Recipe Share...Almond Crescents

Hello. I love Almonds, I love anything Almond flavored. I just really love almond desserts. So my friend (the same that makes the 20 plus Rum cakes every year) tried a new recipe about 2 years ago using "Baker Almond Filling". She brought them over and they were a hit, even with the hubby and that's saying ALOT!!  So they are going into the cookie rotation this year. Here is the recipe and I believe it's on the back of the jar too!!

Almond Crescents

ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 ts almond extract
1 jar Baker Almond Filling
2 cups all purpose flour
Confectioners Sugar

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in almond extract and almond filling until blended. Stir in flour with wooden spoon to make stiff dough. Cover and refrigerate at LEAST 4 HOURS or until dough is no longer sticky.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Dust hands with flour. Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into small tapered crescents about 2 1/2 inches apart.

Bake 15 mins to 20 mins or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks 1 minute. Remove from baking shets and cool on racks. Dust with confectioners sugar while cookies are still warm. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.


Thats it, they are DELISH, if you like almond anything! 

Sometime this week I will share a great Breakfast recipe that you make ahead of time and just pop in the oven while opening presents....then its all ready to eat!!!

Recipe Share....

Are you Ready? There is only 11 days and 14 some hours til Christmas!!!!!!!! Yikes. I am finished with my shopping, have been since before thanksgiving, but I am still buying - the downside to finishing up early!

So I am going to share a little recipe that I love to make for Christmas - Ricotta Cookies. Don't go ewwww! lol  They are moist and delicious.  My kids LOVE them. My great-grand parents all came to America from Italy...so I have alot of Italian in me!  So quite a few of our holiday cookies are Italian cookies, usually made with Anisette. I also make a Ricotta Pie that I just LOVE. If you love Canolli (which I do) you would love the Ricotta Pie. It's delish! I'll share that another day.  Today, you're getting Ricotta Cookies:

Ricotta Cookies

1 cup Butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
16 oz. ricotta cheese
2 ts. vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ts baking powder
1 ts. baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 ts. butter
1/2 ts shortening
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 TB Lemon extract
1/2 cup colored candy sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or use Silicone mats (my preferred way to bake).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then add ricotta cheese and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and soda. Stir into the ricotta mixture. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 mins.  Allow cookies to cool on sheet for 5 minutes, remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:  Warm milk, butter and shortening in small pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until solids are melted. Remove from heat and gradually stir in confectioners sugar and lemon extract.  Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing and then dip into sprinkles.

Makes about 48

Noel - Magnolia

*** If you are here looking for the Elisabeth Bell Blog Hop - It is 1 post below this one. Don't forget to leave  comments on all the DT's creations for your chance to win the newest Elisabeth Bell Image ***

Good Morning!  Last night my good friends, Lisette and Sam, came by to stamp with me. We never get a heck of a lot done (we mostly gab and eat! LOL) but I love when they come over. It's great, my little one leaves me alone so I can play because she has somebody to play with (Lisettes girls). We had 5 kids in the house last night, but they were great! Now the time before that, different story. I had invited the MIL to stamp with us, I think she couldn't get out of here fast enough. We told, here numerous times...we swear they usually aren't this loud and rowdy...really.  I don't think she believed us! Needless to say, they were great last night. So we had little interruptions which allowed me to get a full card made! ha!

But not this one...lol I did this one after my friends left. I have had the idea for this card since the day I got the Fall Kit, I just never had time to color her. I figured I better get her colored otherwise it will be another year! 

We got a Local Scrapbook Store in the area now...A Scrapbook Store and More. I will be teaching Copic Classes there starting January 6th!! yea!!!  I can't wait.  Anyways, I ran into the store other day and picked up these fabulous Graphic 45 papers. I love Graphic 45. There isn't a heck of a lot to the card. I started adding more embellishments but felt it didn't need it. I had flowers on it...I just liked it more simple. Sometimes more isn't always better. So I opted for a cleaner look. Agree?

I probably won't get much more done today. We are having a family day and going to dinner and to watch the boat parade at the marina with the in-laws. After all that, if it's not to late, we have plans to watch ELF or National Lampoons Christmas Vacation....great family movies! haha  Before I go, I thought I would share a recipe. I haven't been able to in the last few days so thought I would today.

 This is my great-grandmas recipe. My mom has been making these for years and now I do. Alot of people make simliar things and call them snowballs, or wedding cookies...and other names. We called ours Walnut Butter Balls.  There a little different because they have chocolate chips in them and they taste best when they are few days old. It's like the flavors mingle. Also, you will see why they are called BUTTER balls! LOL I swear, if I didn't know better I would have thought Paula Deen created this recipe! LOL

Walnut Butter Balls


7 cups Flour
3 ts. Rum extract
1 ts. Salt
8 ts. Cold water
3 cups Butter
2 – 12 oz. semi-sweet
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups chopped nuts
2 – 12 oz. semi-sweet choc. chips
1 cup powdered sugar (to roll in)

Sift together flour and salt, set aside. Beat soften butter, gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add rum extract and cold water. Beat well. Gradually add flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix well, shape into balls the size of a small walnut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 mins. While still warm, roll into powdered sugar.

Challenges:
2 sisters- Twas the night b4 christmas
Dutch Dare - Christmas
Spoonful Of Sugar - Christmas
Tuesday Taggers - Christmas
Crazy Challenge- Christmas

Hugs,

Recipe and a Re-draw (again!!)

A few years ago a customer at work brought in a cookie tray at christmas time. They had these little truffles decorating the top of the cookies. I put one of those little truffles into my mouth and was in AWWWWE. They were SO GOOD. I was like...Susan, what in the world are these and please tell me they are NOT a family recipe and you will share it with me....  She laughed then said, yes of course I will share it with you. You will laugh when you know what they are, and just how easy they are to make!!

OREO TRUFFLES (The greatest thing next to Rum Cake, IMO)

1 package Oreo Cookies, Crushed (divided)
1 - 8 oz. Cream Cheese Softened
1 - Chocolate bark or melting chocolate for candies.

Finely crush your Oreos. Reserve 1/4 cup to sprinkle on tops.  Stir in cream cheese to the rest of the oreos until well blended. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place into freezer or refrigerator so they harden up a bit. makes it easier to dip them into chocolate. Melt your chocolate. Stick a toothpick into the balls and dip into the chocolate. Place on wax paper.  Pull the Toothpick out, use it to cover the hole up with chocolate. Sprinkle tops with reserved Oreo crumbs. Let dry. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Serve. Makes about 48 truffles.

NOTE: During the holidays I tend to sprinkle mine with red and green sprinkles.

They are delicious!!!

Next - I had to do ANOTHER re-draw for the Blog Candy. This time the lucky winner is:

Jan from http://scrapnsurprise.blogspot.com/   

Fingers crossed.......Come On Jan...where are ya??? :-)) Email me at scrapgirl1210@gmail.com

Have a great day. Remember to check out my 2 previous post from today. One is for the Magnolia-licous Challenge blog and the other is an image by Mo Manning. So cute!

Hugs,

Recipe Share and more...

Hello and happy Friday!!!!  Yes, Friday has finally blessed us.  It's rather chilly here in South Florida (mid 60's today!!!) So grab a cup of Hot Cocoa (my preference hehe) or Coffee and have a nice read....it's a rather long post!!

It's been a crazy, crazy week for me. Normally I get all my Christmas decorations, my Dept 56 village, and my lights up over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, but this year I couldn't do that since we were in Sarasota. Sooooo....I have been working my booty off after work all week trying to get things in order. At one point you couldn't walk through my house...yes....I'm serious!  At last though, I have it in somewhat order. Finally!  We still have to do the lights outside, saving that for Saturday. It's dark by the time the hubby gets home during the week.  I love this time of year, but I hate how dark it gets so early!!! This is the ONLY nice time to go for bike rides here....and by the time you get home...it's dark!! It really puts a damper on things!

So what does this all my crazyiness mean??? Well, no time for stamping! I have just been slammed. Although I have no project to show you, I thought I would share a recipe with you today. Actually, I think I am going to post some of my favorite recipes of the season on days that I do not have a card to post. I will try to do this up until christmas.  All are tried and loved recipes by myself. I am a pretty awesome cook and baker, btw....not to toot my own horn....but I do rock! LOL I have a rather large department at my job and if anybody see's any sweets in our little break room, they will ask who made it....did Tracy? hehe

I'm going to start out with with a Rum Cake recipe. Why? Well because the Holiday Parties are starting and it's great to take with you. So easy, so MOIST and soooooo yummy!



Rum Cake

1 cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Yellow Cake Mix (I prefer Dunkin Hines)
1 (3.4 oz) instant yellow pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum (I use Spiced Capt Morgan)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 dark rum

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of your pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil, and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well, about 2 minutes. Pour batter over chopped nuts in Bundt pan.

Bake for 55-60 minutes in preheated oven. While your cake is cooking, mix up your glaze. In a saucepan combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup dark rum.

Once your cake is finished, let sit for 10 mins in pan, then turn out onto serving plate and then back into your bundt pan. (I do this to loosen it up so the glaze soaks in nicely.  Spoon glaze over the cake letting it soak in. You may want to add a little. Let it soak in. Add some more...repeat. After it's all soaked in nicely, invert onto your serving plate. If you have glaze left you can brush the outside of the cake...but not neccessary.

That's it...easy, peasy.

I have a friend who has a recipe that I think is almost exact and she makes 20 or more of these over the holiday season! yikes!  I am not that loved....I will probably make about 5 or so!! I'm actually making one maybe two tonight for a party tomorrow night!

Also, this cake freezes great. I cut in into wedges and wrap each individually and freeze. Comes out just as moist as when you put it in the freezer!

Next....While we were in Sarasota we had our pictures taken on the beach. We have beaches where I am but they are not nearly as nice as the beaches on the gulf side. So we took this opportunity to have my husbands aunt and uncle do pictures...they are photographers. I did the touch ups my self..because we were antsy and didn't want to wait to get the pictures! I still need to work on that!

Oh you see my face.......ok so really I had just put my foot into a bunch of "stickers" or Burrs, whatever you want to call them....so I was feeling the pain...trying to laugh it off! LOL

My babies, oh my gosh, I can't believe how big they are getting!!! My son will be 11 in January and the little one is 6. Time just flys!

Since I am typing, thought I would show you my massive village. Ok...so maybe it isn't as massive as some peoples, but I think it is! I once belonged to a Dept 56 club with my MIL and Friend. We had just started out collecting and the others were "DIE-HARDS". Let me tell you they were not very nice about it either..ok not all of them were mean....but you know that ol' saying one bad apple....well needless to say I do not belong to that group anymore. One good thing did come of it. We got some awesome ideas for villages. Like...using styrofoam and cutting holes to "drop" the cords...well duh! Seems simple now...but it didn't at first!  Some of these people started their village in Sept...thats how detailed they were! They had different levels and trains.  Mine isn't that fancy, but I think it's nice. Btw, I put up 2 villages one is Christmas in the City and the other is smaller, it's my kids village and is a mixture of North Pole and Elfland...

The river is made out of stryofoam and envirotec. I used a hot knife to make "waves" and then painted it. After it was dry, I poured envirotec on it. It hardens to look like almost like glass. Pretty neat stuff. I also made the brick walls out of styrofoam. 

Central Park....I haven't finished the ice skating rink. Who knows, I may not! lol  I have a skater for it too, but she isn't out and I just don't have it in me to find her at the moment!

Our North Pole Village, it's small..I want more pieces, but then again, I don't. Trying storing things like this all year round in Florida!! We have no basements!!! Not easy to have collections this big.

Our tree...pretty much finished.

Well thats all that I have to show today. I will have a post tomorrow.....with a card!! Yay!!  Look for more yummy family recipes to come this week.

Hugs and Happy Holidays,