Cappuccino Muffins

It's time to take an after Christmas tea break with a cappuccino muffin.

I'm using this teapot that's a favorite winter one that my sis gave me years ago.  

A sweet friend sent me this pine cone teacup and plate, that I dearly love.

My friend Joy and I saw these last year when we were strolling through Tuesday Morning, and we each bought one for each other.  

I was one happy Nana this past Christmastime, as I had all eight of my grandchildren together in my home.  There's nothing better than that!! 
 

 

Yield: 12-15

Author: Kitty, but recipe was discovered at Creekside Cottage., and Deanna found the recipe at Autumn In The Country at Gooseberry Patch.

Cappuccino Muffins

Even though I'm not a coffee drinker, I do love these muffins. They also make wonderful gifts for friends and family.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1  egg, beaten
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• sparkling sugar for on top (my addition because I like the extra crunch)
  

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
2.  In another bowl, combine milk and coffee granules and egg.  Stir into flour mixture.  Add the butter and vanilla: mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle on the sparkling sugar,  if using.  Bake at 375 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

 

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 Happy New Year!  Hopefully 2021 will be a much better year for all of us! 

Peppermint Bark

Happy Christmas week to all of you!!  I've set up my tea in my Butler's Pantry, which is where I have my electric tea kettle, and my tea supplies.  We are having Candy Cane Lane tea with some peppermint bark. 

This Lady Catherine's Tea Room light was bought years ago with my late beloved mom at a K Mart.  My real name is Catherine, and this will go to my granddaughter Cissy one day, as her real name is Catherine, too.  Isn't it the sweetest?  I have it plugged into a timer, and it is there to greet me in the wee morning hours when I get up.  I'm an early riser, and this is such a pretty sight when it's still dark outside. 

My darling daughter gifted me with this pretty poinsettia teacup and matching creamer last year. 

My family gifted me this beautiful nativity set years ago, and I love setting it up.  It really is the perfect Christmas decoration.

Mary from Home Is Where The Boat Is makes this incredible bark that you vary for the different seasons. You can find Mary's recipe and directions here.  The base is chocolate Graham Crackers, and then melted Almond Bark or Candiquick is poured and spread on top.  I sprinkled crushed peppermint candy pieces and colorful Christmas sprinkles while the candy was still warm. After it's cooled, you break it a part with the tip of a knife.  It's wonderful for gifting, and it's so addictive!! 

 

 I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas week! 

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Date Logs

Is there anyone out there that loves anything with dates, as much as I do??  Oh, how I think of my mom when I eat anything with dates, as we both loved them.  We can share a cup of vanilla cinnamon tea, if you'd like.

This cute Santa teapot was something I got last year at a gift exchange.  Isn't it cute??

This was one of my first Santas that my daughter gave me.  The calendar year that's in his lap is from 1996. That popcorn is really old!!! Don't you love his nightshirt and cap, his bunny slippers, and his spectacles?  

This pretty teacup is called Stechcol by Gracie Bone China.

The saucer is just as pretty as the teacup, and looks so vintage.

Yield: recipe says 48, but I get 32

Author: Kitty, but recipe is from my Farm Journal Christmas Cookbook

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Date Logs

I bought this cookbook back in 1973, before I had any children. These cookies are ones that I could eat every day. My late beloved mom and I loved anything with dates, and I always think of her.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup chopped, pitted dates (I use a heaping cup, which is an 8 ounce bag from Aldi, but I never buy the pre-chopped ones)
  
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 eggs, well beaten

Instructions

1. Sift together dry ingredients (I just use a whisk to do this).
2. Stir  in dates, walnuts and eggs.
3. Pour into a greased 9" square pan.
4. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
5. Cool, and cut into logs.  Roll in powdered sugar.

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         Thank you for your visit!  xo

Thumbprint (Scandinavian) Cookies

It was such a pretty day here that I decided to set up my tea outside. I've made my late beloved mom's Scandinavian Cookies, which are really just thumbprints, but that was the name on her recipe, and I'm sticking with it. 

I always love bringing out my old friend, the baking Santa.  Isn't he the cutest?

Of course, sipping tea from my December Royal Albert teacup is always a pleasure.  Today it's Constant Comment tea to enjoy.

 

 

I thought  I'd show you what my little waterfall looks like.  My son covered it with bird netting to prevent all the leaves from my Bald Cypress tree from clogging it up.  Soon we'll be able to take the netting off.

 

 

Yield: around 20 cookies

Author: Kitty, but recipe is from my late beloved mom

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Thumbprint (Scandinavian) Cookies

My mom used to make these every Christmas. Isn't it nice to bring out recipes of loved ones to have their memory with us as we bake?

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg, separated
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts because my mom always did)
• Preserves of your choice

Instructions

1. Cream butter, add sugar, egg yolk, and beat.
2. Add the flour and the vanilla and mix.
3. Roll the dough into balls, about the size of walnuts, and dip into slightly beaten egg white, and then roll into the finely chopped  nuts.
4. Make a dent in the center, and add a small amount of preserves.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Notes:

I used my Christmas Jam for filling the centers. 

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Peanut Blossom Spritz Cookies

I've made some Peanut Blossom Spritz cookies today for tea time. Won't you join me?  We can have a cup of Constant Comment tea, if you'd like.

I'm using my Merry Christmas Johnson Bros teacup.

My sweet tea set was a gift from my youngest son, when he was just a little boy.

 

I was lucky to find a matching plate to my teacup.

My Goebel piece was from my late beloved Dad.

 

 

I bought a smaller tree this year, that is easier for me to put up. 

 

 

 

My sister sent me a little tea set awhile back and I took a tip from Margie, from  Tea In The Valley and glued the lids and saucers on the pieces to use as ornaments on my tree.

 

For probably 30 years I had a Mirro Cookie Press, and it sadly broke a few years back.  A thoughtful friend of mine found me one and I am thrilled beyond belief!  There is nothing like this old-fashioned Mirro one.  It holds the most dough of any, and I am one happy baker! 

Yield: recipe says 48, but I got many more

Author: Kitty, but recipe is from my Mirro Cookie Press Cookbook

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Peanut Blossom Spritz Cookies

I used my cookie press snowflake design to make the blossoms, and sprinkled them with red sugar before baking. This was so much easier than forming balls for peanut blossoms. Spritz cookies form best on really cold cookie sheets, so I put the cookie sheets in the freezer beforehand.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1 and 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Colored sugar, optional
• 1 bag of Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream shortening and sugars well.
3. Beat in egg, peanut butter and hot water
4. Gradually blend in flour, baking soda, and salt which  have been sifted together (I use a whisk to blend all).
5. Fill press.  Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar, if you wish.
6. Bake cookies for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, and immediately add a kiss to the center of the cookie, pressing down firmly.  Cool 1-2 minutes. 
8. Remove cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes:

Use really cold cookie sheets and never put spritz cookies on warm cookie sheets.

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Thank you for your visit!  xo

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Refrigerator Rolls

I wasn't going to start decorating before Thanksgiving, but I started it anyway, since I'm not hosting.  It's always festive when the decorations are out, but it takes me all day any more.   These rolls are so good and I'm having one with some of my Christmas Jam.

It's always nice to bring out my old dishes that my late beloved and I collected from various Target stores, over 30+ years ago, back when Target was called Gold Circle.  I'm having a cup of Harney and Sons Holiday Tea. 

I made this tea cozy last year, and it's reversible.  I think it goes well with my dishes.

My dear daughter bought me all these cooking utensil ornaments for my little kitchen tree.  I put an angel cookie cutter on top.

I shared this roll recipe in my first year of blogging, which can be found here and wanted to share again.  The dough keeps in the fridge for a week, which is nice if you want to plan ahead.  It's a very sticky dough, but makes the best rolls, which I've been making for over 40 years.

I doubled the recipe this time.

Author: Kitty

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Refrigerator Rolls

This recipe was given to me my longtime friend, Susie, back when we were neighbors in Ohio. I've adapted the recipe slightly over the years. Back then, it called for a cake of yeast. Susie got the recipe from a Mennonite friend. It makes great cinnamon rolls, too, by rolling out, spreading with butter and sugar and cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 T. yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3-4 cups flour

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix. I use my Kitchen Aid, but you can easily do this by hand. Add the flour, starting with 3 cups. I usually use about 3 1/2 cups of flour. Cover the bowl & refrigerate for 1 day or up to 1 week.
2. Take the dough out of the refrigerator 2 hours before you need it. Shape the dough into balls. I usually get around 18-20 rolls. I roll the balls into a little flour before shaping them because the dough is rather sticky. I put them into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Cover & let rise until doubled in size.
3. Uncover & bake the rolls in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.

Notes:

 You can skip the refrigerator rising & just let the dough rise until doubled, punch down & then shape & let rise again until doubled.

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Maple Walnut Scones

How about a maple walnut scone and a cup of maple tea today?  My leopard print pumpkin was mod podged my me several years ago, by using leopard print tissue paper.  It looks pretty with my quilt-as-you-go minky throw that I made about 10 years ago.  It was a fun project, and was pre-cut in fabrics that I chose. 

The little cottage girl teapot was one that my mom gave me, and she had found it at a thrift store. Isn't it sweet?  It's elevated on a teacup and saucer.  The maple tea was given to me from a friend, who visited Canada (before Covid-19!!).

This is a Johnson Brothers Olde English Countryside teacup.

This pretty brown transferware plate is called Harvest, by Clarice.

My grandson, Riley, turned 17, and completed three birthdays in one week of grandchildren!

 

 

Yield: 6

Author: Kitty, but recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour

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Maple Walnut Scones

The original recipe made 24 mini scones or 12 large. I cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients

• For the Scones:
• 1 and 3/4 cups flour
• heaping 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped finely (save some extra for garnishing)
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter (I used salted), cold, and cut into pats
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (maple flavoring would be good, but I didn't have any)
  
• For the glaze:
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla (or maple flavoring)

Instructions

1. For the Scones:
2. Toast the walnuts in a 350 degree oven for 7-9 minutes, and let cool, and then finely chop.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, walnuts, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the milk, maple syrup, and the vanilla or maple flavoring.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a soft dough is formed.
6. Flour a piece of parchment paper and scrape the dough onto the parchment paper or work surface. 
7. Gently pat the the dough into a circle that's about 6" in diameter and 3/4" thick.
8. Transfer the circle to a baking sheet, leaving the parchment paper, and using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, divide into six wedges.  Gently separate the wedges so that they are about 1" apart.
9. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place the pan in fridge to chill for about 20-30 minutes.  This helps their texture. 
10. Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven , wait a few minutes and separate them with a knife and transfer them to a cooling rack.
12. To make the glaze:  Combine all of the galze ingredients, stirring until smooth.
13. When the scones are cool, drizzle them with the glaze.  I topped the glaze with some extra of the finely chopped toasted walnuts.
14. You can store the scones, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days or freeze for longer storage. 

Notes:

I like to freeze the unbaked scones and then pull out what I need and bake them fresh. You may allow a few extra minutes of baking time, if needed.

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 Thank you for your visit!  xo

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