Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we wanted to give you a sweet idea to dress up your thanksgiving table!  These easy gingerbread cookie placeholders are simple and add a personalized feeling for all of your guests!  It is a good way to get everyone seated and ready to eat the feast that awaits!

The cookie dough (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens):

Measure into medium bowl, then set aside:

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 2 tsp ginger
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cloves
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 pinches of salt

Combine the following until creamy:

• ¾ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup molasses

Then add your dry ingredients to the mixture until combined.

Create your cookies:

Flour your surface and roll out the dough to a ¼” thickness.  Then cut out fall shaped cookies with mini sized cookie cutters)

Then drop the cut out in a small bowl of sugar to coat for a candied crust on the cookie.

Gently push a toothpick into the side of the cookie and place onto the cookie sheet.

Bake at 345° for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Be sure to make some extras if you need to rewrite a name or have a last minute guest!  With the left over dough I just made regular gingerbread cookies. Roll into balls and coat with sugar as before baking as before.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Baking!

Hands down my favorite summer drink, the mojito is crisp and refreshing without being overly sweet. At the end of a hot summer day with dinner sizzling on the grill, this is what I want. My husband came up with a brilliant, super fast, no fail method to a perfect mojito. We have a mint patch in our backyard that exists for the soul purpose of satisfying our mojito addiction. Don’t laugh…once you’ve tried this out, you just might be doing the same.

Mojito

1 sprig fresh mint

2 heaping teaspoons frozen limeade concentrate Carbonated water 1 to 1 1/2 shots of rum (Different varieties lend different flavors.Experiment to find your favorite.)

With a muddler in your glass, or with a mortar and pestle, smash up your mint leaves. This releases all their flavor.

Add limeade concentrate and rum, stir to combine.

Add some ice to your glass and top it all off with carbonated water.

Give it a final stir and taste to see if you want to make any adjustments.

Aah, summer!

Oh, how I love these cookies! They’ve got everything I would want an ultimate chocolate chip cookie to have – rich brown sugar batter stuffed with chocolate chips and buttery toffee bits, and great texture from the sliced almonds and toasted coconut. Cardamom and allspice round out the flavors and make the cookies smell even more amazing when baking. If you haven’t used those spices before, don’t be afraid…they aren’t key players here, so they don’t overwhelm, which is the perfect way to experiment with something different.

Chocolate Chip – Blondie Cookies Yield – approximately 3 dozen cookies

•1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

•¾ tsp. baking powder

•½ tsp. baking soda

•¼ tsp. cardamom

•¼ tsp. allspice

•½ tsp. kosher salt

•¾ cup butter, softened

•¾ cup light brown sugar

•1/3 granulated sugar

•1 tsp. vanilla extract

•1 large egg

•1 cup dark chocolate chips

•½ cup toffee pieces

•¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted* and chopped

•1 cup flaked coconut, toasted*

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture and beat gently until just combined. Gently stir in chocolate chips, toffee, almonds, and coconut.

Drop by rounded tablespoon (or use a small scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat liner. Bake for 8-11 minutes until edges are a light golden brown. Cool on pans.

*You can toast the almonds and the coconut on separate sheet pans in a 350 degree oven, check at 8 minutes, stir as needed. Both should be golden and fragrant when done. Let cool before mixing into batter.

Don’t let the name fool you, while there are some very wholesome ingredients here, this cake is undeniably a decadent dessert! This recipe comes straight from my sister Anne, who can out-domesticate me any day, she can run circles around me in the kitchen. If you’re looking for a quick, sweet fix give this one a try! It has that rustic, homey side to it that I am so partial to, super moist (border-line pudding cake), and the golden, caramelized topping gives it an extra bit of yum!

Oatmeal Cake

Butter and flour either a 9×13 inch baking pan, or a 9-inch round baking pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Put in a large bowl:

•1 cup quick cook oatmeal*

•½ cup unsalted butter

Pour 1 ½ cups boiling water over the oatmeal and butter and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add:

•1 cup granulated sugar

•1 cup light brown sugar

•2 eggs, lightly beaten

•1 ½ cups flour

•1 tsp. salt

•1 tsp. baking soda

•1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir gently until all ingredients are incorporated, then pour into your prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare your topping:

•6 tablespoons melted butter

•½ cup light brown sugar

•1 tsp. vanilla

•¼ cup evaporated milk

•1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

•½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all together. When the cake is done baking, switch your oven to broil. Spread the topping immediately onto the cake, then place under the broiler for several minutes until golden. Watch carefully – it can burn fast!! Cool, cut, and enjoy!

*For a little added texture, McCanns Irish Oatmeal makes a Quick and Easy Steel Cut oatmeal that works great here. Prepare the same as specified for the quick cook oatmeal. Just make sure it is the Quick and Easy version – classic steel cut oats would require way more than a 20 minute soak!

When we’re surrounded by cold and snow it’s easy to feel like spring is out of reach, and something a little floral and fragrant can be a sweet reminder that it’s on its way. Of course these are absolutely perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Tips for success: First, don’t overcook your crème brulee. When you jiggle the ramekins, the custard should just barely wobble in the middle. You don’t want it to be totally set. If the custard cooks too long your result will be more firm, instead of creamy and smooth. Second, before using the rosewater, smell it in the bottle. If it smells good to you in the bottle, it will smell lovely in your baking as well. Weak-smelling rosewater won’t improve with baking. Trust me, this matters! I’ve had the best luck with rosewater that is made in Lebanon. They know their rosewater, so check the label to see where it was made…it will make it that much more likely to carry the fragrance you expect. Rose Crème Brulee Makes enough for approximately 6 – dependant on the ramekin size. Heat your oven to 300 degrees. In a medium saucepan, whisk together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat: •2 cups of heavy cream •4 generous tablespoons of granulated sugar •Pinch of coarse salt Into a medium-sized bowl, whisk together until they have slightly lightened in color: •6 egg yolks Still whisking the egg yolks, pour just a bit of the warm cream and sugar into the eggs. Continue to do this a bit at a time, always whisking. This is called tempering, and it will prevent you from having scrambled eggs instead of a custard base. Now stir in: •½ tsp. vanilla extract •¾ tsp – 1 tsp. rosewater (choose the amount dependant on how prominent you want the rose to be) Strain your custard base in a container with a spout. Set your ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet, and pour your custard in. Set the whole pan into your pre-heated oven, and fill the pan with water until it reaches about half way up the side of the ramekins. Check the custard after 30 minutes by gently jiggling the ramekins, again, they should wobble only in the middle a little, if not they will need more time. Let them chill completely before you’re ready to serve. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar, shaking off the excess. Using a torch, heat the sugar until lightly carmelized, moving the torch with quick back-and-forth or circular movements. Repeat with another layer of sugar, and then place the crème brulee back in the fridge for about 10 minutes to chill and solidify the sugar crust. Crack into those lovelies and enjoy! Happy Valentine’s Day to you and all those near and dear to your heart!