Ina Garten's Jam Thumbprint Cookies.

 

My mom and I used to make a jam thumbprint cookie like this when I very young. I believe ours were rolled in crushed walnuts before placing jam in the center. In truth, I think I like that version the best, both for nostalgia and also for taste, however these are lighter and sweeter and definitely delicious in their own right!

Ina's thumbprint cookies have a shortbread base, which goes over real well with my husband who loves all things shortbread! As mentioned above, Ina also rolls her cookies in coconut flakes before inserting the jam in the center, which really lightens things up from the typical nutty version, and I think creates an altogether different background.

Ina wrote the recipe for both raspberry and apricot jam, but I have a huge variety of jams, jellies, and preserves and with the coconut flavor in mind I wanted to create somewhat of a more tropical version so I chose some mango preserves. That combination was not for my husband, so he wanted to have just plain strawberry for his. I went with some strawberry-rhubarb perserves, but shh....don't tell him and he won't even know.

The dough has to chill and it is somewhat finicky to roll into balls, cracking and what not, but it is not that bad as the warmth of your hands makes the dough balls nice and smooth. They take a quick dip in an egg wash, then a roll in the coconut flakes, then you make an indentation with your finger and insert the jam before baking.

These cookies are light and sweet with just a hint of coconut flavor. I like both the mango and the strawberry-rhubarb flavors, but in my opinion, the mango goes so much better with the coconut. The funny thing is, my husband agreed! He said I could've made them all mango.

I think these would make for a great addition to your holiday cookie collection! So many of  holiday cookies are rich and decadent and these feel like and fruity and refreshing in comparison. These are a wonderful and welcome change.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who are celebrating!

 

 Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Makes 32

3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 cup suagr

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

Raspberry and/or apricot jam (or any jam you like)*

Preheat the oven to 350F. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddles attachment (or with an electric mixer because you don't have a paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together (mine didn't, probably because I didn't have the right paddle attachment, but I just used my hands and that worked too). Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1-1/4 inch balls (if you have a scale they should each weight 1 ounce). Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut flakes. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is golden brown. Cool and serve.

 Land Of Sweets Theme @ IHCC

Ina Garten's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every Christmas my daughter and I make Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms, a classic peanut butter cookie with a Hershey kiss placed on top. My mom would make Buckeyes, a sugary peanut butter ball dipped in chocolate. We would always laugh because these are by no means traditional Christmas cookies, but for us, it was all about the peanut butter and chocolate. Always.

This year things are so different. My daughter and I muddled our way through putting the Christmas tree up, something we always used to do with my mom. I was so proud of my daughter the way she strung all the extra lights and fussed over the branches, studying for openings and fixing them, like my mom always did. She even remembered the special way my mom hung the angel, using a ruler to anchor the angel to the tree, and I watched as she stepped back several times to make sure she was straight. We took special care to hang all the ornaments that we had made over the years, the same ones my mom had painstakingly saved, in all the places my mom liked them to be, right at the top of the tree. Front and center.

When we were finished we each went to our rooms and I cried. I was so very thankful for my daughter. She did all the things my mom used to do. All the things I'm not any good at. The things I didn't think I could do on my own. My extremely sassy 16-year-old, who constantly has headphones in her ear, saved Christmas; and, there wasn't a sassy bone in her body while she did it. I was so proud of her and I wanted to tell my mom how Olivia saved Christmas. I wanted to see that smile on my mom's face, the one she reserved for times like these when she was bursting with pride.

I don't know if we have it in us to make the Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms or the Buckeyes like my mom always did. If not this year, I know we will next year. But for now, we made something completely different. We made Ina's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and they were delicious. Who doesn't love a peanut butter cookie with lots and lots of chocolate chips running throughout? Fluffy and chewy and full of chocolate, these were a hit at my house, and they definitely satisfy our peanut butter and chocolate craving. I know my mom would approve!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe courtesy Fat Girl Trapped In A Skinny Body

by Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Makes about 4 dozen

1/2 pound butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature*

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup peanut butter*

2-1/2 cups all-purpose

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt*

1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Notes: My grocery didn't have extra large eggs so I used two regular large sized eggs with perfect results. You could easily use crunchy peanut butter, but I prefer creamy. These cookies needed a bit more salt and were bordering on needing a touch more granulated sugar. I'd taste your dough and add accordingly. One classic-sized bag of chocolate chips isn't enough. You'll need about one and a half bags.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer (this is some hefty dough), cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time. Add the peanut butter and the vanilla and mix. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the batter, mixing only until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet, using either a 1-3/4" ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands, flatten dough lightly. Bake for exactly 10 minutes (your time may be different). The key is to remove the cookies when they still look slightly wet on top and a little underdone. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. 

{Christmas Party Favorites} Pomegrante and Cranberry Bellini Mocktail

There are usually a few people at every party who chose not to drink alcohol at all. There are also your responsible drinkers, people who will have one or two alcoholic beverages then switch over to something non-alcoholic. For these reasons it's always nice to have a well thought out drink menu that includes a mocktail or two. Just a little something to let the "non-drinkers" or "responsible drinkers" feel special. Now I will be the first to say that I don't fall into either of the above categories.  I always prefer a cocktail over a mocktail, especially at a party.

So there I am at my party, cocktail in hand as I pour my very responsible friend a glass of this Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellini Mocktail. I watch nervously as she takes a sip, scolding myself for not taking the time to taste it before the party, and am so relieved when she squeals in delight saying "This is the best mocktail ever." I thank her and feel convinced she is just being polite. There is no way it is THAT good, I think to myself.

As the evening goes on, my friend revisits the pitcher full of this mocktail several times, each time complimenting the drink. Ladies, who by now have grown curious, decide to taste the mocktail. I watch, mostly in shock, as people put their cocktail aside and pour themselves a mocktail. That's it, I decide, pouring a taste for myself. And...

I'll be darned if the ladies weren't right. This mocktail is total perfection! It's not only pretty as can be, but it succeeds in having that perfect balance of sweet and tart, and the sparkling water gives it that bubbly effervescence that makes it light and refreshing. Garnished with lime slices, mint, and/or pomegranate seeds, this is such a special drink for the holidays, or really any occasion. It was certainly the hit of my holiday party and I guarantee it would be a hit at your party as well!

Not having a party anytime soon? No worries. Make a pitcher to enjoy at home!

Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellini Mocktail

Adapted from Food Network/Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 8

1 cup ice

1-1/2 cups simple syrup, chilled *recipe follows

1-1/4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice, chilled

1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice,chilled

1 (25.3 fluid ounces) bottle sparkling water, chilled

2 limes, thinly sliced

Optional garnish: 1/2 cups pomegranate seeds or fresh mint

For The Simple Syrup: Combine 1 cup water 1 cup sugar in a saucepan, over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and allow the syrup to cool. (Yields 1-1/2 cups)

For the Bellini: Place the ice in a pitcher. Add the simple syrup, pomegrante juice, and cranberry juice. Stir well. Slowly pour in the sparkling water. Add garnishes, if using, and serve!

{Christmas Party Favorites} Cozy and Delicious Vanilla Hot Cocoa

It's always nice to serve a hot drink at your Christmas party, even if the weather is unseasonably warm. A hot drink always helps to make things feel a bit festive. So turn on the fireplace and grab a mug.  We are going to give it our all to make it feel like Christmas!

Whether you're wearing your flip flops, or your boots, you are sure to love this delicious Vanilla Hot Cocoa.  The addition of cinnamon and vanilla are subtle, yet help to bring out the rich chocolate flavor of the cocoa.  Whether you top your cocoa with marshmallows, chocolate shavings, or whipped cream this is sure to make you feel cozy, relaxed, and ready to celebrate the season!

Vanilla Hot Cocoa

Adapted from The Food You Crave

by Ellie Krieger

Makes 1 cup 

1 cup nonfat milk

1 cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon shaved dark chocolate, optional*

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and cinnamon stick over medium-low heat until scalding hot (little bubbles will start forming around the edge of the pan), about 4 minutes. While the milk is warming, put the cocoa and sugar in a mug. Add the water to the mug and stir until it has the consistency of a paste. Remove the cinnamon stick from the milk, add the cocoa mixture and vanilla to the milk, and whisk until slightly frothy.  Pour into the mug, top with chocolate shavings (if desired), and enjoy!

Theme: Cinnamon & Sugar

{Christmas Party Favorites} Italian Sausage Skewers

Turn on those Christmas carols. It's time to deck the halls, string the lights, and shop till you drop. It's time for Christmas and all that it brings. While this is a joyous season, it is also a busy season. There's decorating, shopping, wrapping, recitals, concerts, parades, and it definitely wouldn't be Christmas without all the Christmas parties. Odds are you are either hosting a Christmas party or attending one and it is crucial to have a few good, and EASY, recipes up our sleeve.

That's where these Italian Sausage Skewers come in. They are TASTY and DELICIOUS. They are also QUICK, EASY, PRETTY, and FESTIVE with their RED AND GREEN color. As if that's not enough they are also HEALTHY and can be MADE AHEAD! Can I go on...they are also on skewers, which everyone loves so they are therefore EASY TO EAT and perfect for serving with cocktails or mocktails.

The only cooking required is cooking a few links of Italian sausage in a skillet. The rest is a matter of assembling. For ease I bought my grape tomatoes and Kalamata olives from the antipasto section of my local supermarket. This way I was able to buy marinated grape tomatoes and marinated olives to amp up the flavor. I was also able buy the exact quantity needed, which is always helpful to reduce waste. While there I also picked up some marinated bocconcini (small balls of mozzarella cheese). You could take this opportunity to see what your local deli has to offer. This is a great, and easy way, to round out your appetizer and offer a few different options.

These sausage skewers are so good! The sausage is savory and flavorful, the tomatoes are juicy, the basil gives it a fresh pop, and the olives provide a briny saltiness that bring it all together.  One or two of these is a very satisfying and hearty little snack. These are great served warm, but are also just as good served room temperature, which is fabulous since you want your party to go on for hours.

Italian Sausage Skewers

Adapted from The Food You Crave

by Ellie Krieger

Makes 24 skewers

8 ounces Italian-style poultry sausage

8 large fresh basil leaves

12 pitted kalamata olives, cut in half

24 grape tomatoes

Twenty-four 6-inch wooden skewers

 Optional: Any greens to garnish the plate

Cook the sausage according to package directions and cut into 1-inch-thick rounds. (I got 8 slices from each sausage link). Cut the basil leaves lengthwise into thirds.  (Of course, size of your basil will matter here. My suggestion is to use however much you like. My store was out of basil so I used mini arugula leaves.)

Work an olive half about one-third of the way down onto a skewer. Then add one strip of basil, folding so it fits nicely on the skewer. Follow with one tomato and a round of sausage. Position everything on the end of the skewer so the skewer can stand up on its sausage end. Repeat with the remaining skewers and ingredients. These skewers may be prepared several hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

Theme: Nibbles & Noshes