Peppermint Ice Cream Cake/Holiday Food Decorating

Food is the most beautiful art for me. I love filling jars full of beans, dried chilies, wild rice, etc.  . . and displaying them in my kitchen. I use different sizes and shapes to make it more interesting. Lucky for me, some of my containers are antique Ball jars that belonged to Doug’s grandmother. One of the little jars has the word “vinegar” written on it, in his grandmother’s handwriting. I think she would love it that I’m using her jars in my kitchen. I hope one day Anna and Katelyn will use these same jars from their great-grandmother’s kitchen.

Fresh herbs are also a natural, so to speak, for decorating a kitchen. Take a small pitcher and fix washed culinary herbs in an arrangement. When you need an herb,  just snip what you need. Pretty and practical. Rosemary trees are very popular this time of year, and can be found at places like Lowes or Home Depot. I bought a rosemary tree one year, but after collecting more ornaments I graduated to a larger Christmas tree for my kitchen and adorned it with food-themed ornaments. Some of my ornaments are Department 56, including a head of garlic, a radish, and corn. I’ve also found a tiny set of measuring spoons as an ornament, and a miniature sifter and colander.

I was looking through a Food Network Christmas magazine and they also had cute ideas for food-themed Christmas wreaths. I love the marshmallow wreath the best, but I don’t know how practical that is for the outside of the door. My cousin Jenny and I like to stick cloves into oranges in different patterns for a table centerpiece. You can tuck jingle bells and pine cones in between and around the oranges too. Martha Stewart has a really cute root vegetable arrangement idea that I will for sure do, but not this year.

One year Anna was really into candy canes, so I made that our theme for the holidays. I made candy cane trees, filled tall glass containers with peppermints, and our Christmas cake was a peppermint ice cream cake. I am posting the recipe, but only because I want you to know the technique. The cake in this recipe is dry, and low-fat ice cream should not be used in ice cream cakes because it melts really fast. Make your own cake, or buy a box cake, and use the full-fat ice cream. A peppermint ice cream cake makes a fun Christmas dessert and I just might do it again this year. It’s very easy.

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Cooking Light

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 3/4  cup  unsweetened cocoa
• 3/4  cup  boiling water
• 6  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 1  cup  packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2  cup  granulated sugar
• 3/4  cup  egg substitute
• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 3  cups  low-fat peppermint ice cream (such as Edy’s/Dreyer’s Slow-Churned Light), softened
• 3  cups  frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• 1/8  teaspoon  peppermint extract
• 8  peppermint candies, crushed

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of each pan with wax paper.

Combine cocoa, water, and butter, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cool.

Combine sugars in a large bowl, stirring well until blended. Add egg substitute; beat 2 minutes or until light and creamy. Add cocoa mixture, and beat for 1 minute.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to bowl; beat for 1 minute or until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pans. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours or until slightly frozen.

Spread ice cream in an 8-inch round cake pan lined with plastic wrap. Cover and freeze 4 hours or until firm.

To assemble cake, place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake pedestal. Remove ice cream layer from freezer; remove plastic wrap. Place ice cream layer, bottom side up, on top of cake layer. Top with remaining cake layer.

Combine whipped topping and peppermint extract, and stir until blended. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Freeze until ready to serve. Let cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before slicing.

Pumpkin Pie – My Family’s Favorite

Pumpkin Pie

Roasted Cinderella Pumpkin

It’s not my goal to ever become a gourmet chef. What I do strive for, however, is to find the perfect recipe for classics like fried chicken, chocolate chip cookies, potato salad and spaghetti and meatballs. While I already have the perfect recipe for all of these, I didn’t have the perfect recipe for a must-have holiday classic – - pumpkin pie – - until this Thanksgiving.

I always have my family do a taste test, and I knew this pumpkin pie recipe was a keeper when, in separate instances, Doug and Anna had the same reaction. “Mmm, MMmmmm, MMMMMMM!” With each “MMMM” Anna’s eyes grew wider and wider. Then my mother tried it and declared it “the best pumpkin pie I have ever had.”  Now, I did roast my own pumpkin for this recipe but canned will work fine too. Also, if you ever do roast your own pumpkin I should warn you – - don’t freeze it. For some reason, you can freeze the canned pumpkin, but if you roast your own pumpkin and freeze it, you have a watery mess. Also, for those of you who don’t know, do not roast the type of pumpkin for Jack-O-Lanterns. No flavor. Use the little pie pumpkins or a big, beautiful Cinderella pumpkin.

Although this recipe doesn’t call for a pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice, I am  including a pumpkin pie spice recipe in this post in the event you need it in the future. As budget cookers, we are always looking for a way to save a buck, and you probably already have all of these spices in your cabinet anyway. Making spice mixtures is also a way to save on expensive flavored coffees — just add some spice mix to your grounds and you have pumpkin-pie coffee!

Pumpkin Pie

Allrecipes.com, Submitted by Carla A.

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Add the sugar gradually to the pumpkin puree. Beat well and stir in the flour, salt and spices. Stir in the corn syrup and beat well. Stir in the slightly beaten egg, then slowly add the evaporated milk, mixing until well blended. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees F) and continue baking pie for an additional 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the mixture comes out clean.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Allrecipes.com, Submitted by Jacquie

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cinnamon-Pecan Icebox Cookies

Cinnamon-Pecan Icebox Cookies

I made icebox cookies for the first time a couple of days ago, and wow, what a fun concept. This particular homemade slice and bake cookie tastes like a cross between shortbread and biscotti. The way the cookie looks sliced, and then rolled in cinnamon sugar makes it look really Martha Stewartish. When cutting the cookies, turn the log a quarter turn every five slices to keep it round. And when shaping, make the ends flat, otherwise you end up with this odd rounded, thick cookie on the very ends. If you make these, you will see what I mean. Also, really do finely chop the pecans well for this recipe.

I would like to recommend getting a Silpat — a silicone non-stick baking mat. I never had perfect cookies until I bought one of these. Ok, I’m a junkie and I will admit that I have four. In regards to baking pans, I have read that using dark-colored pans make the cookies cook on the outside quicker than on the inside. I use a large, shiny baking sheet with a Silpat and perfection, every time.

Cinnamon-Pecan Icebox Cookies

Southern Living Incredible Cookies, 2000

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp Vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, gradually add 3/4 cup sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beating well.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating well at medium speed. Stir in pecans. Cover and chill dough 2 hours.

Shape dough into 2 (6-inch) logs. Wrap logs in wax paper and freeze until firm.

Combine 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon on a shallow plate, stir well. Unwrap frozen dough, and roll in sugar mixture.

Slice frozen dough into a 1/4-inch thick slices; place slices on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Removed cookies to write racks to cool completely. Yield, 4 dozen.

Sour Cream Apple Cake

Goodie for me, apples were on sale 39 cents a pound this week. I only cook with what is on sale or a great price, so apples it is, for my family.

The cake recipe below is fantastic — a layer of apples and a crunchy spice mixture gracing the middle of the cake, and another on top. Rustic, tasty bliss. The name of this cake is Iva Mae’s Sour Cream Cake. I don’t know who Iva Mae is, but God bless her where ever she may be!

Iva Mae’s Sour Cream Apple Cake

John Hadamuscian’s Down Home, 1993

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

Filling/Topping

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

2 to 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Pre-heat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 10-inch round pan with removable bottom.

Cream together butter, sugar, and then beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. A third at a time, beat dry mixture into the wet mixture, alternately with the sour cream.

For the filling/topping, stir the sugar and cinnamon together then stir in walnuts (I use pecans.) Spread half batter into the prepared pan, top with overlapping layer of apple slices, then sprinkle half of cinnamon/nut mixture over it. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake until cake is nicely browned and toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove the pan to wire rack, cool 30 minutes and remove outside of pan. Allow to cool before carefully removing bottom of pan. (I don’t do the removing-bottom-of-pan thing.)