QUILTY STUFF AND CHRISTMAS COOKIES

 Colder weather gives me lots of time for quilting and baking. Here is some of both activities.

1. Bean's Baby Quilt--all it needs is the binding hand sewn in place and a label. He/she is due March 23, 2024 and we are excited for a new grandchild. Baby shower is in late January and I will be ready:

I always quilt at least one heart into every quilt I make--can you find it?

Flannel Baby Feet on the back

2. Proposals for International Quilt Festival Fall 2024--I had such a great time teaching at Houston this year and the students were exceptionally gracious in their reviews that I want to do it again. The proposal process takes time so I jumped in and got it done.  Many hours are spent at the computer writing Class Descriptions and Supply Lists. 

Acceptance letters are received in late February 2024 so it will be a while before I know if I will be teaching.  My proposals include a few new classes, a couple that are hand work, a couple that sold out quickly this past year, and Sampler demonstrations. I love to attend Samplers so hope to be a presenter this year. Here is a teaser shot:

3. The 2024 Block of the Month for The Quilt Show starts January 1, 2024. The Show that features designer Jen Kingwell starts to air December 31, 2023 and is FREE TO ALL. I encourage you to watch it, you might get excited to join in. Jen does a lot of hand work and her instructions feature that. I am machine piecing as much as possible for speed.  

I have to work ahead so I am ready to write monthly blog posts and do the LIVE broadcasts each month--the first LIVE will go up January 1, 2024, noon central time. I will pre-record it as we are now spending the day with our family. So it will be "not so LIVE". The broadcasts are always recorded so you can watch when convenient. Find them HERE

Here is my middle so far--months 1-3:

4. Now that Pick a Petal is to this stage I have to make Antelope Canyon Dit Dot Evolution for an upcoming class at Southern Charm Quilting, a local quilt shop. Sign up now if you are interested. Please support local classes if you want to have them in the future. Shops and teachers depend on it:

5. Cookie Baking time is here. Just a few of my favorites. Find ALL the recipes up there in the RECIPES tab above:

Mexican Wedding Cookies, aka Snowballs or Sandies

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti logs before slicing 

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti ready to eat--love these with coffee or cocoa

Forget 'Ems

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pecan

Old Fashioned Butter Cookies

I will probably make a few more batches--using cake mix is an easy way to make cookies. Red Velvet is up next...

Cake Mix Cookies

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, however and whatever you celebrate. My best wishes to you for a happy and healthy New Year!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

RECIPES

This is the only time of year I do much baking. But, boy, have I been busy!

This year I tried a new recipe--CRANBERRY WALNUT ARTISAN BREAD, here is mine:

My friend Kim Brunner posted the recipe on her Facebook page and I thought "this looks easy and yummy". It was both. But it did cost me about $100 to make because I didn't have a Dutch Oven. So now I do and I will use it for lots more things in the future, bringing the "cost/loaf" down considerably. There are several recipes for this method using different ingredients--ROSEMARY is up next at my house.

Another of my favorite things to make are Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti cookies. Find my post with the recipe here: CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI. I ran out of pistachios this time so used some walnuts too and that was just fine: 

An easy recipe that I love is for 'FORGET 'EMS". Made from egg whites and sugar, they are basically meringue that has chocolate chips and nuts added. You can add food coloring for red and green ones or pink and blue for a baby shower. They are called "forget 'ems" because once you put them on the cookie sheet while the oven preheats you TURN OFF THE OVEN and FORGET 'EM overnight in the oven. Easy and so good. 

The recipe is in that same earlier post: HOLIDAY BAKING:

All of these go directly into the freezer to keep for the next few weeks. And I usually ship some off to friends in need of a sweet gift. 

Still yet to be made this week are Toffee and Butter Cookies. And the week before Christmas I will have Stella here for a cookie baking sleepover so we will make a few other types of holiday goodies.

We might even work on a quilt.

I save LOTS of recipes on my PINTEREST boards--they are saved  in categories like SWEETS, BREAD, SAVORY ENTREES, INSTANT POT, etc. You can easily find my Boards by using the FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST link right over there on the right side of this blog.

Happy baking!

Barbara

Christmas/Holiday/Winter Baking

Pick your descriptive word, this is the time of year a lot of us bake stuff, mostly sweet stuff.  Today is extra cold here, high in the low 30's and blustery so it's a great day to bake.  Once these photos hit Facebook I got recipe requests so here are 3 of my FAVORITE recipes I love to bake this time of year.

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

1 1/3 cups dried cranberries, Craisins, about 1/4 pound

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup shelled pistachio nuts

Egg Wash:  one large egg and 1 teaspoon water

In a small bowl combine cranberries with enough hot water to cover and let soak for 5 minutes.  Drain cranberries and pat dry with paper towels.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment blend dry ingredients until well combined.  Add eggs one at a time and the vanilla, beating until dough is formed.  Stir in cranberries and pistachios.  Turn dough out on floured surface--it will be very sticky.  Knead it several times and halve it.

With floured hands form each half of dough into a flattish log 13" long and 2" wide.  Arrange the logs at least 3" apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet OR use parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.  Brush logs with egg wash. NOTE: DON'T FORGET THIS STEP,  I OFTEN DO!

 Bake in the middle of preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes.  

Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet on a rack for 10 minutes.  After cooling, on a cutting board, cut the logs crosswise on the diagonal into 3/4" slices.  Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on the baking sheet and bake in 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Turn them over and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until pale golden.  Transfer to racks to cool and store in a airtight container.  Makes about 36 biscotti.

I received this recipe from a good friend, Sharon S., and the first time I made them she came over and we did a baking day together.  That was fun and I learned how to make them with her help.  It's really easy and now I make them every year.  

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/2 cup butter or margarine                            2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cup sugar                                                1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg                                                                1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup canned pumpkin                                     1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla                                            1 teaspoon nutmeg

                                                                         1 teaspoon cinnamon

                                                                          1 cup chocolate chips

                                                                         1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg, pumpkin, and vanilla.  Mix together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, mix well.  Add chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by teaspoon onto well-greased cookie sheets OR use parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove from cookie sheets while still warm.  Makes about 6 dozen.  NOTE:  I double this recipe and chill the dough when first made, as it is really soft.  These cookies freeze well.

NOW, HERE are my MOST FAVORITE COOKIE OF ALL:

"FORGET 'EMS"

2 egg whites, room temperature                  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tarter                      1 6 oz. package Chocolate Chips

1/8 teaspoon Salt                                         1 cup broken or chopped pecans

2/3 cup Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat egg whites, cream of tarter and vanilla.  Add sugar gradually and beat until sugar is dissolved--this may take 15 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients.  Drop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheets OR use parchment paper or silicon baking sheet.  Place ALL the cookie sheets in the oven at one time.  TURN OFF THE OVEN IMMEDIATELY.  Leave them overnight to dry out, in other words, "forget about them" until mornng.  Makes about 5 dozen.  Use food coloring if you wish, to make pink, blue, red, green, etc. cookies.

NOTE:  I make these two or three times each year because they are so easy.  As I am preparing dinner, I separate the egg whites from yolks when eggs are cold, let the whites come to room temperature while we eat dinner, and I discard the yolks.  After dinner I mix the cookies and put in the oven, clean up the kitchen and "forget 'em" until morning.  These store well in the freezer.

We all  have our favorite recipes, and I will make a few more different kinds but these are the first 3 I make each year.  I'll need an extra few minutes on the elliptical trainer today!

Let's Quilt!

Barbara