scottish kilt placemats {in the craft room}

i'm planning a burn's night supper

it happens on january 25th

and is a night of 

literature, revelry

and

haggis

i thought it might be fun 

to have place settings

that match the theme

plaid and kilts

seem very scottish to me

(click here for tutorial)

*these are time consuming, but easy for anyone with basic sewing skills. if you have any questions about the tutorial or method, please leave me a comment and i will get back to you in a jiffy

gingerbread construction {tips and tricks}

what is so wonderful about 

gingerbread houses

is that they are always

magical

even when they are a 

big. fat. mess

some years

i do an elaborate construction

(with assistance from hubster-of course)

like this

and sometimes

like this

and occasionally

simple 

like these

but no matter how

elaborate or simple

there are a few things that

are a constant

and 

important

today

i am sharing with you

some of my tricks

for stress free gingerbread house construction

Making Plans

-let the gingerbread dough rest in the refrigerator overnight before baking

-do not construct the house on the same day you have baked the gingerbread, give it a day to cool and settle

-if you buy pre-made gingerbread pieces, make sure they are dry before decorating or constructing

-to dry pieces out (especially in humid environment), place them on a cookie sheet and place in a slow (225-250F) oven until they firm up

Construction Management

-if using a purchased kit, do not, i repeat, do not use the frosting that comes with the kit to assemble the house. it will frustrate the dickens out of you.  make a nice big batch of Royal Icing (alton brown's recipe)

-if you are decorating with mainly candies and sprinkles, construct the house at least 12 hours before decorating---24 hours is best

-if you want the candies to stick, use royal icing.  if you want them to taste yummy, use frosting.

-assemble the walls of the house first, allow to dry for about an hour, then attach the roof pieces.

-prop the pieces up while they are drying, even if it looks like they are staying without a problem.

-allow the house to fully dry, before adhering it to a base

Custom Built

-if perfect corners and straight edges are your thing, use a micro-plane to shave the ends of the gingerbread pieces.

-if looking for a darker hue on your gingerbread, or to paint gum pieces to look like hardwood floors, simply mix a bit of coffee granules into vodka to desired color and consistency and paint it on.  the vodka will evaporate quickly.

-when piping intricate details, use a piping bag with a tip.  you will get consistent results and small detailed lines.

-when using the piping bag, do not over-fill, particularly if you have small hands.  put no more than a cup of royal icing in at a time.

-if you make a mistake and it really bothers you, wait until it dries to easily pick it off

-when doing intricate detail work, it is best to decorate the house before constructing. it allows for more freedom of motion

but most of all

have fun!

i would love to hear any tips you may have for stress free gingerbread construction

or

if you have a question about this topic that i didn't answer

please feel free to ask in the comments

heart palmiers

we have neighbors

with fabulous taste

crown molding

silver service

art gallery lighting

kind of taste

i almost wonder

if hubs and i 

are their pro-bono friends

while residing in california

we rang in 

london's new year

together

complete with

champagne

caviar

and

crown roast

imagine my horror

as i catch

from the corner of my eye

hubs

in all his glory

hands full of palmiers

flaky crumbs falling to his beard

a smile as broad as his shoulders

complimenting the hostess

on her fabulous dessert

turning to me

gave a grand wink

and said

"you should make these"

so i did

   simple easy heart palmiers

1 sheet puff pastry--cold but not frozen

2 Tbs unsalted butter--melted

2 Tbs granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup granulated sugar for dipping

place puff pastry on a sheet of parchment. in a small bowl, mix together the 2 Tbs granulated sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. using a pastry brush, brush the butter evenly covering the entire piece of pastry. evenly and liberally sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the butter. measure or eye the center of the puff pastry and gently score with the dull end of a knife (do not cut through) starting on one end, tightly roll the dough to the center.  roll the opposite end to the center, forming what looks like a scroll.  gently press together, and if you would like an exaggerated heart shape, pinch the bottom to a point.  wrap in parchment and/or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill. after 1 hour and up to 24 hours, preheat the oven to 375F.  line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a saucer or shallow bowl. remove the dough from the refrigerator and slice crosswise in 1/4" sections.  reshape as necessary, then dip both sides in the sugar. place on parchment paper approximately 1" apart. bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.  allow to cool a bit, but not fully before removing from the parchment.  the sugar will cause them to stick if they cool too much.  allow to finish cooling on a wire rack.

eat with abandon!

linking up to

504 Main--tickled pink

gravlax

we had a gorgeous feast 

for 

christmas dinner

a feast

of seven fishes

actually

i was excited to present

home cured

gravlax

during cocktails

many years ago

before i had cable

leaving me with 5 channels

(and surprisingly a lot more interesting tv)

i watched a lot of julia child on pbs

each episode

numerous times

an episode i distinctly remember

is one where she made gravlax with a seattle chef

i was amazed

but never actually made it

truthfully

i'm not much a fan of salmon

but this

this gravlax

is something really special

pure in flavor

sweet

salty 

briny

fresh

my family

never shy to poke fun

was primed to make bait jokes

but

 found it difficult

to utter much of anything

through their stuffed gullets

 

 gravlax

(printable recipe)

this takes several days to cure, plan accordingly

1 1/2 lbs fresh salmon filet (you must use salmon in season)

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vanilla sugar*

1 Tbs grapefruit zest

1 heaping Tbs pink peppercorns

1-2 sprigs thyme

rinse and dry the salmon filet.  line a casserole dish with plastic wrap, overlapping considerably.  place salmon filet in dish.  in a bowl mix together the salt, vanilla sugar, brown sugar, grapefruit zest, peppercorns and thyme.  coat the salmon heavily with the mixture...be generous and make sure the entire surface is covered. close the salmon in the plastic wrap, making sure it is well covered. 

 place a board or casserole dish on top of the fish, then use cans or bottles to weigh it down.  place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  

after 24 hours, remove the weight, open the plastic wrap, you will see that the sugar and salt are now liquid, use it to baste the fish. wrap again in plastic and place the weight back on.  place in the refrigerator for another 24 hours.  on day three, repeat the process.  on day four, your fish will be cured (if you are using a larger piece of fish, it may well take a bit more time).  your fish should be firm and have become a bit deeper in color.  remove from the cure and gently rinse with very cold water.  dry.  slice off a thin piece and taste.  if it is overwhelmingly salty, place cold water in a casserole dish and put the fish in meat side down. cover and place in refrigerator and let sit for 1 hour.  remove from water and taste again. if the fish is still unbearably salty, soak it again for a maximum of 1 hour.  

serve with blini, creme fraiche and dill or chives

*to make vanilla sugar, whirl 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 dried vanilla bean pod in a food processor. 

easter bunny

want the beauty of a

white chocolate

easter bunny

with the taste 

of 

deep brown

bittersweet chocolate

?

me too

which is why

i 

dipped my 

bunny

in 

royal icing

now

 it has a

hard candy coating

and

looks like

italian pottery

i love it so much

it might never get eaten

Happy Easter

st. paddy's cake

i do enjoy

a snazzy chapeau

especially

if it is edible

this is a simple 7" layer cake

placed on a 10" cake round

place the fondant covered cake in the middle of the round

roll out a strip of fondant wide enough and long enough for the brim, curling up the edges.

using a brush, paint a bit of water on the round (only a little) to help the brim stick and carefully place along the edges of the cake

the shamrocks are fashioned from lightly colored fondant cut out with a cookie cutter. i softened the edges a bit with my fingers to give them a bit of movement.

the buckle is simply rolled fondant covered in edible gold leaf, then brushed with a bit of bronze luster dust. 

i used just a bit of water to adhere all the elements onto the cake

if you would like more details or further instruction on how i made this

please ask

i promise i won't tell you

that a leprechaun left it behind

at the pub i frequent

i am linking this up to 

tickled pink at 504main

and

and
tatertots and jello

rock candy

my kitchen has been looking like a science lab lately

not because 

it is pristinely clean

with
clutterless counter tops

and
nerdies wandering around

but because

i have been making
rock candy

several attempts

i might add

it all started out innocently enough

sugar

water

string

but then

i got sassy

like i am debeers or something

i thought it would be

fun and cheeky

to make

rock candy jewels

something 

for a

big night out

i settled on 

 drop earrings

simple, right?

here is the rub

the fun flew faster 

than a spy plane

out this nerdies door
while
obsessive took its place

in the end

i got the perfect pair

 

now

i'm not sure

if i should
 wear or eat 

them
rock candy
(printable recipe)
2 cups water
4 cups sugar
food coloring (optional)
up to 1 tsp flavoring (optional)
baker's twine 
granulated sugar
cut the baker's twine to desired length. tie the twine off to a wooden skewer or pencil.  this will allow you to suspend it in the syrup. Dip the twine in water, then roll in a bit of granulated sugar to coat.  allow to dry while you make the syrup.
bring water and 1 cup of sugar to a simmer in a saucepan.  while the water is still simmering, add sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring and ensuring the sugar has completely dissolved before adding the next cup.  once all sugar is incorporated, remove from heat and add coloring and flavoring.  allow the syrup to cool slightly, then pour into a clean and sterilized glass jar or tall glass.  you will need a separate glass for each rock candy you want to make.
suspend the twine in the syrup being careful that it does not touch the bottom or sides of glass.  crystals should begin to form in about 4 hours.  if there is no activity within 24 hours remove the twine, pour the syrup back into a pot and heat to a simmer.  return to the clean and sterilized jar and start again.  if you see excessive crystallization on the sides of the jar or glass, remove the twine and perform the above steps, otherwise you will have a glass full of hard sugar crystals.  
check your twine daily. when you have the rock candy of your desire, remove from the syrup and allow to hang dry for a few hours.

conversation hearts

valentine's day

wouldn't be complete

without a conversation

through

candy hearts

i remember the days

when hearts were carefully shared

making sure

i love you

didn't get inadvertently passed

to a

4th grade crush

also important

sharing only

the good flavors

anyone would shudder

to see

the object of her affection

chewing up and spitting out

her heart

ten years old

is too young

to fully understand

foreshadowing

this year

i am confident 

that hubster

will appreciate

an 

i love you

or three

in such flavors as

orancello

coconut

green tea

almond

anisette

coffee

and

vanilla bean 

 conversation hearts
(printable recipe)

1/4 oz gelatin

1/2 cup water

2 tsp light corn syrup

2 lbs powdered sugar

cornstarch

flavorings

color

rubber stamp kit or food color pens

place water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin over.  let bloom.  add the corn syrup and gently cook in the microwave until the gelatin and corn syrup have melted.  do this in 20 second intervals. mix the gelatin mixture into about 2/3rds of the powdered sugar.  knead with your hands, adding more powdered sugar as necessary until the dough is satiny and doesn't stick to the counter.  divide the dough into 6-8 pieces, coloring and flavoring as desired.  keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, as this dough will dry out quickly.  keep some powdered sugar on hand, in case adding color and flavor makes the dough sticky.

  roll the dough out and cut with small heart cutter. 

 place on a cornstarch dusted sheet pan and let dry a minimum of 48 hours.

when ready to decorate, use food color based pens, or brush food coloring directly onto a rubber stamp with the words spelled backwards.  press the heart onto the stamp and let dry about 15minutes.  you can also paint food coloring directly onto the heart as well.

i used this stamp set for most of mine

these are so much fun to make

i think 

a robin's egg blue box 

full of 

marry me hearts

would be a darling

proposal

or

a love poem

stamped out

word by word

heart by heart

snaked down

the dining room table

as a simple but thoughtful

centerpiece

the possibilities are endless

Just. Like. Love

i am linking this up to
rook no 17
a little birdie told me

happy heart cupcakes

i love it when i make things

that look familiar

but taste delicious

it is not so difficult

when making 

mock store-bought treats

for these

hostess like cupcakes

i used the recipe

i shared for 

homemade

ding dongs

found here

instead of loopdy loops

i made

loopdy hearts

from tinted royal icing

these are tiny

just one bite

so cute 

for a lunch box treat

or 

as an after dinner mint

  (just flavor your ganache or filling)

treat yourself to a

plateful! 

40 clove ham

i find it curious that

some of the biggest insults we toss about

 malign an animal 

that brings such great pleasure

things like

don't be a pig

he's swine of the worst kind

this place looks like a pig pen

are part of our common vernacular

rather than

being nasty about the plucky porcine

we should be saying things like

your skin has the milky creaminess of caul fat

and honestly,

who doesn't think 

crepine

is a beautiful name for a girl

wandering the grocery store

looking for inspiration for our new year's eve buffet

i found a ham

on sale, no less

and couldn't resist

the swine song

of a

well spiced

lightly sweet

and

mouth-watering salinity

of the

ham of my dreams

40 clove ham
(printable recipe)

10 lb bone-in ham (cooked or uncooked)

1/4 cup pork spice rub--my recipe here...or use your favorite

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbs spiced rum

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

juice of 1 orange

2 Tbs cider vinegar

2 tsp pork spice rub

40 whole cloves

cut diamonds into the pork fat and rub with spice rub. randomly stud with the whole cloves.  bake for 1 hour in large roaster on a rack.  baste each 30 minutes with sauce.  bake at 350 until thermometer reads 145 (if using a cooked ham) or 160 (if using an uncooked ham).  let rest 20 minutes.  slice and eat

* a cooked ham will take about 15-18 min per pound. an uncooked ham will take about 18-22 minutes per pound.  you do not want a canned ham for this. this is meant to resemble a honey baked, or spiral ham...but i think this is much better a quite cost effective.

italian fig cookies

to be honest

this is more of a st. joseph's day treat

than a christmas one

but

truth be told

they are good

any time of year

be warned

this is not a fig newton facsimile

these are spicy and heady and filled with riches

wrapped in a buttery italian pastry

called

pasta frolla

my presentation isn't typical either

they are usually rolled in a tube-shape 

and cut in sections

on a cookie tray

i find them to stay fresh a bit longer

when presented like this

italian fig cookies

cucidati
(printable recipe)

pasta frolla

4 cups flour

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter--cold and cut into pieces

4 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

using a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt a few times to ensure fully mixed.  drop in the butter and pulse until the butter has incorporated completely turning the mixture into a powder.  add the eggs and vanilla and continue to pulse until the dough forms a ball.  remove and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. 

filling

12 oz dried figs (i use calimyrna)

1/2 cup currants or raisins

zest of 1 orange finely grated

1/3 cup blanched, slivered almonds--toasted

1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate--cut into pieces or chips

3 heaping Tablespoons apricot preserves

3 Tbs dark rum

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

light pinch ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

egg beaten with a bit of water for egg wash

powdered sugar glaze or royal icing for decoration

sprinkles for decoration

if the figs are hard and dry, place them in a bowl of hot water to soften, drain and then proceed with recipe.   dice the figs and place in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. stir to fully incorporate. place the entire mixture in the food processor, fitted with steel blade and pulse until you have a paste.  place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

roll the dough out to 1/4" and cut with a small round, plain or scalloped cookie cutter. place just a small bit of fig on top of half the cutouts.  brush a bit of egg wash with a brush on the outer edge of the dough. place a second piece of dough on top and press with tines of fork or toothpick to seal.  brush top with egg wash.  bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. you have to watch to see that they don't burn, you want them just starting to brown on the bottom.

when cool, leave plain or drizzle a bit of powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar and milk to a runny consistency), or royal icing and add a few sprinkles.  

chocolate glazed gingerbread

until yesterday

it had been years

since i made

gingerbread cookies 

but

come holiday time

i bake for others

others with specific requests

so

i dusted off my cookie cutter

and scoured my recipe archives

i found a fun idea in

nancy baggett's all american cookie book

for 

a chocolate glazed version

one of my favorite combinations

gingerbread and chocolate is

here's what i have to say

i will give you her recipe

slightly altered 

(it is what i do, i can't help myself)

it produces a firm and crisp cookie

(which i like)

but it lacks a "roundness", another flavor note, i think

i added honey and it is an improvement

and then there is the glaze

it just was NOT chocolatey enough

looking like chocolate

and tasting like chocolate

are two entirely different things

i bumped it up--considerably

i give you the recipe

with the tweaks already in

if you want the original

buy the book

it is worth it

she has some great recipes

chocolate glazed gingerbread
(printable recipe)

(adapted from all american cookie book)

6 1/2 cups flour (plus more if needed)

2 Tbs ground cinnamon

2 Tbs ground ginger *

1 tsp ground cloves

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt *

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar *

1 cup unsalted butter--slightly softened

2 Tbs corn oil (or other flavorless oil)

1 1/4 cup molasses*

1/4 cup honey*

whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.  in an electric mixer, beat together the brown sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy. beat in molasses, honey and 2 1/2 Tbs water until well blended. beat in half the flour mixture until well blended. stir in the remaining flour. knead the dough until it becomes smooth and shiny. if dough is too stiff, you may add a bit more water, if too sticky, add flour.  divide dough into three pieces. roll each piece in between pieces of wax or parchment paper to 1/4" thick.  place in the refrigerator to firm up (about 3 hours).  when ready to use, peel back the parchment from both sides and using a cookie cutter, stamp out design.  bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for approximately 6-12 minutes at 350F.  keep a close eye.  let cool, then dip in chocolate glaze

chocolate luster glaze

11/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate--coarsely chopped and melted*

3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

pinch kosher salt*

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*

1/3 cup water

1 Tbs light or dark corn syrup*

1 tsp vanilla extract

heat the water and corn syrup in a sauce pan, over medium heat until it just comes to a boil.  remove from heat.  sift together the powdered sugar, salt and cocoa powder.  stir the hot syrup/water into the powdered sugar mixture and beat by hand until smooth and shiny.  toss in the vanilla and melted chocolate and beat again until smooth.  dip cookies or use an offset spatula to frost. let cookies sit a minimum of 3 hours to ensure they are set.  decorate as desired. 

the ingredients marked by * have been altered, or added by yours truly.

iced and snowy stars

i love this shortbread recipe

and use it shamelessly

whenever i can

it is seen here

rolled into a rainbow of happiness

every christmas

mom would bring out

special cookie cutters

the ones she used for

shortbread 

the mystery still remains

why

they were 

shaped like playing card suits

and how

"spades" and "diamonds"

scream christmas

i never thought to ask

perhaps i should

she rolled the dough out thicker than usual 

slightly underbaked them

and half dipped them in chocolate

and they are perfect that way

still 

my favorite way of eating them

but they are also delightful

rolled a bit thinner

baked a bit crispier 

and

glazed with

ivory tinted

royal icing, 

flavored with a bit of almond

and 

finished with sugar

i make these

and 

mom still makes 

chocolate dipped

and it is hard to imagine

that we both use 

the same dough

shortbread cookies
(printable recipe)

(the original recipe has been passed down through my family, but came-i think-from Paula Peck)

1 cup butter-room temperature

3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Beat sugar and butter until completely mixed together, but not light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and salt and mix until just incorporated. Slowly stir in flour and only mix until just incorporated.  Divide dough in 2 portions, wrap in plastic and place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.  When ready to bake, roll out and bake on parchment paper.  top with sprinkles or leave plain and bake at 325 until just starting to brown on the bottom.

once cooled you can dip in tempered chocolate or glaze with royal icing (alton brown recipe here), flavored as you choose

just a simple tip.  i glaze the cookies using a pastry bag and let them dry.  i then dip a small paint brush in a bit of everclear or vodka (or you can use extract) and gently swipe it across the top. i then immediately sprinkle the sugar on top. the liquid will evaporate almost immediately--but it will allow your sugar to stick without sinking into the icing.

one of santa's?

i know it isn't food--but i had to share
i was browsing through a british mag

a cast off from my cousin

and found the most delightful tableau

from living etc december 2010

and i thought

hmmm

i could probably make that

surprisingly,

 i didn't look at it close enough

as

i see now

that it was a small little table-top picture

mine
is not

my mantle december 2010

but i love it anyway

and hubster does too

now that he knows it is just for the holidays

he was a bit suspect

 and slightly concerned 

i might start making "art"

for the house

this was really simple

i purchased a cheap canvas

painted the background white-white

drew the elk freehand in pencil

and 

painted it burnt umber

 a few strands of battery operated lights

strategically placed and poked through

(a little hot glue to secure)

gives it a sparkly-snowy feel

simple, right?

i was thinking of making eight more

  to line our living room wall

as if i

curate santa's hall of fame

going to the dogs...

we used to have a dog bakery in our neighborhood

 i would walk past it with a 

humpf

thinking 

people need to get a life

rolling my eyes

as i passed 

perfectly coiffed poodles

with 

their own frequent buyer cards

and suddenly

as if i hadn't just heard myself

i would turn on my heels

go in

and purchase

"just a little something"

for our two pups 

because,

that stuff was irresistible

the shop closed last year

and, not surprisingly
i found
our dogs were happy with any and all treats

post

morning constitution

which is great

but

at christmas 

i like to have something special

for the little rascals

imagine my surprise

when i came across peanut flour

at the local trader joes

i immediately thought

of dog biscuits

i'm silly that way

these are really easy to put together

and apparently yummy

i am not kidding when i tell you

our dogs were pestering me

to lick the bowl

humans can eat these too

but i don't know why one would

they are packed with

healthy goodness

but not

tasty goodness

unless 

you are a dog

or

shipwrecked

stellar treats
(printable recipe)

1 cup peanut flour

2 cups oat bran

2 over-ripe bananas

3 egg yolks

3 Tbs honey

2 Tbs cinnamon

1/4-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

egg white for brushing cookies

sprinkles (optional)

place the peanut flour, oat bran, bananas, eggs, cinnamon and honey in the bowl of a food processor. process until it becomes a dough.  turn onto your work bench and work in enough flour to make a firm dough, that can be rolled out.  if you don't want to use wheat, you can use oat flour for this. roll out to about 1/4"thick and cut with cookie cutter of choice.  place on cookie sheet and brush with egg white. top with sprinkles (if using). bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned.  makes about 60 1 1/2" cookies

dharma is impolite
 and hopes
i don't notice her
unceremoniously gobbling them up

w.d. carefully chooses
and suspects
it might be a trap

because a plate of cookies
on the floor
in the middle of the kitchen
seems a bit
suspicious
even to a dog

i am sharing this at
the tattered tag