Christmas Cookie ideas....anyone?

Lebkuchen
Snowballs
Spritz Moon Crescents
Glittering Lemon Sandwich Drops
Galettes Sucrees (Moroccan Apricot Biscotti)
Orange Cardamom Cookies
Kolacky

Other things to wow over:
Mulled Cider
Cherries in the Snow
   More to come !

Borscht......not.

Ok, sorry I have not posted in in a while.  I had attempted to make the borscht but failed miserably.  Steven, finished it for me though.  By accident, I smashed my head into the refrigerator from tripping over a rice bag.......which rendered me useless for the next couple of days.

Christmas holiday is coming up and that means........cookies!!!!! I will be starting soon.  Let me know if you have any fantastic recipes you would like me to make for you =)

The Winners: Ukranian Borscht and Snitz-Kloes!

Borscht (My meatless, dairy-free version)

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets, peeled and shredded
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 cup water (I used the same water that I boiled the beets in)
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 whole fresh tomato, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Throw everything into a large cook pot.  Boil the beet for about 2 hours, then throw in the rest of the vegetables and seasonings.  Cook on medium low for about another 2 hours.  Serve.  Really good with homemade pumpernickel bread!
________________________________________________________________________________

Snitz-Kloes
Snitz-Kloes is a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for a steamed fruit pudding.  It is a heirloom recipe that is normally made with suet.  Suet was used in the early years for fat in recipes, but nowadays...we just use butter or a butter substitute.

• 1 lb pear (Seckel preferred, but any fresh OR dried will do)
• 4 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh gingerroot
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 loaf bread, grated (dry bread)
• 1/2 lb suet, chopped (Use butter instead) (1 cup of butter)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  I also like to use some lemongrass or galangal in place of the fresh ginger root.  It all depends on what you are going for. 
   
  Wash fruit and place in kettle with cloves, whole cinnamon, and ginger root.

  
  Cover with water and cook until nearly tender.

  
  Add sugar and cook until tender.

  
  If fresh fruit is used, pare, slice and core and cook with spices and a little water until tender.

  
  Mix bread crumbs, butter, brown sugar and eggs; add flour sifted with cinnamon, salt and baking powder.

  
  Shape into a ball and place on a plate in a large kettle.

  
  Pour in fruit, cover and steam for three hours.

  
  Serve hot with fruit.
  
  

   

Gingered Pear and Raspberry Pandowdy Epicurious | April 2010

I wish, I wish, I wish upon a star to become a proud owner of a dutch oven!!!!! Then I will try this recipe over again, and again, and again......just to feel the tingle of candied ginger on my toungue! Yummmmmmmmm!!!!!!! This recipe was a big hit....I picked many pounds of fresh raspberries at a local u-pick (i love those places!).  Raspberries and pears make wonderful music on my palate. And.....it takes buttermilk! Just like any good recipe should lol

• 
  

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Gingered-Pear-and-Raspberry-Pandowdy-358280?recipename=Gingered+Pear+and+Raspberry+Pandowdy&saved_to_box=y#ixzz14urI6imv

Rose-Lemon Cupcakes

I pick up my bottles of rosewater and orange-blossom water at a Mediterranean restaurant in Corvallis called Crystals Cafe and Cuisine on Ste E, 1425 Northwest Monroe Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97330 (541) 752-6403.  Rosewater has many uses.  Here is a list: aphrodisiac, potpourri, beauty essentials, anti-aging, skin-cooling properties, natural toner, ...etc, etc, etc.  One thing I found is that it is an amazing flavor! I add to almost everything, especially my water and lemonade.  After drinking the lemonade, I smell like roses for the next few hours.  My pores seep the scent of roses.  It only takes a drop.  Seriously, get the rosey-lemonade at Crystal's! I will convert you!
() ‎

I have also tried this recipe using lemon-ginger juice that I bought at Trader Joe's.  I replaced the rosewater with the juice in the cupcakes and the frosting. I will definitely add more rosewater recipes! They changed my life!

Lime -Mint Watermelon and Cantalope Salad

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Watermelon-and-Cantaloupe-Wedges-with-Lime-Mint-Syrup-238869#ixzz0xp5IhDu4

Start this recipe at least 1 1/2 hours ahead so the components have time to cool and the flavors and able to meld. Mix up the syrup and chill it until it's cold. Cut the melons into wedges. Chop the mint and stir it into the syrup, then drizzle the syrup over the fruit and refrigerate them in plastic containers. DO NOT use a metal bowl.  This is because your fruit would end up having a metal taste.  Instead, use separate plastic containers or a porcelain bowl big enough to fit the salad.  I made the lime-mint sauce the first thing in the morning....our picnic wasn't until late afternoon, so the flavors melded nicely.  Tasted like a margarita!!!

Lavender Chocolate Bars

Pictures will come soon! Such a mess! But unbelievably good!  During the summer months, you can u-pick lavender.  I think it is best to use fresh lavender.  I find many people say that lavender in general reminds them of soap.....which yes I can put on recipes for other crafts too! I have made my own soap and candles in the past, and I would love to share that knowledge with others as well....but lavender in food is breathtakingly amazing!  Whenever I eat it, whether in chocolate or curry, it just makes me feel good, like a kid who, for the first time, had cotton candy =)

PS, I'm not much of a raisin fan, so I kept them out, and I only added1/2 cup of liquid coconut oil.  I melted down (in a double boiler) a bar of Ghardelli's milk chocolate to add to the liquid coconut oil.