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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Every year just after Thanksgiving, I start baking cookies by the dozens for our Christmas gift to friends and neighbors. Orange Cranberry Shortbread, Pistachio and Cherry Mexican Wedding Cakes, Chocolate Crinkles, Gingersnaps, and more.

When we finish baking and decorating the cookies, we box them up, then enlist our adult children to help us deliver the cookies throughout the neighborhood.

Traditionally, the baking starts with Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (pictured above). My youngest daughter says that she knows the Christmas season is here when she can smell them baking. I’m glad to accommodate.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on high speed until the mixture is light. Add the egg, vanilla, peppermint, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add the cocoa and mix on low speed until combined. Then add the flour and mix until well blended.

Pack the dough in a cookie press. Fit the cookie press with your desired design plate. Press out the cookies on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.

Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

 

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Spinach Artichoke Dip

Good food is one of my favorite holiday traditions. Over the years, my family has gathered a list of “go to” recipes that we enjoy. Spinach Artichoke Dip is high on our list. And now it can be on yours.

Warm up the dip and you’ll be enveloped in a heavenly aroma. And it tastes even better than it smells. Enjoy.

Click on the link for a .pdf copy of the recipe.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 package frozen chopped spinach

1 small jar artichoke hearts, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

4 oz. heavy whipping cream

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

4 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese

Thaw and drain the spinach. Squeeze the spinach well, and set it aside.

Saute the onion and garlic in butter. Stir in the cayenne pepper.

Using a mixer at medium speed, whip the cream. Gradually fold in the cream cheese until it makes a creamy mixture. Add in all remaining ingredients.

Marinate the dip in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Heat the dip in a slow cooker or bake in a 9 x 13 pan at 350* until the cheeses are melted. Serve with chips.

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The Recipe for Success

My father-in-law passed away a few days ago. He was a kind and hard-working man, a man who took great satisfaction in helping others. We love him and we miss him.

My brother-in-law asked me to share a few spiritual thoughts at the funeral. And so I have contemplated the truly important things in life these past days.

I have pondered specific doctrines of my faith that bring me peace and comfort. I have reflected on how to share those teachings with family and friends who will come seeking consolation and solace. And I have evaluated the humble yet successful life of my father-in-law and questioned whether I measure up to his standards.

Success can be an elusive thing. And it is especially elusive if you do not have a clear vision of what constitutes success.

Last year I celebrated a milestone birthday, the completion of another decade of life. As I evaluated my own journey, I reflected on the traits that make up a successful life.  Here are a few of my thoughts:

  1. Be kind. Be especially kind to those who cannot do anything for you. Love your neighbor. Lift the burdens of those around you.
  2. Express gratitude frequently. A thankful heart is a happy heart.
  3. Never compromise your integrity. A reputation that takes a lifetime to earn may be ruined by a single impulsive act. Your integrity cannot be taken from you, but you can destroy it through your own actions.
  4. Make time for the truly important things in life. Faith. Family. Friends. Schedule in the big things first, and you will have ample room for the details of life.
  5. Keep learning. Innovate. Try new things. We live in a world of endless possibilities. Experience life. Dream big.
  6. Disagree respectfully. Understand the difference between the person and the point of disagreement. Find common ground. Listen to understand.
  7. Be prepared. Show up on time. Do your homework. Plan ahead.
  8. Be a mentor. Pay it forward. Develop a genuine interest in young people. Serve others.
  9. Ask for forgiveness. Own up to your mistakes. Repair the damage you have caused. Then change and be better.
  10. Forgive readily and completely. Forgive yourself. Allow others to change. Forgive those who have offended you even if they do not seek forgiveness. Forgiveness does not make you beholden to bad behavior. Instead, it enables you to take control of your life and have peace in your heart.
  11. Eat good food with family and friends. Life is too short to eat alone. Live. Laugh. Love.

Even with a clear vision of what constitutes a successful life, we all stumble and fall from time to time. I am grateful for those who turn a blind eye to my failings and love me nonetheless.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston S. Churchill

What is your recipe for a successful life?

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Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

It’s been a while since I last posted.

During the interlude, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Civil Rights Day, Valentine’s Day, and Presidents Day.

I’ve graded student papers, traveled to Waco, Texas for a week of studies with my colleagues in the Executive LL.M. program in Litigation Management, completed my own final exams, prepared written materials for a continuing education course, and taught the course. And because the second trimester of my studies started on the heels of the first, I have plunged into another round of classes, while trying to keep up with my day job.

It’s been a busy few months.

Friday night, I asked Rebecca what she wanted for our Saturday breakfast. She suggested we have Lemon Poppy Seed Scones, something we had not tried before. Well, now we have, and so can you.

This is the same recipe that I regularly use when making scones, with the addition of lemon flavoring and poppy seeds. Try out the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments.

ingredients

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 to 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
zest and juice of one medium lemon
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450*.

Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to mix.  Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of grains of rice. Mix in the poppy seeds.

Add the lemon juice and zest. Slowly blend in the heavy cream until the mixture forms a dough.

Roll (or pat) out the dough until it is about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the scones using a biscuit cutter or knife. I use a 2-inch cutter, which typically gives me 12 scones.

Place the scones about 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Glaze the top of the scones with heavy cream. You also can sprinkle on turbinado sugar if you like.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes. You’ll be tempted to eat the scones as soon as they come out of the oven, but wait a few minutes first. The flavors intensify as the scones cool.