kitchenware, canning jars and glassware so I am alway very appreciative when someone gifts me with that.  The problem is if that person does not know what they are buying they can easily get burned.  This is the time to definitely ask.
• gift certificates - These are my personal favourite.  Whenever I'm in doubt I give a kitchen/food gift certificate but only to a place where I know that person shops.  If someone gave me a gift certificate to the Bulk Barn I would be in seventh heaven!
• culinary classes - One year for Christmas a couple of our kids were gifted with enrollment to culinary classes. 
• brand name - Some including myself are very much brand name oriented when it comes to small kitchen appliances.  Be observant or ask.  If a person has all Hamilton-Beach small kitchen appliances that is a good sign you should buy them Hamilton-Beach if buying a small kitchen appliance.  If however, they have a hodge podge of brands for small kitchen appliances choose the best fitted appliance for their needs.
• gifts from the kitchen - Homemade gifts from the kitchen (eg. jams, preserves, bread, mixes, cookies in a jar, cookies and etc.) are always welcomed.  I like to include the recipe as well in case the recipient would like to duplicate it.

Hubby's Gift Basket

I don't know when gift baskets became a popular holiday gift but somehow they did likely because they can be a last minute gift idea tailored to the recipient's tastes. I suspect they started as a nice way to present gifts from the kitchen. My husband received a lovely gift basket from one of his clients.

Don't let the word basket throw you. Quite often the actual basket is not a basket in the traditional sense. Just about any container can be used for the basket including but not restricted to decorative metal baskets, decorative boxes, serving bowls, metal bowl, wicker baskets and so much more. The general composition for a gift basket is the container, some type of filler and the goodies and/or accentsall wrapped in clear or coloured cellophane wrap allowing the lovely goodies to peak through.

Hubby's Gift Basket

Hubby's gift basket (pictured) was chock full of goodies from Orange Crate Food Co. (no online store) and Canadian Herb & Spice Company (online store, US only). Both are Canadian companies specializing in gourmet foods and mixes that are sold in gourmet and specialty type stores. Both companies have the little extras that can give your homemade gift baskets a little extra pizzaz. Tucked in the decorative plastic serving bowl was: 4 herb & spice dip/salad dressing mixes, 3 gourmet hot chocolate mixes, 2 cranberry cider mix, 3 herbal and 1 breakfast teas (5 bags each), gourmet popcorn, peppermints, mulling spice, cinnamon sticks and a chocolate Santa. Each of the curled ribbons on the outside had a chocolate bumble bee in the centre that I'm sure the grandbabies will love!

Monster Cookies

I am always watching for new recipes to try. Many food products include a recipe on the label mainly are a marketing ploy to get you to buy their product. If you like the recipe then chances are very good you will buy their product again. The Monster Cookie recipe was printed on the inside of a Grassland Butter carton. Had I not been paying attention I would have missed it!

Monster Cookies

What I found interesting about this cookie recipe is there was no flour. I thought it might be a typo but decided to try them anyway. I modified the recipe to make a half batch as well as changing weights into cups. This ended up being a wise decision as the half batch made 5 dozen cookies!

The cookies came out quite lovely! I think they are ideal for gift giving. I used the and if you are in Canada you can substitute the M&M®s with Holiday Mix M&M®Smarties®. For those outside of Canada Smarties® are candy coated milk chocolate candies very similar to M&M®s. I do think this recipe could easily be adapted to a gift in the jar if you don't have time to bake.

Monster Cookies
source: modified from Grassland Butter carton

3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½c butter
1¼c brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
1½ c peanut butter
4½c oatmeal
½ c chocolate chips
½c M&M candies

Place the first 6 ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium until well mixed. Mix in the oatmeal. Remove bowl from stand mixer. Stir in the chocolate chips and candies. Drop teaspoon size portions on Silpat® lined cookie sheet. Bake on convection at 163ºC/325ºF [normal bake - 180ºC/350ºF] until golden brown.

Gift From the Kitchen - White Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple of our kids need a bit of extra loving so I decided I wanted to make something special from the kitchen. I ended up testing out a gift in the jar idea so in essence the kids became taste testers but in this case I doubt they will mind. Besides who can resist a bit of Mommy's love straight from the kitchen?

Ingredients

One of the neat things about gifts from the kitchen is you can incorporate a definite craft element. True the gift itself is edible but the presentation is very much on the craft making side. So aside of the edible ingredients there were extras needed to make this gift special. For the extras I relied on my scrapbooking and crafting supplies.

Extras include things like decorative brads, eyelets, ribbon, punches and wooden spoons. Surprisingly most of these can be bought at department stores and increasingly at dollar stores so you don't need to invest a lot to give a nice presentation. You will also need craft scissors or an exacto knife to avoid using kitchen scissors for this project. You will need one 1 - L mason jar with lid and ring to package the finished mix in. I should point out that any of the decorative elements can be eliminated. In general they add a lot towards the presentation and very little towards the expense but they are entirely optional.

Gift Tag

One of my favourite scrapbooking mediums is card stock. This is a heavy weight paper available in many different colours allowing me a variety of options. I scanned the tag then with a bit of Photoshop® magic I ended up with an instruction tag suitable for this project. What is really neat about this method is I can pretty much customize the tag as I want then size it to fit anywhere from 3 to 6 tags per sheet to print. Once the sheet is printed I can further customize it using any number of scrapbooking techniques ranging from adding embellishments like eyelets or brads to using decorative scissors or punches. So this really becomes a very personalized approach. In this case it was extremely important for me to use a heart on the tag to symbolize that little extra needed hug from Mom.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Making gifts in a jar is actually quite fun. It really becomes more of a craft project even though it is edible. There is a chance to branch out just a bit further to tweak that creativity. For this gift I really wanted something that said hey I'm thinking about you and I love you. So I chose to make a white chocolate chip cookie gift in the jar. It was really important to me that a heart appeared on the tag and oh my gosh did that heart brad cause me problems but I finally got the results I wanted. This seriously is a project from start to finish that you could easily put together in about 15 minutes and while I did not calculate the actual cost it would definitely come in under the $2 mark. This type of gift is not about the cost though. It is about the thought that goes behind the gift to make the gift fit the recipient. I'm sure the kids are going to love these cookies, just what they need a taste from home :)

White Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar

¾ c granulated sugar
¾ c lightly packed brown sugar, divided
1 c chocolate chips
2¼ c unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt

Pour the sugar into a 1 L mason jar then shake slightly to form a level layer. Add half of the brown sugar and pack down tightly (seriously push down hard as this mixture will fill the jar). Pour in the chocolate chips then the remaining brown sugar. Again pack down tightly. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt well. Pour the flour mixture into the jar. You will have to tap it down and even carefully tamp down to get the mixture to fit. Wipe the rim then place the 2 piece lid on top and tighten.

Garnish with a wooden spoon and recipe secured with a ribbon.

Scandinavian Rosette Cookies

It's that time of year where I'm looking for a few new things to add to my gift baskets for gifts from the kitchen. As promised here is one of the cookie recipes I tried out. Now I do have to point out these are one of the most frugal cookies I have come across. They are made from 5 low cost ingredients and despite this they look quite fancy. I really like foods that look like they took a lot of time to prepare when they really didn't!

Getting Ready

These cookies are not baked in the oven but rather fried in oil. Don't let that turn you off though as the are light and fluffy. They are also very versatile as to what topping you want to use and depending which orientation you want the cookies. Bottoms up and the cookies can be filled. Tops up and the cookies are nice simply topped.

Materials needed: deep fryer, rosette mold set, wooden skewer, paper towel lined cake cooling rack.

Scandinavian Rosette Cookies

1 c unbleached flour
1 c skim milk
½ tsp sea salt
3 tsp organic sugar
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients and mix in KitchenAid® stand mixer bowl. In a separate measuring cup combine the egg with the milk. Slowly mix into the dried ingredients then using the whisk attachment whisk until you have a smooth mixture. Heat the mold then dip into the batter into hot oil. Fry just to the point you can pop the cookie off the mold with a skewer. Fry until golden brown then turn to cook on the other side. Using your skewer, remove the cookie onto a paper towel lined cooling rack.

The Steps

When I first looked at all the steps to making these cookies I thought they were just too complicated but really they aren't once you get into a rhythm. First the mold is attached to the handle then the mold is heated for 15 seconds (1). Once the mold is heated it is dipped into the batter (2). I noticed there is always a sizzle sound when the properly heated mold hits the batter. The batter cannot come above the lip of the mold but a little jiggle helps coat the mold well. The coated mold is then placed into the hot oil (3). New molds will need a bit of encouragement to get the cookie to pop off but I really didn't find this to be a huge problem. After using the mold (4) for three or four times the cookie dropped off into the hot oil allowing a reload so I was able to get 3 to 4 cookies cooking at one time. The hot cookies went from the fryer to a paper towel lined cooling rack.

Cooling

There were 3 molds included with the kit I bought - a flower, a butterfly and poker oriented. I had to try all three. The flower one mold worked like a charm once I got the hang of it! The butterfly mold worked just as good but I simply could not get the poker mold to work. The mold was different in that there was more mold if that make sense. It was designed to create small cups shaped in spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds. Now this is really the one I wanted to work because it would fit in so well with our larger get togethers. Apparently I still have to practice!

Despite essentially frying one cookie at a time it took little time to get a nice plateful of rosette cookies. In the end with a little co-ordination I was able to get a nice rhythm going so there were 4 rosettes at a time in the fryer. I thought they looked rather pretty

Scandinavian Rosettes

When making Scandinavian rosette cookies you are supposed to give up a prayer to the Norse Gods dedicating the first batch to them. I tend to be on the frugal side so any mess-ups would get eaten anyway. At any rate and despite being my first attempt at making Scandinavian rosettes the Norse Gods would have got very little.

What is really a neat feature about the Scandinavian rosettes is you can really use them two ways. Turn them over and sprinkle with icing sugar and a chocolate/sugar/cinnamon mix (pictured) and well you just can't get much better! The shells are rich and crispy. However, reducing the amount of sugar added to the batter turns it into nice shells that could be paired with meat or savoury fillings. The shells when turned upside down hold a lot more so work nicely for dips as well.

The rosette cookies will keep at least 2 months frozen. Simply thaw then top or fill as desired. When it comes to gift baskets these cookies look amazing yet cost you very little to make.

Orange & Cranberry Jellies, Shortbread Cookies, Parmesan Chicken

The kitchen continues to be a busy place, filling the house with mouthwatering, tantalizing smells. I've been busy making holiday treats for the upcoming entertaining as well as gift giving. You would think with all the canning I do that I could take a couple of weeks off during the holidays. I could and I have but sometimes the spirit just moves me. So it is this year.

Orange and Cranberry Jellies

Homemade jams and jellies are ideal gifts from the heart, sure to please. Yesterday I made orange and cranberry jellies. Both of these jellies are used as condiments. The orange jelly goes nicely with whitefish, cod and haddock while cranberry jelly pairs with poultry. Both jellies can also be used as glazes by themselves or in combination with other ingredients.

Jelly making is quite easy and can be done year round using either homemade or purchased juices. What causes the jelly to gel is pectin. Many are familiar with pectins such as Certo^® which relies on sugar to gel. This tends to make jellies almost too sweet to be used as condiments. I used Pomona's Universal Pectin that relies on calcium instead of sugar to gel. This means considerably less sugar or alternate sweetener is needed. In fact jams and jellies can be made with no sugar using this pectin! Pomona's Pectin can be ordered online from their website as well as purchased in some health food stores. Don't let the price scare you as per batch this pectin works out to be a lot cheaper than other pectins and it keeps indefinitely. This combined with the reduced amount of sugar used make the end product less expensive than jellies made with other pectins. The nice thing about using this pectin is you can easily create your own recipes. The basic directions and recipes can be found on Pomona's website. My recipes and method follow.

Cranberry Jelly

4 c prepared cranberry juice
4 tbsp lemon juice*
1 c sugar
4 tsp Pomona's pectin
4 tsp calcium water

Orange Jelly

3 1/2 c prepared orange juice with pulp
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 tsp Pomona's pectin
3/4 c sugar (can substitute ½ c honey)
3 1/2 tsp calcium water

Method:
Measure prepared juice into a large saucepan. Add lemon juice (optional for both) and calcium water. Stir well. Measure sugar or cold honey into a bowl then thoroughly mix the proper amount of pectin powder into the sugar or honey. Bring the juice to a boil. Add the pectin-honey or pectin-sugar and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes or until the pectin is dissolved. Return to a boil and remove from heat. Ladle hot jelly into hot, sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims. Adjust 2 piece lids. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Let jars cool. Check for seal. Label and store.

Note: The pectin does not fully gel until the jelly in completely cooled.

*Lemon juice is required for low acid juices and fruits. I used it to increase the tartness a little.

Wilton Push 'n Print

The vast majority of the cookies I make are not decorated. They are simply cookies usually peanut butter or shortbread. Fancier cookies are sugar or spritz. I tend to avoid rolled cookies not because I can't make them just because they always seem like more work even though they aren't and because I don't care for the icing and decorating. Well, grandmas are supposed to make neat cookies with decorations and icing so I'm biting the bullet.

I found this rather interesting gadget from Wilton. Their products are quite lovely to work with so I bought it figuring I could have decorated cookies without all the extra sweet of icing. I also thought they would make very interesting cookies for ice cream sandwiches. Basically the ring cuts the round cookie shape then you press down on the plunger which presses a design into the cookie. It's dishwasher safe, easy to use and inexpensive.

Shortbread Cookies

I have a favourite shortbread cookie recipe that I've used for years. It takes three ingredients only (click shortbread link above). The Push 'n Print came with a shortbread recipe so I decided to try it instead.

This recipe looked a lot different and I have to admit being doubtful over using egg yolks. The dough was almost finicky to work with but that is to be expected with any high butter dough. The Push 'n Print was very easy to use and as you can see resulted in nicely decorated cookies. One of my kids thinks I should still add icing but I'll do a batch of sugar cookies with icing instead. The cookies pair nicely with Tim Hortons_® English Toffee Coffee!

Shortbread Cookies
source: Wilton Push 'n Print insert, modified method by author

1 ½ c softened butter
1 c granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
6 egg yolks
2 tsp pure white vanilla extract
4 c unbleached flour

Cream butter, sugar and salt in KitchenAid^® stand mixer setting 3. Mix in eggs and vanilla on setting 3. Mix in flour. [Wilton says to divide dough in half then refrigerate at least 2 hours. I omitted this step which is likely why the dough was a little harder to handle.] Preheat oven to 350ºF convection (177ºC convection). Roll dough ¼ inch thick. Cut dough then with cutting still in place press the plunger to imprint. Carefully transfer cookies to an ungreased cookie sheet leaving 1 inch in between. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool completely.
Yield: about 2 doz [My yield was 3 dozen.]

Parmesan Chicken

The kitchen is a whirlwind of activity this time of year and more so as holiday activities draw closer. We have parties and entertaining every day Dec. 22 to 26 with us hosting three. That means cookies, candies, appetizers and meals so the kitchen is quite busy. This is where simple easy to prepare meals come in handy but that doesn't mean they have to be boring.

Sunday's dinner was baked Parmesan chicken in roasted tomato sauce (home canned) served with hot buttered egg noodles and salad. [I apologize for the glare on the picture. These are my new plates and are proving a tad difficult to get good pictures without a glare. I'm working on it!] Prep time for this meal was minimal.

Method: Sear 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a hot fry pan. Place into a baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ chopped small onion. Pour a 500 ml (2 c) jar of roasted tomato sauce or store bought sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle about grated 1/2 c Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Bake at 350ºF (177ºC) 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Cook egg noodles. Drain. Stir with butter. Sprinkle fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano on noodles. Garnish with parsley.