Cranberry Noels

There are some things that we know will be consistent. In this case it's a Martha Stewart recipe for Cranberry Noels. These are such a simple refrigerator cookie and once cut and baked, you might even get a smiley face design on your cookie. The taste is very shortbread like with dried fruit and nuts.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks)butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add milk and vanilla. Beat until just combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, salt, cranberries and pecans, continue beating until fully combined.

2. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into an 8-in log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.





3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Using a sharp knife,cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden 14-16 minutes (mine were done in 12 minutes), rotating baking sheets halfway through. Remove from oven, and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Christmas Cranberry Tarts

We're in the midst of what the weather announcers are calling "Snowmaggedon". It's a great day to stay indoors, find a new recipe and put on the music. This recipe is an adaptation from Recipe Zaar .

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
3 clementines or tangarines
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
24 premade miniature tart shells (or your favourite recipe)
Note: I didn't use the mini tart shells - rather the regular sized ones and got 14 tarts from this recipe)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Cut the unpeeled clementines in quarters and remove any seeds; then chop in food processor, peel and all.
3. Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, apple, clementines and any juice from chopping, cranberries and pecans in a saucepan.

4. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries burst and the apple is tender

5. If mixture is too runny, thicken with a mixture of cornstarch and water mixed to form a thin paste. (the recipe was perfect for me - didn't add any cornstarch)


6. Cool
7. Fill the tart shells with the mixture and bake for 10-15 minutes (until the edges are slightly brown)



Verdict: If you had to imagine what Christmas tastes like - this recipe would fill the bill.

Butter Tarts and Cocaine Cookies

Earlier in the week (Monday to be exact), I made a pan of butter tart squares. They were nicely "curing" in the fridge until family and friends came over and cleaned out every last one. This time I decided to take the lazy person's way - use store bought tart shells and make my go to recipe for the filling.



Butter Tarts

1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cream
1/2 cup raisins
pinch salt

Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, cream and salt.
Add a few raisins to each prepared tart shell
Fill tart shells with approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of mix


Bake in 350 F oven for 22-25 minutes
My yield on this recipe was 16 tarts.

I met this very lovely Greek lady in my building. The first time we met on the elevator she shared with me that she was going to a doctor's appointment; that she'd had knee surgery and she was feeling dizzy. She reminded me so much of my own mother who goes into similar descriptions so I know enough to realize that this lady just wanted someone to listen to her. Obviously, I couldn't fix anything. I commented on her very beautiful cane and she responded by saying she was going to see a Greek doctor. I asked the question - "are you Greek?". Yes, she said. I said, maybe when you're feeling better you can teach me how to make cocaine cookies. Sure, sure, when I make them, I'll call you.

Tonight there was a knock at my door. Her son was at the door with a package for me and inside were my cocaine cookies.



One of my all time favourite cookies - Kourabiedes. I can't pronounce them, I can't spell them and I've always called them Cocaine Cookies. Peter at Kalofagas came to my rescue. You can find the recipe for these amazing icing sugar loaded gems of goodness on his site. Ivy from Kopiaste tells me she'll be making them next week but using pistachios for hers. Gotta watch for those.

The interesting thing is this woman reacted to my willingness to watch her make them and translated it into her making them for me. This is the exact same reaction my mother gives me. Is there something wrong with my communication or is this a cultural thing?

No matter what, this year I managed to press the EASY button on both the butter tarts and the cocaine cookies.