One More

We were supposed to leave early this morning to start our drive south to visit Ray's family for Christmas.  Due to the snow that has blanketed nearly everywhere that we will drive through, we postponed our trip until tomorrow.  Unfortunately we didn't get much snow here but its been a relaxing and cozy day, an unexpected day of vacation -- free to fill with whatever I wanted, or to do nothing at all.  Its been a combination of both things.  I made these yummy nuts for a snack on our long drive tomorrow and I wanted to share one last recipe with you before I leave for a week or so. 

Its quite likely that you have reached your fill of baking and making.  I reached mine sometime on Wednesday before I had made anything for the cookie swap that my co-worker's and I had planned.  After trying to get everything done for Christmas as early as I could, I didn't feel very motivated to bake anything else.  I couldn't give up on the cookie swap, though, and I had an idea of what I wanted to make which came together without too much trouble.  These Chocolate and Mint Brownies do have multiple elements but they are fairly simple and the end result was a dense layer of semi-sweet brownie with a simple mint frosting spread with a layer of chocolate ganache.  The cookie swap yielded a huge variety of cookies (coconut lime, pumpkin curry chocolate chip, chocolate chip pecan, pistachio and cranberry...) and it was a fun way to share holiday festivities together.

I hope you aren't feeling swamped or overwhelmed by your holiday preparations and celebrations.  If your eyes glaze over at the sight of this recipe, come back another time (I'm keeping this other chocolate and mint combo for some future occasion).  Have peaceful and joyful holidays, whether you are baking or not!

Chocolate and Mint Brownies for a Cookie Swap
 I adapted this from the Grasshopper Squares I found on Epicurious.  I have no interest in eating a grasshopper, especially not for Christmas and after all my peppermint bark making, I was tired of white chocolate.  Instead of two layers of ganache, I made a layer of mint frosting.  

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
10 1/2 ounces of semi sweet choclate
1 cup of brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 teaspoons of salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 9x13 inch pan and line it with crisscrossed layers of foil, leaving a two inch overhang of foil on all sides -- butter the foil as well.  In a heavy bottom 3-4 quart saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate.  Add the sugar until it is all combined.  Let the mixture cool briefly, then stir in the eggs, vanilla, flour and salt. Spread the batter in the foil lined pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until a fork inserted comes out clean.  Let the brownies cool completely. 

Make the Frosting and Ganache:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of milk
1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract
2 cups powdered sugar
10 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream

Beat the butter until soft and creamy, add milk and peppermint extract.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is completely combined with the butter, into a smooth frosting (add more milk if needed to achieve the right consistency).

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, over medium heat, melt chocolate with cream until completely combined and smooth.  Let cool completely, stirring occasionally to keep at a spreadable consistency.

When the brownies and ganache are completely cool (I refrigerated both to ensure this), remove the brownies from the pan, by lifting up the foil.  Spread the mint frosting on the brownies in an even layer, spread the ganache on top of the frosting.  Cut the brownies into your desired size (I refrigerated the frosted brownies before cutting them to make sure they layers would stay intact), cutting off jagged edges to make neatly square or rectangular brownies.  

Sharing

The small storm of sugar and chocolate that has been hovering in my kitchen is beginning to subside.  I've mailed the Christmas packages that need to be sent and I'm distributing the others.  Although I like to take a relaxed approach to the holidays, I still have had quite a lot going on.  This afternoon I left work and dashed through a few quick errands, then to a very long post office line, then quickly home before I was off again to go caroling.  I reminded myself of a cartoon, with me running around in a bit of a frenzy to get all of that done, with a caption highlighting the irony of the situation, something like, Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

I prefer to keep it a wonderful time and have been finding the small things, such as baking, making and caroling to make this happen.  I also had the pleasure of participating in a Holiday Traditions Exchange which was organized by Meg McElwee at Sew Liberated.  It was like having a temporary pen pal from far away who I had never met.  I know only a few things about Wendy from Alabama, who was my exchange partner, but through this I learned more about her special holiday traditions and received some wonderful holiday treats.

We each sent the other a handmade ornament, a recipe for something that is part of our holiday celebrations and a description of some of the traditions that we carry out every year.  I wrote to Wendy about Chocolate Roll -- a variation of a buche de noel that my mom makes every year for Christmas or New Years or both.  Often we have a Christmas Party filled with friends and family and we make 6 or 7 of these delicious logs of chocolate cake wrapped around whipped cream and flavored with things such as raspberry jam, peppermint, mocha and orange marmalade.  I'm not going to talk to much more about this right now because the real excitement this year spilled out of the package Wendy sent me.  Not only did I love hearing about what her family does at christmas, I adored the little snow man ornament she sent.  To top it all off, Wendy included some of the recipes for the many cookies she gives as gifts to her large extended family.

I can't wait to try the ginger cookie recipe she sent, but I jumped right in with her recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies.  When I read the simple list of ingredients that would make a nut studded cookie tossed in powdered sugar, I knew this was what I had been looking for.  Although this year I focused on making candy and chocolates as gifts, I know that Mexican Wedding Cookies will certainly be included in any Christmas cookie assortments I make in the future.  They are simple and not too sweet, balancing out the larger quantities of sugar that fill many cookie recipes.   They are easy and quick and, as Wendy has her children involved in the process, very family friendly.   Those that I shared them with loved them, and its really the sharing that I love most about all of this holiday time!

Wendy's Mexican Wedding Cookies
I made these cookies both with white flour and spelt flour.  The spelt version is a little bit crumblier, but quite similar to the white flour -- you could also use a light whole wheat flour, I'm sure (whole wheat pastry, white whole wheat or half white half wheat flour).

2 sticks of butter, softened                                                                                                                         2 cups of flour
2 cups of chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
8 tablespoons of powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the butter, flour, walnuts and vanilla with a mixer until ingredients are combined into a crumbly dough.  Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Place cooled cookies in a bag, add powdered sugar and shake gently to coat the cookies.  Makes about two dozen cookies.

A Little Holiday Cheer

Winter in Portland is such a beautiful time, though often very windy and frigid.  When its snowing a little, or I'm walking downtown  on my way to someplace warm, its lovely to see all the lights that brighten this city this time of year. The light sculptures and light-wrapped trees are all around town and in a few parks, too.  They are definitely one of the things to look forward to in December.  The lights usually stay up all winter brightening the city as the cold and dark days continue.

This week I am wrapping up my Christmas projects (hmmm, I guess I mean that literally).  I will have a couple of cookie recipes here in the next few days, I hope, before Ray and I head south to spend Christmas with his family.  Enjoy the lights and festivities wherever you are!

Small Treats

 
Yesterday we were surrounded by a howling storm that brought rapidly falling snow, pouring rain, slush and lots of wind.  Luckily, I once again found myself inside working on projects.  I am working on making small gifts that will soon be sent and delivered to friends and family.

I love giving gifts and I especially love the excitement of making gifts instead of the obligation to buy something for everyone.  Although I also enjoy purchasing carefully chosen gifts for some of the people I give to, I often find myself saddened by the incredibly commercial aspect of the holiday season and the obligation to buy buy buy.  I know that so many of these purchases are made in the spirit of caring and wanting to give to those you love so I won't go any farther on that tangent.  I just love focusing on home made gifts because, usually, they are as much fun to make as they are to give and (hopefully) to receive.  When I  think back on the gifts I have given over the years, its the ones that I have made that I remember most clearly.  When I was young it meant lots of glitter, string, and random objects, then there were mix tapes, paintings, pillows and sewing projects, knitting and a huge undertaking of a sweater for Ray at our very first Christmas among other things.

In the past couple of years, I've been keeping it a bit simpler.  I've started incorporating different treats of food and sweets and packing them in simple reusable bags.  I think all handmade gifts contain that extra something special that comes from putting time and energy into it.  Sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to knit everyone a scarf or pull off several big projects. I find that when I start making things for Christmas, I get three or four of five more ideas that I want to work on, but time doesn't always allow for this.  I think small treats are a great way for me to share my love and enthusiasm for making things and for the people I am giving to.  I like to give everyone a jar or two of things I can in the summer and then a few homemade sweets.  In the past, I  have included homemade truffles, peppermint bark, and this year I am making espresso walnut toffee and caramelized cashews. 

The espresso walnut toffee came into my life on my wedding day.  We had a pot luck dessert which resulted in tables heavily laden with all sorts of delicious baked goods.  I sampled several, but after I came across the espresso walnut toffee, that was it.  I nibbled on it for the next two days.  We had our guests make cards saying what each dessert was, with their name on them so we would know who made each thing, but they got lost in the clean up which meant that the origin of the espresso walnut toffee remained a mystery.  Well, it turns out that my friend Brita made the toffee from Molly Wizenburg's A Homemade Life, which just so happens to be on my books shelf as well.  The book itself is a wonderful collection of beautiful stories and recipes, I highly recommend it.  I also highly recommend you make this toffee as soon as possible.

Espresso Walnut Toffee
I had never made "candy" before, but it was really simple, just stirring patiently and waiting for the candy thermometer to reach 290 degrees.  As soon as the toffee was fully cooled, I broke it into small-ish pieces and put it into little bags, tied tightly with ribbon.  That will keep it fresh and keep me from eating it all!  Also note: It really does help to have the chocolate very finely chopped (smaller than chips, if that's what you use) and Molly notes that this recipe does not double well.

2 cups walnuts
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon unsulphered molasses
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
4 1/2 ounces white chocolate, very finely chopped
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until they are fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.  Set them aside to cool.  When they are cool, coarsely chop them.  Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the chopped nuts.  Finely chop the remaining 1/2 cup.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together sugars, espresso powder, cinnamon and salt.  In a measuring cup whisk together the water and molasses.  Put each type of chopped chocolate in its own bowl.  Grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter or cooking spray.

In a heavy 2-3 quart saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the sugar mixture as well as the water and molasses.  Stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.  Over medium heat, cook the mixture until it reaches 290 degrees.  Stir frequently at first, then stir and constantly scrape the bottom an sides of the pan.  This will take about 20 minutes.

When the mixture reaches 290 degrees, remove from heat and stir in the 1 1/2 cups of coarsely chopped walnuts.  Then pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet -- do not scrape the saucepan.  Spread the toffee, by tilting and shaking the baking sheet or using a spatula, until it reaches 1/4 inch thickness.  Sprinkle the chocolates onto the toffee alternating rows of bittersweet and white.  Allow the chocolates to melt for one minute.  Using the back of a spoon, spread the melted chocolates, taking care not to mix them.  Then carefully swirl the chocolates to create a marbled look.  Sprinkle the remaining finely chopped walnuts on top of the chocolate.  Chill in the refrigerator until the toffee is firm, about one hour.  Break into whatever size pieces you like. 

A Quick Look

 Here are a few of the bags I have made recently.  I've been having a lot of fun with color and shapes, and incorporating as many visually appealing veggies as I can!  Come to think of it, that's often how I make dinner, too.  Have a great rest of your weekend!

Finishing Touches

Its a balmy and very blustery December morning that feels like it must be March.  But I hope that I didn't miss all of winter, and I am eagerly waiting for snow and the coziness that cold weather brings this time of year.  In the mean time, I have been reading about other people's excitement for the season over at Habit (a beautiful poetic site that I could just keep reading and reading) and gearing up for my own projects and excitement.

Finishing touches for the holiday sale that starts tomorrow.  Its the first one I've done in several years and the first one to include so much sewing.  Lots of threads -- on tags and for hanging ornaments.  Most of the bags, potholders and ornaments I have made are veggie themed with a few others here and there.  I am looking forward to the adventure and then a few more sewing projects and a lot of time in the kitchen in the next couple of weeks.

Creating

I have been sewing up a storm around here.  Since September I have been working on variety of sewing projects to bring to a holiday sale which is taking place this coming weekend.  My normally neat work space has become littered with fabric and scrids and scraps.  I much prefer to keep things organized, but there is a point when the work takes over and a messy storm ensues.

I have always enjoyed making things, its really always been a part of my life since before my mom, sister and I had "craft club" and when I would make things from clay, styrofoam and alabaster in my dad's studio.  I was an art major in college and spent a lot of time hand sewing abstract and figurative forms.  There is something about binding fabric together that I find amazingly satisfying.  Not just the binding of fabric, but the whole act of creating:  the connection between the hands and the mind, the physical and mental and the way that they work together and push each other endlessly to make new things.

My latest projects (which you will soon see here) are colorful, useful and contain a bit of my love of food and growing things, too.   This week I've been finishing up the last few projects, making tags, and figuring out my display.  I've so enjoyed pushing myself to do this sewing daily and weekly and I hope to continue along these lines after the sale is over.  I have so many more ideas I want to try.  Of course, after this weekend I will be temporarily focused on making and finishing projects for Christmas.  If you don't make it to the actual sale, I will share some of my projects here, soon.

What projects have you been working on lately?

Moments and Days

The year is waning, the days are shorter and certainly colder.  This time of year, there is so much going on.  Maybe there are leftovers to be eaten, or new meals and celebrations to plan.  Whatever holidays you celebrate there is probably at least one between the end of November and the beginning of January.  This time of year is full of celebrations and traditions for many, and for many it is also a hectic time of stress.  For me, each month seems to pass by in a row of days, like cars of a train that never slow or stop.  As cliche as it is, I am always surprised when a new month has arrived so quickly.  Although it has just begun, December's days will be as fleeting as the sunlight which passes through my kitchen window each morning.

This year, I am very much looking forward to the traditions and celebrations that come with the winter solstice, Christmas, and the start of a new year.  Although I don't have a lot of my own traditions yet, I am looking forward to the making and baking that have become some of my yearly December rituals. As I puttered around my apartment the other morning, I realized how much I want to sink into each day and observe what is there.  Its so difficult to do, in the midst of everything, but it seems so important, especially in this time of year which is so exciting and yet passes at the breakneck speed of a sled on an icy hill.

So, here I am, trying to pull out a part of each day and hold onto it.  As I try to observe what is around me -- in the air, the sky, the oven, a conversation with a good friend, the lights that twinkle, and the windows lit from within -- I hope to share a little bit of the end of the year and the progression of this holiday season.   Every time of year escapes too quickly from my grasp, but it is in this one, late fall early winter, that I have chosen to try to share some of the light, the creations, the tastes, the smells with you here.  I'll be here as often as I can in the next few weeks to record some of these moments and days.

P.S. If you are wondering about the cookbook in the picture, on which I have carelessly rested my cup of tea, its a great one by Heidi Swanson.  Supernatural Cooking is full of vibrant pictures and equally bright, creative and nutritious recipes.  I just made the sweet potato spoon bread, which was soft and savory with a hint of sweetness.  I also love her recipe for thin mint cookies.  Heidi Swanson has a lot more great recipes in her book and at her website 101 Cookbooks.