Quick and Inexpensive Gifts You Can Make December 22, 2009

Out of money and time? Try these budget-friendly DIY gift ideas …

Dazzling Cookies December 18, 2009

by Julia Pantoga, resident Domestic Goddess

This year I made cookies to give away for the holidays.  I picked three recipes that travel well and are unbelievably delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butter Jewels (Yield:  5 dozen)

2 cups butter (4 sticks!)

½ cup sugar

2 tsp almond extract

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

12 oz. assorted brightly colored preserves (my choices are apricot and cherry)

1.  Cream butter and sugar.
2. Mix in almond extract.
3. Add flour and mix.
4. Roll into 1” balls.
5. Indent in center (1/4 tsp measuring spoon works well for even indents, make sure the bottoms are not too thin, or the cookies will fall apart when moved)
6. Fill center holes with jam. (if transporting, do not over-fill above top of cookie).
7. Bake at 350° for 8 min.
8. Cool thoroughly before moving.  (Refrigeration or a cold porch really helps them “set.”)

Notes: 

• As with all cookies with no eggs, that are comprised largely of butter and flour, these cookies are extremely fragile, especially when hot.  Once they have cooled, they are fairly sturdy.
• These cookies will not rise or change shape when baking.  That’s good because you don’t have to worry about cookies spreading and sticking together.  However, that means you need to be careful about the appearance before you bake them:  wipe off any errant jam and shape the cookies carefully.

 

Mexican Chocolate Butter Wafers (Yield:  5 dozen)

Note:  Once cool, these sturdy cookies are ideal for sending.  These are so delicious, they are TOTALLY worth all the steps and dirty dishes.

½ cup sliced almonds

1tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ stick (4 tbsp.) butter

½ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp espresso powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tbsp. vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

½ cup course grind sugar crystals

Confectioner’s sugar

1. Over medium heat, toast almonds, cinnamon, and cayenne until fragrant (about 3 minutes).
2. Grind almond mixture in food processor until very fine.  Set aside.
3. Melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add cocoa powder and espresso powder and stir until mixture forms smooth paste.  Set aside to cool
4. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.
5. Add cooled cocoa mixture and salt (if using).
6. Add egg yolks and vanilla.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Scrape bowl.
7. Whisk nut/spice mixture into flour.
8. Add and mix in flour/nuts/spices in three additions.  Mix thoroughly, but no more than necessary, scraping bowl after each addition.
9. Shape dough into two logs 2 “ in diameter and 12” long .  Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap.
10. Chill until very firm and cold, at least one hour.
11. Roll chilled logs in decorative course grind sugar.
12. Slice cookies ¼” thick and place on cookie sheets. 
13. Bake 10 minutes at 375°.  Do not overbake.  Rotate baking sheet halfway through cooking time.  If cookies begin to darken on edges, they have overbaked.
14. Cool 5 minutes.
15. Dust with confectioners sugar.
16. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

 

Molasses Cookies (Yield:  20 dozen)

1 ½ cup butter

2 cups sugar

½ cup molasses

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

Additional sugar to coat formed cookies

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs one at a time, mix well.
3. Add molasses, mix well.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt, Add to butter/sugar mixture
5. Chill overnight.
6. Taking @ 1 cup of dough out of the refrigerator at a time, shape in ½ inch balls.
7. Roll cookie dough balls in sugar (at this point balls can be refrigerated for future baking).
8. Bake for 6 minutes (8 minutes if cookie dough balls are frozen) at 375°.
9. Cool on rack.

 Note:  When I freeze, rather than refrigerate ,cookie dough balls, the resulting cookies taste as good, but don’t look as nice.

The Best of Indie Sewing Patterns December 13, 2009

The delicious Study Hall Skirt pattern from Anna Maria Horner

Read the latest DIY Design column for the top picks in indie sewing patterns. Click here.

Learn, Baby, Learn: The best of online sewing instruction December 4, 2009

You don’t have to live in a big city or go to a fancy fashion school to get top notch sewing instruction. Read my column about online sewing classes here.

Whip up some DIY accessories today November 25, 2009

Check out my column on quick-sew bags, jewelry and flower adornments that you can put together in no time. Read it here…

Project Runway Finale: Guess who won? November 22, 2009

You’ll never believe it, or maybe you will. Read my recap here …

Project Runway: Getting Ready for Bryant Park November 20, 2009

The finale is tonight. Catch up on last week’s episode here.

Sewers turn to the quilting aisle for yummy fabrics and projects November 18, 2009

Read here about great projects and colorful fabrics that are drawing sewers in droves to the quilting world …

Easy, Elegant and Quick Salad November 9, 2009

baby spring greens, dried apricots, pine nuts and white cheddar

I have a formula for eight ingredients that always make an elegant salad – four for the salad and four for the dressing:

Salad

1 pound washed Greens

2 handfuls Dried Fruit

1 large handful Nuts

2 oz. Cheese

Dressing

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Pepper

I have made this salad using arugula, dried apricots, pine nuts and feta cheese.  I have made this salad using romaine lettuce, raisins, chopped almonds and cheddar cheese.  The formula is simple and you can usually make it with what’s on hand at anyone’s house that you’re visiting.  In fact, I came up with this formula last year when I was visiting my sister and she asked me to come up with something to do with a bag of arugula that only had one or two days left.

If you use a bag of pre-washed lettuce, there is no washing of vegetables involved in making this salad.  The only chopping depends on the fruit, nuts and cheese you select.  I don’t even measure for the ingredients, I eyeball 4 parts oil to 1 part vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.

About salad dressing.

Salad dressing is so easy to make, it’s one of the products people buy that I cannot understand.  The basic formula for salad dressing is: 4 parts oil to 1 part acid.  From there you can add flavors:  salt, pepper, mustard, garlic, finely chopped onions, sugar, etc.  For oil, I generally use olive oil, but any oil will do.  For acid, I usually use red wine vinegar, but balsamic, rice vinegar or lemon juice work fine.  To make salad dressing, you just put all your ingredients into a jar, shake vigorously and pour over your salad.

old jelly jar I use for mixing salad dressing

One of my favorite trivia facts is that the word “salad” comes from the Latin word “sal,” for salt.  That’s because the original salad dressing is salt.  When I am at a function where the only options for salad dressing are store-bought ones with too many ingredients for my taste, I use salt only to dress my salad and feel very “classic” in my food taste.

Project Runway Update: Guess who’s going to Fashion Week? November 7, 2009

Well, the last challenge is over and 2 of the 5 designers went home. Read here to find out who …