Snuggle Muffin's Victoria Cake

Snuggle made the loveliest cake recently. I'm quite sure it will taste as good as it looks.


Cake

• 150g (6 oz) butter, softened
• 150g (6 oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 3 medium eggs
• 150g (6 oz) self raising flour
  
• 3-4 drops vanilla extract
• jam (strawberry, raspberry or damson)
  

Butter Cream Frosting

• Approx. 50g (~2 oz) butter, cold (unsalted if you have it)
• Approx. 100g (~ 3.5 oz) icing sugar (powered sugar/confectioner’s sugar)
• A few drops of vanilla extract
• A little water or milk

Optional:
A few handfuls of strawberries

Heat the oven to 180oc, 350of, Gas mark 4, and grease and line two 18cm (7inch) sandwich tins. Cut up the softened butter and beat until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in one egg at a time adding a little of the flour each time. Add the vanilla extract and the rest of the flour and stir in well.

Pour into the prepared tins and bake for 20 -25 minutes.

When completely cool spread jam (strawberry, raspberry or damson work well) on to both halves of the cake and make the frosting.

To make the frosting add the sugar, butter and vanilla extract to a food processor or beat with electric mixer until combined into a stiff paste. The measurements are approximate so use your own judgment. While it’s mixing it might look like it’s turning into scrambled eggs; it isn’t, it just takes a little while to blend, but it will. If it’s too stiff add a bit of the milk or water. Spread the frosting on to the bottom half of the cake with a pallet knife (or plastic spatula), which you can run it under some water first to make it easier to spread the frosting smoothly.

If you would like, you can slice up some of the strawberries and place them on top of the frosting before putting the top half on.

sylph's Peach Ice Cream

I need to buy an ice cream maker.

• 5 cups ripe peaches, peeled and chopped
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon amaretto
• dash of salt
• 4 cups half and half
• 3 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)

In a blender, purée 3 cups of the peaches. Mash the remaining 3 cups of chopped peaches with a potato masher. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until well blended. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and cream, just until it begins to steam. Pour a little of the heated mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, and stir. Then pour the bowl of egg/sugar/milk mixture back into the heavy saucepan. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat, and refrigerate the mixture for several hours or until well chilled.

Add the puréed peaches to the chilled mixture, stir well, and pour into a 5-quart ice cream freezer can. Turn on the ice cream freezer or crank it by hand for 5 minutes. Then, carefully remove the top of the can and the dasher, and add the reserved 2 cups of mashed peaches, mixing them in with a long spoon. Put the dasher back in and the top back on, and continue freezing according to the manufacturer's directions. Allow ice cream to ripen for at least an hour. Makes about 3-1/2 quarts.

bibliosylph's Sweet Potato Pie

sylph posted in the Hizzy, "here is Jeff Smith's sweet potato pie recipe, which is the only one I've ever used. It's from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American, which was one of his most enjoyable TV seasons, for me.

"Sometimes I drizzle a little maple syrup on this before baking. The parentheses are mine."

* 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
* 4 tbs butter
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup sugar (brown is nice, but alters the texture slightly)
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 tsp nutmeg (you may sub. cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or ginger)
* 1 tbs lemon juice
* 1/2 cup bourbon (the alcohol, of course, evaporates during baking.)

Mix all the ingredients together and place in an unbaked pie shell. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven, and immediately turn the oven down to 325. Bake for about 45 minutes until the center of the pie is set. You can test by inserting a table knife into the center of the pie to see if it comes out clean.

If you have leftover filling, you can bake it in a baking dish and serve it as a pudding.

jophan's Grasshopper Soufflé

I still need to get my mom's Grasshopper Pie recipe... But jophan is way ahead of me & obviously a kind, generous soul who doesn't procrastinate. This sounds delicious.

• 1 c. sugar
• 2 c. water
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 c. crème de menthe
• 1 c. heavy cream

Combine 3/4 c. sugar and gelatin in saucepan. Gradually add water and stir over low heat until dissolved. Remove from heat. Temper eggs yolks with mixture and return to saucepan. Cook 2-3 minutes on low.

Add hot mixture to cream cheese, stir in crème de menthe. Mix well. Chill until slightly thickened.

Whip cream. Beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually add remaining 1/4 c. sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Fold both whipped cream and meringue into cream cheese mixture.

Pour into large soufflé dish and chill until firm.

(The recipe says 8 servings, but I think you’d probably get twice that.)

blue artemis' Clafoutis

Okay, so I've never even heard of this dish, nor am I sure I'm even pronouncing it correctly. Regardless, I rather desperately want to eat this. Right. Now. blue artemis writes: This recipe came from the LA Times Food section a few years ago. Of course, I usually stick in in the fridge and eat it for breakfast, but that is me.

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of firm but ripe apricots, cut in half if small, quartered if large and pitted
• 2 tablespoons peach or apricot brandy (I usually use 3)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 to 8 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped or 1/2
• teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt
• 2/3 cup sifted unbleached or all purpose flour
• butter for greasing
• powdered sugar for dusting

Toss apricots with brandy, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in bowl. Let sit 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Drain liquid from apricots and combine with milk and yogurt. Beat eggs with vanilla, and rest of sugar (3 to 5 tablespoons depending on sweetness of fruit) and a dash of salt. Beat together. Slowly beat in flour, then mild mixture. Mix together well.

Arrange apricots in greased 10 or 10 1/2 ceramic tart dish or clafoutis dish,rounded side up. Pour in batter.

Bake at 400 degrees until top is browned, and clafoutis is firm, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly on rack. Use powdered sugar to dust. Serve warm.

Snuggle Muffin’s Easy Peasy Chocolate Chip Easter Bunny Cookies

So SnuggleMuffin made the coolest, absolutely adorable House & Wilson bunny cookies, then generously offered the recipe. I, of course, accepted the offer immediately! She writes, "This is a real cookie recipe that I adapted and turned into bunnies, if eating bunnies isn’t your thing then just make them as cookies. This makes about 10 Bunny Cookies. I’ve included a diagram in case my instructions are a bit hard to follow, the bunny making method I made up myself and I wasn’t sure how to word it." SnuggleMuffin rocks!

• 4 oz (100g) margarine
• 2 oz (50g) light soft brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tea spoon vanilla essence
• 8 oz (225g) plain flower
• ½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 to 3 oz chocolate chips (optional: You can make plain bunnies with
• chocolate chip decoration, chocolate chip bunnies with no decoration, or
• chocolate chips bunnies with chocolate chip decoration)
• I also added some (about half a table spoon) ground almonds, but you don’t have to you don’t want to.

Heat the oven to 375oF, 190oC, gas mark 5. Grease on e or two baking sheets/trays. Put the margarine in a bowl with the sugar and beat until soft and creamy.

Mix in all the remaining ingredients until the mixture forms a stiff dough.

Divide the dough in to balls leaving some for the heads and ears, they should be about 2 to 2 ½ inches across when flattened and ½ an inch thick. Make the heads in the same way and they should be about an inch and ½ across when flattened. Then sort of squish them onto the bodies. (See diagram.)

Use the spare dough to make the ears: roll pieces of dough into sausage shapes about an inch long and stick on the heads. Use chocolate chips, raisons or bits of died fruit to make eyes on the bunny biscuits. (You could even make little chocolate chip bow ties and add a little cookie cane to one of them.)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Eilan's Balls of Eeeeevilll (a.k.a. CPBoEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)

In response to crazed popular demand, Eilan kindly emailed me this recipe. It does seem, though, that you should attempt this recipe with caution. Don't come whining to us if you become horribly addicted to this treat and can't stop eating it.

• 10 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 2 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 1/2 cups rice krispies
• about 2 12-ounce packages chocolate chips (any combination of milk and semi-sweet)

1. Mix together melted butter and peanut butter in a large bowl.
2. Work in powdered sugar (use a wooden spoon first, then your hands)
3. Add the Rice Krispies and mix well. The dough will be stiff.
4. Form into small balls and refrigerate for a few hours.
5. Melt the chocolate chips over low heat or in the microwave, stirring frequently.
6. Dip the chilled peanut butter balls into the chocolate. Reheat the chocolate when it thickens.
7. Place the dipped peanut butter balls on waxed paper to harden. Keep cool. These freeze very well.

digmom3's Velveeta Cheese Fudge

This sounds weird, but have faith! Apparently, the original recipe is an Amish one, courtesy of a Mrs. Leroy Auker. digmom3 writes: "This came up at Hizzycon. I have actually made it and Beachbum said she had no idea it was velveeta".

• 1 lb. oleo or butter
• 1 lb. velveeta cheese
• 4 lb. powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• chopped nuts

In a saucepan, melt oleo and cheese. Sift together sugar and cocoa, then add the cheese and oleo mixture and add the vanilla and nuts. Mix well and spread evenly into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Cool and cut into pieces. “Makes about 6 1/2 lbs. of creamy, inexpensive delicious fudge. This is the best fudge ever!”

adharas' Tizzy in the Hizzy Flan

The alternate name for this flan is: Flan Cubano. I'll always know it & love it as the Tizzy in the Hizzy Flan, however. adharas writes that the recipe hails from "the May 1979 issue of Gourmet magazine, you can't get better than that."

In a skillet, combine 2 cups sugar and 1/2 c water, heat the mixture over moderately low heat for 4 minutes, and bring it to a boil, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the skillet with a brush dipped in cold water until the sugar is dissolved. Cook the syrup over moderately high heat, tilting and rotating the pan, until it is caramelized. (Note: it goes from light brown to dark brown VERY quickly, so take it off as soon as it is medium brown)

Pour the caramel into a 2 1/2 quart mold, tilt the mold to coat the bottom and sides evenly, and let the caramel cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine 8 egg yolks, 2 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 1/2 c milk, and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. In a bowl beat 8 egg whites until they are just frothy, and whisk them into the milk mixture. Pour the custard into the mold. Set the mold in a baking pan, pour enough hot water into the pan to reach two thirds of the way up the sides of the mold. Bake the flan in a pre-heated moderate (350 degree) oven, for 45-55 min. Let cool at room temp. Chill for 6 hours in the fridge. Unmold.

beadgirl's Flan

There's some weird flan war raging in the Hizzy. beadgirl posted the first recipe. I'll be Switzerland-like & take any flan recipes sent to me. Oh! And look below for a coconut version of it.

• 6 cups milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• peel of fresh lime OR vanilla (maybe a couple of ts? i wing it)
• 7 eggs
• 1 cup sugar for pan

Combine milk, 1 cup sugar, salt, and flavor and bring rapidly to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and allow to cool.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Caramelize a round 9 by 3.5 inch pan (not a bundt or tube shape) by melting the other cup of sugar in the pan, slowly, until sugar becomes light gold. Swirl pan to coat bottom and sides with caramel. set aside on wire rack.

In saucepan, beat eggs, then add cooked milk mixture slowly. Strain.

Pour mixture into pan. Set pan into large shallow baking or roasting pan containing about 1 inch of hot water. Bake 1 hour, or until set and golden. remove pan from wter bath.

Cool on wire rack. cover and refrigerate until it sets more. When time to serve, turn flan over onto plate. Can be served cold or room temperature.

FLAN DE COCO:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 8.75 oz cans cream of coconut
• 1 14 oz can condensed milk
• 2 Ts milk
• 1/4 t salt
• 8 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Caramelize 8 by 3 inch pan as above.

Blend cream of coconut, condensed milk, milk, and salt in blender.

Crack eggs into sauce pan and break yolks and mix lightly. Slowly add blended mixture. Strain and pour into caramelized pan.

Bake, as above, in water bath.

valosin's Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

So, valosin sent this to me out of the blue! And she signed the email "Violently yours." Heh. I'm entirely too amused and pleased. She writes that someone asked for this recipe, possibly deekay. And, it's adapted from Canadian Living: Every Day Favourites. Enjoy!

• 2/3 c butter, softened
• 1 c packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (the recipe calls for orange rind, but I like the
• vanilla better)
• 1 1/2 rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 375. Grease or line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy: beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together rolled oats, flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture and stir until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfulls about 2 in apart onto cookie sheets bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, rotating and switching halfway though, until golden, about 10 min. Let cool on pan for 2 min, transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.

adharas' Portuguese Cream Tarts

adharas found this recipe at Epicurious & meant to make it for ages. Now that she has made it, she's demanding (in a rather threatening manner) that everyone make these. Lest anyone fall prey to her wrath, I thought I'd provide the recipe here.

The original contributor at Epicurious says: These tarts are best when baked in 1/3-cup muffin cups. However, since many manufacturers have increased the size of their standard tins, we also tested the tarts in 1/2-cup muffin cups. In those cups, the pastry dough doesn't reach the tops, resulting in rather squat tarts.

For pastry:

• 1 (17 1/4-oz) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

For custard filling:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon (1 1/4 teaspoons)
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For topping
• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Special equipment: 2 muffin pans with 12 (1/3-cup) muffin cups, each 2 5/8 inches wide by 1 inch deep

Partially thaw pastry just until sheets can be unfolded but dough is still quite stiff. Gently unfold 1 sheet and cut along folds, forming 3 equal strips (each about 9 1/2 by 3 inches). Stack pieces and cut stack lengthwise into 12 (1/4-inch-wide) strips, each strip 3 layers thick. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet.

Turn each triple strip on its side (cut side up) and coil tightly to form a flat 2- to 2 1/2-inch-wide spiral. On a lightly floured surface, press spiral with heel of your hand to flatten into a 3-inch round.

Lightly grease muffin cups with melted butter. Place each round in a muffin cup and press into bottom and side, lining cup to within 1/8 inch of top. (If using larger muffin cups, dough will not reach all the way up side.)

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Whisk together sugar and flour in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in remaining filling ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until first bubble appears on surface, about 10 minutes. (Custard will be thick.) Transfer custard to a bowl and cool, whisking occasionally, until just warm, about 15 minutes, then fill pastry cups with custard, about 2 tablespoons each.

Bake tarts in upper third of oven until pastry is deep golden, 10 to 12 minutes. (Filling may brown.)

Cool tarts slightly in pans on a rack, about 10 minutes, then lift from pans using a small offset spatula or dull knife. Sift confectioners sugar, then cinnamon, over tarts and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24 small individual tarts.

MartianIceQueen's Cheesecake

Is it weird if just reading this makes me drool?

Crust:

• 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
• 3 T sugar
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 6 T butter
• 1 slightly beaten egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Combine first 3 ingredients; cut in butter till crumbly. Add egg yolk and vanilla; mix well. Pat 1/3 of dough on bottom of 8-inch springform pan (sides removed). Bake at 400 degrees ~ 7 min or until golden; cool. Butter sides of pan; attach to bottom. Pat remaining dough on sides of pan to height of 1 3/4 inches.

Filling:

• 3 8-oz packages cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 C sugar
• 2 T flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 C milk

Let the cream cheese stand at room temperature to soften ( 1-1.5 hours). Beat until creamy; add vanilla and lemon peel. Mix sugar, flour, and salt; gradually blend into cheese. Add eggs and egg yolk all at once; beat until just blended. Gently stir in milk.

Turn into crust-lined pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake 55 minutes or until center appears set. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes. Loosen sides of chesecake from pan with spatula. Cool 1/2 hour more; remove sides of pan. Cool 2 hours longer.

Misa's Candied Pecans

Misa posted a candied pecan recipe in the Hizzy, but this isn't it! She emailed me this one, saying: I found another version of the Candied Pecans recipe and it tastes even better than the first!

• 2 cups pecans (l lb)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tblsp. cold water
• 1 egg white

In one bowl mix sugar, cinnamon and salt. In second bowl, mix water and egg white. Beat to a froth (but not stiff); mix pecans into egg mixture until coated. Add to sugar mixture and stir until the sugar is used up. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and spread nuts on the sheet. Bake at 250 F. for about 60 minutes, turn the nuts after 30 minutes so both sides are evenly cooked.

Cool and enjoy!

MisaGoddess' Rum Cake

Thanks to Misa's generosity, we now have not one, but two rum cake recipes. Not surprising considering how many of us are lushes.

• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 pkg yellow cake mix (the kind with pudding added)
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup veg. oil
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup rum

Preheat oven to 350. Grease (or use cooking spray) and flour 12c. bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on the bottom. Mix all cake ingredients and pour batter over nuts. Bake one hour, cool and turn onto plate.

Prick top with fork and drizzle or brush glaze over the top.

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rum

Melt butter, and stir in water and sugar. Boil five minutes, stirring constantly. Then stir in rum.

Eilan's Pina Colada Cake

Eilan mentioned this cake in the Hizzy today. I immediately demanded it. Because an alcoholic cake? Absolutely belongs here. Thanks, Eilan!

• 1 (18 1/2 ounce) package yellow cake mix, pudding-in-the-mix variety
• 1 (15 ounce) can Cream of Coconut
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons rum (you may want more)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well-drained

Preheat oven to 350. In large mixer bowl, combine cake mix, 1/2 cup cream of coconut, 1/2 cup rum, oil, and eggs. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in pineapple. Pour into well-greased and -floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake 50-55 minutes. Cool slightly. With a fork, poke holes about one inch apart in cake, almost to the bottom. Combine remaining cream of coconut and rum (more than 2T is fine). Pour over cake; chill thoroughly. Remove from pan. Store in refrigerator.

dreamy's Juicy Orange Cake

dreamy found this at the New York Times & it sounds yummy.

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened, more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, more for pan
• 3 oranges, preferably organic, for zest and juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more as needed
• 2 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Thickly butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or 6-cup loaf pan. Zest and juice oranges. Mix ½ cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar. To remaining orange juice add lemon juice to make ¼ cup. Stir in zest.

2. In mixer, cream butter and remaining sugar until fluffy. With mixer running, add eggs one at a time. Turn off and add 1½ cups flour, baking soda and salt, and mix. Add half the buttermilk, and mix. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk. Add zest mixture, and mix.

3. Pour dough into pan and place on baking sheet. Bake until tester comes out dry, 1 to 1¼ hours. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Set wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan and turn warm cake onto rack. Using a pastry brush or baster, spread glaze over top of cake and let soak in. Repeat until all glaze is used. Let cool at room temperature. Can be refrigerated in plastic wrap for a week.

adharas' Spoon Cookies

Our lovely Ed Harris made these for a recent round-robin party in her neighborhood & reports that they're wonderful. Enjoy!

• 2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, slightly rounded
• 1/3 cup fruit preserves (your choice)

Special equipment: a deep-bowled teaspoon (not a measuring spoon)

Make dough
Fill kitchen sink with about 2 inches of cold water. Melt butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter turns golden with a nutlike fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a rich caramel brown, 10 to 12 minutes. (Butter will initially foam, then dissipate. A thicker foam will appear and cover the surface just before butter begins to brown; stir more frequently toward end of cooking.) Place pan in sink to stop cooking, then cool, stirring frequently, until butter starts to look opaque, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from sink and stir in sugar and vanilla.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and stir into butter mixture until a dough forms. Shape into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and let stand at cool room temperature 1 to 2 hours (to allow flavors to develop).

Form and bake cookies
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.

Press a piece of dough into bowl of teaspoon, flattening top, then slide out and place, flat side down, on an ungreased baking sheet. (Dough will feel crumbly, but will become cohesive when pressed.) Continue forming cookies and arranging on sheet. Bake cookies until just pale golden, 8 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Assemble cookies
While cookies cool, heat preserves in a small saucepan over low heat until just runny, then pour through a sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on solids, and cool completely.

Spread the flat side of a cookie with a thin layer of preserves. Sandwich with flat side of another cookie. Continue with remaining cookies and preserves, then let stand until set, about 45 minutes. Transfer cookies to an airtight container and wait 2 days before eating.

Cooks' notes
• Dough can be made 12 hours before baking and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature to soften slightly before forming cookies, about 30 minutes.
• Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.

digmom3's Toffee Bars

digmom3 warns that these toffee bars are also known as "chocolate crack." You have been warned. And, hey, we have a crack recipe on the blog. Hee! I wonder if the DEA will shut us down.

• saltines
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 12 oz package of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet (use one with sides) with foil and spray heavy with Pam. Line pan with saltines. In a saucepan, cook butter and brown sugar. Boil for three minutes. Drizzle mixture over crackers. Bake for 4 minutes. Sprinkle on chocolate chips. Let melt then spread to cover evenly. (At this point you can add festive sprinkles-aka jimmies). Put in freezer for 45 minutes. Break into pieces.

bibliosylph's Favorite Holiday Treats

Up on her website, bibliosylph has listed some of her favorite holiday recipes. But you clever folks already figured that out from the title of this entry, didn't you?

Here's an excerpt from her blog, explaining these recipes:
It's not easy for me to incorporate tradition in my life. And I have only a few links to the past, so it's worth it to me to attempt to keep them as strong as possible. Mostly I do this with food. And, not to type too much blah, blah, the time I enjoy most recreating a bit of the past through cooking is at Christmas. For me, it's about the richness and goodness of the end of this year's cycle, and lighting up a dark winter season.

Yes, I am a barefoot, bohemian Martha Stewart.

And the recipes include yummy things like:

• marzipan
• lemon bars
• chocolate truffles
• and the intriguing "magic cooky bars"
  

...and many others! She promises drink recipes will be up soon, too. So, without further do, hie thee to the recipes!